<![CDATA[Random Thoughts - Divine Comedy/Master Tragedy]]>

<![CDATA[Random Thoughts - Divine Comedy/Master Tragedy]]>Sat, 21 Feb 2026 02:00:12 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Commedia Dell'arte]]>Mon, 10 Dec 2018 18:03:30 GMThttps://www.wordsplusthoughts.com/divine-comedymaster-tragedy/commedia-dellarte

Poe:
"in the darkest corners of our minds,
by great guardians guarded,
once a beautiful and tidy castle--
warm castle--showed itself.

In the ruler's Truth kingdom,
he stood there!

Never before he's seen a monster,
big as life and outside its lair!

Flags green, frightened, bright,
on the castle walls it roared,
(This--everything--was fixed
upon time).
And every whisper that bounced,
among the halls,
Among the siblings send shivers,
and the current ran.

Those lost in the room of tables,
through the window eyes they saw,
lyrics playing accordingly
to those unable,
round table there, sitting,
sweet sweet scheme!

In the room his muse sitting,
so the ruler could turn king.

And all but a crown, no gems or glory,
was there a booklet filled with doors,
through which the song did play, play, play,
and enchanted those no more.

A group of noises, whose sins were true,
anything but music,
played along their tune.
There lied the mind and heart of a king.

But all those evil need to borrow,
enter along the Monarch's high estate;
(Ah, here we come!--there is no tomorrow,
this shall be revenge upon him, to empty them!)

And soon around this dome, no glory,
he does burn hot with doom,
is but a dismembered body,
of a new world soon.

And followers, now, no more as allies,
through the blood-covered windows peek,
hideous beasts that move methodically,
to a horrible melody;
while, like a vastly empty stage,
through the one white door,
a hideous dragon does enter,
with its master--but not chained at all."

Shakespeare:

Scene II
Enter PROSPERO and MIRANDA

MIRANDA
If by your art, my dearest father, you have
Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them.
The sky, it seems, would pour down stinking pitch,
But that the sea, mounting to the welkin's cheek,
Dashes the fire out. O, I have suffered
With those that I saw suffer: a brave vessel,
Who had, no doubt, some noble creature in her,
Dash'd all to pieces. O, the cry did knock
Against my very heart. Poor souls, they perish'd.
Had I been any god of power, I would
Have sunk the sea within the earth or ere
It should the good ship so have swallow'd and
The fraughting souls within her.

PROSPERO
Be collected:
No more amazement: tell your piteous heart
There's no harm done.

MIRANDA
O, woe the day!

PROSPERO
No harm.
I have done nothing but in care of thee,
Of thee, my dear one, thee, my daughter, who
Art ignorant of what thou art, nought knowing
Of whence I am, nor that I am more better
Than Prospero, master of a full poor cell,
And thy no greater father.

MIRANDA
More to know
Did never meddle with my thoughts.

PROSPERO
'Tis time
I should inform thee farther. Lend thy hand,
And pluck my magic garment from me. So:
Lays down his mantle
Lie there, my art. Wipe thou thine eyes; have comfort.
The direful spectacle of the wreck, which touch'd
The very virtue of compassion in thee,
I have with such provision in mine art
So safely ordered that there is no soul--
No, not so much perdition as an hair
Betid to any creature in the vessel
Which thou heard'st cry, which thou saw'st sink. Sit down;
For thou must now know farther.

MIRANDA
You have often
Begun to tell me what I am, but stopp'd
And left me to a bootless inquisition,
Concluding 'Stay: not yet.'

PROSPERO
The hour's now come;
The very minute bids thee ope thine ear;
Obey and be attentive. Canst thou remember
A time before we came unto this cell?
I do not think thou canst, for then thou wast not
Out three years old.

MIRANDA
Certainly, sir, I can.

EPILOGUE:

PROSPERO
Now my charms are all o'erthrown,
And what strength I have's mine own,
Which is most faint: now, 'tis true,
I must be here confined by you,
Or sent to Naples. Let me not,
Since I have my dukedom got
And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell
In this bare island by your spell;
But release me from my bands
With the help of your good hands:
Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please. Now I want
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant,
And my ending is despair,
Unless I be relieved by prayer,
Which pierces so that it assaults
Mercy itself and frees all faults.
As you from crimes would pardon'd be,
Let your indulgence set me free.

