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Asimov’s Guide To Shakespear. Volume 1With the child, Paulina forces her way into Leontes' presence. He won't look at the child and cries out impatiently to Antigonus: Give her the bastard, Thou dotard, thou art woman-tired, unroosted By thy Dame Partlet here. —Act II, scene iii, lines 72-74 This refers to an extremely popular medieval cycle of animal stories, in which human failings are placed in animal guise, a device that dates back to Aesop in the Western tradition. The cycle is known as a whole as "Reynard the Fox," for the fox is the rascal hero (much like Br'er Rabbit in the Uncle Remus stories). The tales reached their final form about 1100 and grew so popular that some of the names of the animals entered the common language. Even more familiar than "Reynard" for fox is "Bruin" for bear, for instance. "Dame Partlet" is the hen and Leontes is saying in angry, insulting tones that Paulina is an old biddy who has henpecked her foolish husband into giving up the roost; that is, the dominating position in the house. Antigonus can scarcely deny it at that ...» |
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