AARON. My mistress is my mistress: this my self,> The vigour and the picture of my youth.> This before all the world do I prefer;> This maugre all the world will I keep safe,> Or some of you shall smoke for it in Rome.>
AARON. My mistress is my mistress: this my self,> The vigour and the picture of my youth.> This before all the world do I prefer;> This maugre all the world will I keep safe,> Or some of you shall smoke for it in Rome.>
What does the smoke for it mean?
Did you miss the line before, in which Demetrius asks "Will thou betray thy noble mistress thus?"
AARON. My mistress is my mistress: this my self,>> The vigour and the picture of my youth.>> This before all the world do I prefer;>> This maugre all the world will I keep safe,>> Or some of you shall smoke for it in Rome.>>
What does the smoke for it ? mean?>
Did you miss the line before, in which Demetrius asks "Will thou betray >thy noble mistress thus?">
AARON. My mistress is my mistress: this my self,> The vigour and the picture of my youth.> This before all the world do I prefer;> This maugre all the world will I keep safe,> Or some of you shall smoke for it in Rome.>
What does the "smoke for it" mean?
This refers back to what the sons of Titus had done to Tamora's son Alarbus. Here is what Lucius said at the time (1.1.142-7):
See, lord and father, how we have performed Our Roman rites. Alarbus' limbs are lopped And entrails feed the sacrificing fire, Whose smoke like incense doth perfume the sky.
Aaron is saying that if Demetrius or Chiron harm the baby son that he is holding in his arms, he will make them suffer a similar fate to their brother.
AARON. My mistress is my mistress: this my self,> The vigour and the picture of my youth.> This before all the world do I prefer;> This maugre all the world will I keep safe,> Or some of you shall smoke for it in Rome.>
What does the 'smoke for it' mean?>
If you go to see the Pope (as for an Indulgence, above), you hafta smoke a few Montecristos to prove you have enough money to burn to be worth his "attention." The more you smoke, the quicker you get to see him, a measure called "The Count of Montecristos."
(Brits, being TrVe Protestants, get a Punch in the kisser.)
-- -------(m+ ~/:o)_| Thistles have been the favorite food of songbirds for eons. http://scrawlmark.org
AARON. My mistress is my mistress: this my self,> > The vigour and the picture of my youth.> > This before all the world do I prefer;> > This maugre all the world will I keep safe,> > Or some of you shall smoke for it in Rome.> >
What does the "smoke for it" mean?>
Xah, you need to use Shakespeare editions with notes.> Even the experts do. I like the Arden Shakespeare,> but there are more modern editions, and plenty to> choose from: try the local lending library. Don't get> a single-volume edition, but one which presents each> play separately.
In fact I found neither the Arden edition (ed. Jonathan Bate) or the Norton single-volume edition at all helpful in this particular case. The Norton just glossed the word "smoke" as "suffer" and Bate had "suffer (originally from burning at the stake"). In my view both of them are wrong on this occasion, since neither of them explains (as my suggestion does) why it will be "in Rome".
I would be quite interested to know what other editors have said on the subject, in fact. Does anyone mention the connection with Alarbus's death, or am I alone in having noticed it?
I wrote:
This refers back to what the sons of Titus had done> > to Tamora's son Alarbus. Here is what Lucius said at> > the time (1.1.142-7):> >
See, lord and father, how we have performed> > Our Roman rites. Alarbus' limbs are lopped> > And entrails feed the sacrificing fire,> > Whose smoke like incense doth perfume the sky.> > Remaineth naught but to inter our brethren> > And with loud 'larums welcome them to Rome.> >
Aaron is saying that if Demetrius or Chiron harms> > his baby son that he is holding in his arms, he will> > make them suffer a similar fate to their brother.
AARON. My mistress is my mistress: this my self,>>> The vigour and the picture of my youth.>>> This before all the world do I prefer;>>> This maugre all the world will I keep safe,>>> Or some of you shall smoke for it in Rome.>>>
What does the "smoke for it" mean?>>
In fact I found neither the Arden edition (ed.> Jonathan Bate) or the Norton single-volume edition> at all helpful in this particular case. The Norton> just glossed the word "smoke" as "suffer" and Bate> had "suffer (originally from burning at the stake").> In my view both of them are wrong on this occasion,> since neither of them explains (as my suggestion does)> why it will be "in Rome".>
I would be quite interested to know what other editors> have said on the subject, in fact. Does anyone mention> the connection with Alarbus's death, or am I alone in> having noticed it?>
I wrote:>
This refers back to what the sons of Titus had done>>> to Tamora's son Alarbus. Here is what Lucius said at>>> the time (1.1.142-7):>>>
See, lord and father, how we have performed>>> Our Roman rites. Alarbus' limbs are lopped>>> And entrails feed the sacrificing fire,>>> Whose smoke like incense doth perfume the sky.>>> Remaineth naught but to inter our brethren>>> And with loud 'larums welcome them to Rome.>>>
Aaron is saying that if Demetrius or Chiron harms>>> his baby son that he is holding in his arms, he will>>> make them suffer a similar fate to their brother.>
Interesting to see other cites in OED for the phrase:
1598 B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. iii. iv, A fasting-day no sooner comes, but+poore cobs they smoke for it, they are made martyrs o' the gridiron, they melt in passion. a1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 64b, For feare to bee called heretike, and then they would make hym smoke or beare a faggot. 1595 in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ. V. 352 The farewell was he would make hym smoake for yt before he departed the towne.
OED has, as one definition of 'smoke', "to smart, to suffer" and notes that it was originally used in that way as an allusion to actual burning. Jonson's 'gridiron' makes it plain he is alluding to execution of martyrs, as is Hall. -- John Dean Oxford
