Beg/beggar/begging/poor in "Two Gentlemen of Verona," 1589-91
Before I conclude my series on the allusion in Hamlet to the story of the beggar Lazarus in Luke 16, besides considering instances of words like "Lazarus" and "lazar" in other Shakespeare plays (the focus of the last two weeks' blog posts), I also wanted to consider instances of other words like "beg" (...beggar/begging) and "poor" in other works of Shakespeare. These last I want to consider chronologically, as best as chronologies of the plays might allow.
This is not to assume that these alone will be indicators of begging and poverty as common themes with the Lazarus tale in the gospel, but it's a start. A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, and a beggar by any other name would still be a beggar.
Also, we might note that many of the other Biblical allusions in Shakespeare involve some kind of begging, humble asking, or petition:
- The prodigal son begs his father to take him back.
- Jonah, from the belly of the fish, begs for God's help.
- Lazarus begs at the rich man's door, and after death, the rich man begs for Lazarus, in heaven, to help.
- The Israelites beg Jephthah to defend them from their enemies, and Jephthah sends messages, asking (related to begging) to know why their enemies are attacking them.
- etc.
But for now, this post will start with The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1589–1591), considered Shakespeare's first play, and future posts will and offer a chronological sampling of instances of "beg" (/beggar/begging) and "poor."
All quotes from OpenSourceShakespeare.org via George Mason University, found by way of their advanced search engine.
[Image from the First Folio (1623), cropped, via Folger Shakespeare Library/Folger.edu. Creative Commons.]
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1589–1591)
Two Gentlemen has a theme of friends' rivalry over love in common with Midsummer Night's Dream, A Winter's Tale, and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and other themes of banishment and city vs. forest in common with As You Like It and Midsummer Night's Dream: In all three plays (TGV, MND, and AYL), the plot needs to be worked out in a realm of escape or banishment to a forest, while certain oppressive characters remain behind. (In Hamlet, aspects of the prince's transformation have to be worked out offstage during Hamlet's sea voyage and capture by pirates, but this still involves transformation and movement toward resolution in a realm other than the original setting of Denmark.)
Those who follow discussion of Catholic-Protestant themes in the plays might find that those banished to the forest (or the forest of Arden in AYLI) may be like the secret Catholics avoiding persecution, while those corrupt rulers left behind may be like the Protestants who assumed rule. This is not to say that Shakespeare was secretly Catholic, but he certainly seems to have sympathized with them, and knew that some in his audience did as well. For an excellent treatment on that subject, see Richard Wilson's book, Secret Shakespeare: Studies in Theatre, Religion and Resistance.
From this early play, we see that, just because someone uses the word "beg," this doesn't mean they're literally or figuratively beggars: Shakespeare sometimes has his characters speak disparagingly of beggars, and "poor" often means pitiable, or a figurative poverty of ignorance and pride.
BEG/BEGGAR as used by Speed and Proteus. Speed speaks disparagingly, using a variety of analogies, including a "beggar at Hallowmas"; Proteus feels entitled, so anything less that he expects would involve something for which he could not beg. In other words, Proteus is a proud and entitled beggar, if a beggar at all. Emphasis mine:
Act 2, scene 1
Speed:
Marry, by these special marks: first, you have
learned, like Sir Proteus, to wreathe your arms,
like a malecontent; to relish a love-song, like a
robin-redbreast; to walk alone, like one that had
the pestilence; to sigh, like a school-boy that had
lost his A B C; to weep, like a young wench that had
buried her grandam; to fast, like one that takes
diet; to watch like one that fears robbing; to
speak puling, like a beggar at Hallowmas. You were
wont, when you laughed, to crow like a cock; when you
walked, to walk like one of the lions; when you
fasted, it was presently after dinner; when you
looked sadly, it was for want of money: and now you
are metamorphosed with a mistress, that, when I look
on you, I can hardly think you my master.
Act 5, scene 4
Proteus:
Madam, this service I have done for you,
Though you respect not aught your servant doth,
To hazard life and rescue you from him
That would have forced your honour and your love;
Vouchsafe me, for my meed, but one fair look;
A smaller boon than this I cannot beg
And less than this, I am sure, you cannot give.
"POOR," most often used by Julia, interestingly by Valentine. Emphasis mine:
Act 1, scene 2
Julia:
Nay, would I were so anger'd with the same!
O hateful hands, to tear such loving words!
Injurious wasps, to feed on such sweet honey
And kill the bees that yield it with your stings!
I'll kiss each several paper for amends.
Look, here is writ 'kind Julia.' Unkind Julia!
As in revenge of thy ingratitude,
I throw thy name against the bruising stones,
Trampling contemptuously on thy disdain.
And here is writ 'love-wounded Proteus.'
Poor wounded name! my bosom as a bed
Shall lodge thee till thy wound be thoroughly heal'd;
And thus I search it with a sovereign kiss.
But twice or thrice was 'Proteus' written down.
Be calm, good wind, blow not a word away
Till I have found each letter in the letter,
Except mine own name: that some whirlwind bear
Unto a ragged fearful-hanging rock
And throw it thence into the raging sea!
Lo, here in one line is his name twice writ,
'Poor forlorn Proteus, passionate Proteus,
To the sweet Julia:' that I'll tear away.
And yet I will not, sith so prettily
He couples it to his complaining names.
Thus will I fold them one on another:
Now kiss, embrace, contend, do what you will.
Act 2, scene 2
Proteus:
Go; I come, I come.
Alas! this parting strikes poor lovers dumb.
Act 3, scene 2:
Proteus:
The best way is to slander Valentine
With falsehood, cowardice and poor descent,
Three things that women highly hold in hate.