]]><![CDATA[Act II, Scene II]]>Fri, 01 Dec 2017 20:13:15 GMThttps://www.wordsplusthoughts.com/divine-comedymaster-tragedy/act-ii-scene-ii

ROMEO
My dear?

JULIET
At what o'clock to-morrow
Shall I send to thee?

ROMEO
At the hour of nine.

JULIET
I will not fail: 'tis twenty years till then.
I have forgot why I did call thee back.

ROMEO
Let me stand here till thou remember it.

JULIET
I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,
Remembering how I love thy company.

ROMEO
And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget,
Forgetting any other home but this.

COMEDY
My dear?

LOVE
Shall we meet in the morrow?

COMEDY
At which hour the tune plays.

LOVE
I will appear there: until then!
I cannot wait, then, my love.

COMEDY
Allow me to remain, for you shall not forget it

LOVE
I shall not forget, to have thee remain as memory
Reminder of thy company.

COMEDY
And I'll still remain, if but as a ghost in thy garden
Forget me not, dear, forget me not.

LOVE
'Tis almost morning; I fear you will be called:
and yet, you still remain;
Who allows you to stay, my love?
Who loosens thy chains that bind you to thy door?
How can I know you will be safe upon your next return?

COMEDY
I have Tragedy before me, behind me, and above,
fear not, he watches for me as I for you.

LOVE
Perfection, and I do for you all:
Yet I would miss thee with much cherishing,
so I must say good night, parting with such
sorrow, but knowing you'll be here in the morrow.
Exit above

COMEDY
Sleep, forward unto slumber, rest thy green eyes,
I know now you enter peace,
and as I welcome slumber myself,
for here comes Tragedy as well,
and with his help I will return,
to kiss your lips once more soon.
Exit

]]><![CDATA[Act III, Scene I]]>Sat, 24 Jun 2017 05:34:22 GMThttps://www.wordsplusthoughts.com/divine-comedymaster-tragedy/act-iii-scene-i

TITANIA
I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:
Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note;
So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;
And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me
On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee.

BOTTOM
Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason
for that: and yet, to say the truth, reason and
love keep little company together now-a-days; the
more the pity that some honest neighbours will not
make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.

TITANIA
Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

BOTTOM
Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out
of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn.

CLEO
I gaze upon thee, my King, come back again:
My heart is much besotted with ache;
I hope so is your chest as well;
And thus memories' images doth present
Your lips spell to tell, to say, my Love love thee.

ANT
Methinks, my Queen, you should not have to
suffer so: and yet, truth be told, love and madness
hand in hand they go these days; the
more the merrier bring forth thy smile in time will
come to me back again. Nay, I glance through the hourglass.

CLEO
Thou art as sage as thou art alluring.

ANT
Perhaps so, both: but if I had power enough to break out
of this obscure jungle, I'd carry enough to serve back alongside you, our own play.

]]><![CDATA[“Into the eternal darkness, into fire and into ice.”]]>Fri, 23 Jun 2017 14:40:17 GMThttps://www.wordsplusthoughts.com/divine-comedymaster-tragedy/into-the-eternal-darkness-into-fire-and-into-ice

Within [the Light’s] depths I saw gathered together,
Bound by love into a single volume,
Pages that lie scattered through the universe.

Substance and accidents and their relations
I saw as though they fused in such a way
That what I say is but a gleam of light

The universal pattern of this knot
I believe I saw, because in telling this,
I feel my gladness growing ever larger.

One moment made more slip my memory than
Twenty-five centuries robbed from the adventure
That awed Neptune with the shadow of the Argo.

So my mind, held in absolute suspense,
Was staring fixed, intent, and motionless,
And by its staring grew the more inflamed.

Within [the Confines of] these halls, I saw shadows running,
A light that carried a hellish glow desperately to get across,
The childish screams that followed offered an open window.

Fast-paced action and quick subtraction and panting
I noticed as if a helping hand would sway
Together our paths to join in reign

A brotherly bargain of this kind
I know would suffice each party such that
We both would gain a much stronger play

A meeting then arranged much quicker
Distraction robbed him from his post
That adulterated scene, disavowed noble Prince.

So the pact shaken hands agreed a getaway,
False lovers be given free time, shared, and distraction played,
Fully in debt, but together gods would seek, a rebellion sings.

]]>