43 (U230.907)

 Too poetical that about the sad.

43rd cast. page 230, line 907.

 

　Too poetical that about the sad. Music did that. Music hath charms. Shakespeare said. Quotations every day in the year. To be or not to be. Wisdom while you wait. 

　In Gerard’s rosery of Fetter lane he walks, greyedauburn. One life is all. One body. Do. But do.

 

 Here is a very interesting passage.

 

Episode 11. Around 4:00 PM. While dining at the Ormond Hotel, Mr. Bloom has just finished writing a letter to Martha, his secret correspondent.

 

He wrote in the P.P.S. of Martha's letter, "I feel so sad today."

 

P. P. S. La la la ree. I feel so sad today. La ree. So lonely. Dee.

（U230.894）

 

In the hotel lounge, Simon sang "Mappari" from Floteau's opera Maltha, and perhaps Mr. Cowley improvised on the piano in a minor key.

 

Mr. Bloom is sad because he knows that lover of his wife Molly, Boylan, is now on her way to Bloom's house.

 

“Music hath charms”, according to Gifford's notes, is not from Shakespeare, but from the tragedy The Mourning Bride (1697), Act 1, Scene 1, by English playwright William Congreve (1670 - 1729).

 

Music has Charms to sooth a savage Breast,

To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.

 

This is one of the famous phrases that the world often mistakes for Shakespeare's.
It is also often mistaken for "Music hath Charms to sooth a savage Beast."

But what was on Mr. Bloom's mind may have been a line from Shakespeare.
From Act IV, Scene 1 of Measure for Measure (1603-1604).

Tis good; though music oft hath such a charm

To make bad good, and good provoke to harm.”

 

 "Quotations every day in the year" is a diary with quotations.

 

Shakespeare birthday book (1883) or books like this. Mr. Bloom is familiar with Shakespeare's dialogues through such books.

 

“To be or not to be” is, of course, the most famous line from Hamlet. Mr. Bloom compared himself to the anguished Hamlet.

 

"Wisdom while you wait". I searched and found a book with that title (published in 1902). Not sure if this is the book, but Mr. Bloom thinks of a book with trivia and quotes.

“While you wait”, as the title of the book, means "immediately," but I think it also overlaps with Hamlet's "waiting" for an opportunity to avenge his father's murder, despite his madness, and Mr. Bloom's sitting and "waiting" for Boylan to go visit Molly.

Incidentally, Mr. Bloom is the kind of person who reads Shakespeare in search of solutions to life's problems. (U554.385)

 

The second paragraph is astonishing, as it is almost identical to Stephen's thoughts in Episode 9, in the library.

 

Do and do. Thing done. In a rosery of Fetter lane of Gerard, herbalist, he walks, greyedauburn. An azured harebell like her veins. Lids of Juno’s eyes, violets. He walks. One life is all. One body. Do. But do. Afar, in a reek of lust and squalor, hands are laid on whiteness.

（U166.651-）

 

 A passage in which Stephen fantasizes about Shakespeare walking through the rose garden of John Gerard (1545-1612) in Fetter Alley, London. Gerard was a botanist who had a large herb garden in London.

 

How can this be understood?

 

There are two possibilities.

 

One interpretation is that Stephen's thoughts are interjected here.

 

Episode 10 and 11 use the technique of abruptly interrupting the main story with scenes from other places, like insert cuts in a movie.

 

Stephen also mentions in Episode16 that John Dowland (1563 - 1626), a composer of Shakespeare's time, lived in Gerard's neighborhood on Fetter Alley.

 

Stephen, in reply to a politely put query, said he didn’t sing it but launched out into praises of Shakespeare’s songs, at least of in or about that period, the lutenist Dowland who lived in Fetter lane near Gerard the herbalist,・・・

(U540.1763)

 

It is very natural to assume that this is Stephen's thinking.

 

The second interpretation is that this is still Mr. Bloom's thinking here.

 

Immediately after this passage, Mr. Bloom mumbles, "Done anyhow”. This is connected to the immediately preceding "Do. But do“.

 

Mr. Bloom now thought the same thing as Stephen.This seems odd at first glance, but I suppose it is possible.The night before this day, Stephen and Mr. Bloom had the same dream.

 

Stephen's dream. Somewhere in a Middle Eastern brothel town, a man offers Steven a melon.

 

After he woke me last night same dream or was it? Wait. Open hallway. Street of harlots. Remember. Haroun al Raschid. I am almosting it. That man led me, spoke. I was not afraid. The melon he had he held against my face. Smiled: creamfruit smell. That was the rule, said. In. Come. Red carpet spread. You will see who.

（U39.363-）

 

Mr. Bloom's dream. Molly is wearing Turkish trousers and slippers.

 

Dreamt last night? Wait. Something confused. She had red slippers on. Turkish. Wore the breeches. Suppose she does? Would I like her in pyjamas? Damned hard to answer.

 (U311.1240-)

 

Mr. Bloom and Stephen are consubstantial father and son in the world created by Joyce. Their consciousnesses communicate in the depths.

To me, the latter interpretation is more interesting.

Barnard's Inn

Gerard's Rose Garden was said to have been located near Barnard's Inn Barnard's Inn between Chancery Lane and Fetter Lane. Barnard's Inn is a  Inn of Chancery dating back to the 13th century.

"Barnard's Inn - Gresham College - High Holborn, City of London" by ell brown is licensed under CC BY 2.0

 The method of this blog ⇒ Here