If there’s a better articulation of human conflictedness/inner turmoil, I haven’t read it. From Richard III:
Have mercy, Jesu! – Soft. I did but dream. –
O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me! –
The light burns blue. – It is now dead midnight,
Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh
What do I fear? Myself? There’s none else by:
Richard loves Richard; that is, I am I.
Is there a murderer here? No – yes, I am:
Then fly. What, from myself? Great reason why –
Les I lack revenge. What, myself upon myself!
Alack, I love myself. Wherefore? For only good
That I myself have done unto myself?
Oh, no! Alas I rather hate myself!
I am a villain; yet I lie, I am not!
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COMMENTS
4 responses to “Some Internal Dialogue – Shakespeare”
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Wow. Terrific stuff.
C.S. Lewis focuses on one line from this Richard III passage…
"Richard loves Richard; that is, I am I"
as an example of "Incurvatus in se" — or the self curved in upon itself — distilled to laboratory purity.
He also quotes from Walter de la Mare's "Napolean" as an example of the same thing:
'What is the world, O soldiers?
It is I:
I, this incessant snow,
This northern sky;
Soldiers, this solitude
Through which we go
Is I.'
Lewis would take this and run with it in THE GREAT DIVORCE, envisioning it as the ultimate state of lost souls in hell. (Napoleon is actually mentioned briefly as one of the characters.)
Stampdawg,
Excellent use of Incurvatus in se! One of my favorite terms!
PS, Sean and DZ – it would make and excellent gossary entry…
Great quote. St. Paul in Romans 7, Richard III in Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, and Smeagol/Gollum in JRR Tolkien. The circle is complete.