The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 17.0289 Friday, 7 April 2006
[1] From: David Evett <
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Date: Wednesday, 5 Apr 2006 15:08:49 -0400
Subj: Re: SHK 17.0278 Monsieur La Far
[2] From: Grant Smith <
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Date: Wednesday, 5 Apr 2006 17:32:58 -0700
Subj: Re: SHK 17.0278 Monsieur La Far
[3] From: Stephanie Kydd <
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Date: Thursday, 6 Apr 2006 08:08:03 -0700 (PDT)
Subj: RE: Significance of the name "La Far" in KL 4.3.8, posted by
Dennis Taylor
[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: David Evett <
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Date: Wednesday, 5 Apr 2006 15:08:49 -0400
Subject: 17.0278 Monsieur La Far
Comment: Re: SHK 17.0278 Monsieur La Far
For what it is worth, none of the Marechals de France in the Wikipedia
list, from the establishment of the office in 1180 through 1605 and
beyond, bore that name.
David Evett
[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Grant Smith <
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Date: Wednesday, 5 Apr 2006 17:32:58 -0700
Subject: 17.0278 Monsieur La Far
Comment: Re: SHK 17.0278 Monsieur La Far
Dennis Taylor <
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>Is there any significance to the name, Monsieur La Far (KLear 4.3.8)?
I can't find a parallel to any historical personage. So my guess would
be that Shakespeare may be doing a little wordplay here with the French
word for wax, "fart," and/or the English word for iron, "fer."
If the idea of iron is suggested, the meaning is appropriately ironical
to an English audience for a French soldier. At the same time, the
pronunciation would sound like the French word for wax, and so the "real
meaning" would mock the soldier's prospects in war.
Could Shakespeare's aural imagination have been that lively?!
Of course, the French king is a good guy, and so is spared the
embarrassment of defeat.
Grant Smith
[3]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Stephanie Kydd <
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Date: Thursday, 6 Apr 2006 08:08:03 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: RE: Significance of the name "La Far" in KL 4.3.8, posted by
Dennis Taylor
RE: Significance of the name "La Far" in KL 4.3.8, posted by Dennis Taylor
Shakespeare usually doesn't choose a name arbitrarily (even one used in
passing), so there is some significance. I can't claim with any
certainty what it is, but I offer the following conjectures:
(1) 'lafar' is a recognized variant of 'l'affaire' ('A Glossary of
Lingua Franca', http://www.uwm.edu/~corre/franca/go.html); the English
word 'affair' (derived from the French) is 'a military 'action' or
engagement of undefined character' (OED), which makes 'La Far' an apt
name for a French marshal;
(2) There may be simple play on the English word 'far', meaning that the
troop support is remote.
- Stephie Kydd
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