The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 13.1693  Wednesday, 24 July 2002

From:           Dave Johnson <
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Date:           Tuesday, 23 Jul 2002 20:33:59 -1000
Subject:        Scansion - Merry Wives of Windsor

I would appreciate a scansion of the following passage from the Merry
Wives of Windsor (Arden Third Series 5.3.37-48).  The Arden edition
suggests that "red" may be inserted after "green" in the first line, and
that then the lines become tetrameter.  With or without that insertion,
I find scansion of these lines very puzzling.

MISTRESS QUICKLY

      Fairies, black, grey, green, and white,
      You moonshine revellers and shades of night,
      You orphan heirs of fixed destiny,
      Attend your office and your quality.
      Crier Hobgoblin, make the fairy oyes.
PISTOL

      Elves, list your names; silence, you airy toys.
      Cricket, to Windsor chimneys shalt thou leap:
      Where fires thou find'st unraked and hearths unswept,
      There pinch the maids as blue as bilberry:
      Our radiant queen hates sluts and sluttery.

FALSTAFF

      They are fairies; he that speaks to them shall die:
      I'll wink and couch: no man their works must eye.

Aloha,
Dave Johnson

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