Shakespeare and the Mismeasure of Renaissance Man 9781501726859

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SHAKESPEARE and the Mismeasure of Renaissance Man

SHAKESPEARE and the Mismeasure of Renaissance Man

PAULA BLANK

CORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS

Ithaca and London

A version of chapter 4 appeared as "Shakespeare's Equalities: Checking the Math of King Lear' by Paula Blank in Exemplaria: A journal of Theory in Medieval and Renaissance Studies 15.2 (Autumn 2003): 471-506. Pegasus Press, P.O. Box 15806, Asheville, NC 28813. Copyright© 2003. Copyright© 2006 by Cornell University All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850. First published 2006 by Cornell University Press Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Blank, Paula, 1959Shakespeare and the mismeasure of Renaissance man/ Paula Blank. p. em. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-o-8014-4475-3 (cloth: alk. paper) ISBN-10: o-8014-4475-6 (cloth: alk. paper) 1. Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616-Criticism and interpretation. 2. Measurement in literature. 3· Anthropometry in literature. I. Title. PR3o69.M43B57 2007 822.3'3-dc22

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1. We measure from ourselves; and as things are for our use and

purpose, so we approve them. Bring a Pear to the Table that is rotten, we cry it down, 'tis naught; but bring a Medlar that is rotten, and 'tis a fine thing, .and yet I'll warrant you the Pear thinks as well of itself as the Medlar does. 2.

We measure the Excellency of other Men, by some Excellency we conceive to be in ourselves. Nash a Poet, poor enough (as Poets us'd to be), seeing an Alderman with his Gold Chain, upon his great Horse, by way of scorn, said to one of his Companions, do you see yon fellow, how goodly, how big he looks; why that fellow cannot make a blank Verse.

3· Nay we measure the goodness of God from ourselves; we measure his Goodness, his Justice, his Wisdom, by something we call Just, Good, or Wise in ourselves; and in so doing, we judge proportionably to the Country-fellow in the Play, who said if he were a King, he would live like a Lord, and have Peas and Bacon every day, and a Whip that cried Slash. -JOHN SELDEN

(1584-1654), "Measure of Things," in Table-Talk

CONTENTS

IX

Acknowledgments

INTRODUCTION

I

2

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THE RENAISSANCE ART OF MEASUREMENT

I4

POETIC NUMBERS AND SHAKESPEARE'S "LINES OF LIFE" 3 · POUNDS OF FLESH

Race Relations in the Venice Plays

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4 · SHAKESPEARE'S SOCIAL ARITHMETIC$

Checking the Math