Act 4, scene 1
Valentine:
Then know that I have little wealth to lose:
A man I am cross'd with adversity;
My riches are these poor habiliments,
Of which if you should here disfurnish me,
You take the sum and substance that I have.
Act 4, scene 1
Valentine:
I take your offer and will live with you,
Provided that you do no outrages
On silly women or poor passengers.
Act 4, scene 4
Julia:
How many women would do such a message?
Alas, poor Proteus! thou hast entertain'd
A fox to be the shepherd of thy lambs.
Alas, poor fool! why do I pity him
That with his very heart despiseth me?
Because he loves her, he despiseth me;
Because I love him I must pity him.
This ring I gave him when he parted from me,
To bind him to remember my good will;
And now am I, unhappy messenger,
To plead for that which I would not obtain,
To carry that which I would have refused,
To praise his faith which I would have dispraised.
I am my master's true-confirmed love;
But cannot be true servant to my master,
Unless I prove false traitor to myself.
Yet will I woo for him, but yet so coldly
As, heaven it knows, I would not have him speed.
Act 4, scene 4
Julia:
I thank you, madam, that you tender her.
Poor gentlewoman! my master wrongs her much.
Act 4, scene 4
Julia:
About my stature; for at Pentecost,
When all our pageants of delight were play'd,
Our youth got me to play the woman's part,
And I was trimm'd in Madam Julia's gown,
Which served me as fit, by all men's judgments,
As if the garment had been made for me:
Therefore I know she is about my height.
And at that time I made her weep agood,
For I did play a lamentable part:
Madam, 'twas Ariadne passioning
For Theseus' perjury and unjust flight;
Which I so lively acted with my tears
That my poor mistress, moved therewithal,
Wept bitterly; and would I might be dead
If I in thought felt not her very sorrow!
Act 4, scene 4
Silvia:
She is beholding to thee, gentle youth.
Alas, poor lady, desolate and left!
I weep myself to think upon thy words.
Here, youth, there is my purse; I give thee this
For thy sweet mistress' sake, because thou lovest her.
Farewell.
All of these examples from this play demonstrate the great flexibility with which Shakespeare uses words such as "beg" and "poor," and the fact that he often uses such terms in derogatory ways make their use stand out all the more when a vulnerable character is actually begging or confessing their poverty.
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I have mentioned in previous blog posts that I use the Advanced Search Engine at OpenSourceShakespeare to search for instances of particular words in Shakespeare's plays. I'd like to explain how I do that, in case any of my readers may benefit. There may also be among my readers those who are much better at this than I am, so feel free to leave comments about your experience or recommendations.
First, one should note that there are some searches that might overwhelm the search engine: If a word or phrase appears too often in the works of Shakespeare, the search engine may list, alphabetically, some of the plays where that word or phrase is found, but one has to pay attention to see if other plays were cut off.
Second, some tips for narrowing the searches:
If you search only for "beg," the search will include words you don't want in which "beg" appears, such as begin, began, begun, beguile, begotten, etc. So besides searching FOR a word, it's helpful to include in the advanced search some examples of things you're NOT looking for.
If you enter "beg" as the word you're searching for, and begu as something you're NOT searching for, then this will eliminate both "begun" and "beguile." You have a limited number of options, so it can help to be a bit judicious about what you're searching for, and what you're not. Here's an example of what I did in searching for "beg/beggar/begging/beggars" in Taming of the Shrew:
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MORE TO COME: This is part in a new multi-part series: After I came near the end of the previous series, on the Lazarus allusion in Hamlet 1.5 (to the Biblical tale of the rich man and Lazarus, the beggar), I decided that since no other character in Hamlet is described as often as Hamlet as begging or poor, I would investigate other Shakespeare plays to see how those two words are used - and to be open to other insights along the way.
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POSTS IN THIS SERIES SO FAR:
1. Beg/beggar/begging/poor in "Two Gentlemen of Verona," 1589-91 - 3 August, 2021
2. Begging and poor in The Taming of the Shrew - 10 August, 2021
3. Begging and Poor in 1 Henry VI, 1591-92 - 17 August, 2021
4. Begging, Poor, Eve, and Protestant-Catholic Context for 2 Henry VI - 31 August, 2021
5. Begging and Poor in 3 Henry VI (1591) - 7 September, 2021
6. Begging & Poor; Dust & Stones in Titus Andronicus (1593) - 14 September, 2021
7. Begging and Poor in Richard III (1592–1593) - 28 September, 2021 8. Begging and Poor in The Comedy of Errors (1594) - 5 October, 2021
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Shakespeare quotes: All quotes from Hamlet in older posts have been taken from the Modern (spelling), Editor's Version at InternetShakespeare via the University of Victoria in Canada. In this post and in the future, I will be taking them also from The Folger Shakespeare Library.
- To find them in the first place, I often use the advanced search feature at OpenSourceShakespeare.org.
Bible quotes, when taken from the Geneva translation, widely available to people of Shakespeare's time, are taken from an internet source somewhat close to their original spelling, from studybible.info, and in a modern spelling, from biblegateway.com.
- Quotes from the Bishop's bible, also available in Shakespeare's lifetime and read in church, are taken from studybible.info.
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Disclaimer: If and when I quote or paraphrase bible passages in many of my blog posts, I do not intend to promote any religion over another, nor am I attempting to promote religious belief in general; only to point out how the Bible may have influenced Shakespeare, his plays, and his age.
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Thanks for reading! My current project is a book tentatively titled Hamlet’s Bible, about biblical allusions and plot echoes in Hamlet.
Below is a link to a list of some of my top posts (“greatest hits”), including a description of my book project (last item on the list):
https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2019/12/top-20-hamlet-bible-posts.html
I post every week, so please visit as often as you like and consider subscribing.
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