Completed reading episode 9 (Penguin 280.8; Gabler 9.1225) with
But first things first. As Stephen continues to lecture on how Shakespeare modeled a few characters in his plays on his family members, and moves on to mention specially his three brothers, Gilbert, Edmund and Richard, John Eglinton provokes him (draws his sword / touched the foil) saying, "Let us hear what you have to say of Richard and Edmund..." Stephen then thinks of his own brother (Where is your brother? Apothecaries Hall.), who for him was like a whetstone (a stone used to sharpen knives, here one's own wits) along with later friends like Cranly, Mulligan, etc. By the way, this little paragraph offers one of the many proofs scattered around in the book that Stephen is modeled on Joyce himself. James Joyce's brother, Stanislaus, worked in a apothecary, and was like a whetstone for Joyce.
What follows is Stephen's discourse on relating Richard, William Shakespeare's brother, to the Richard of the play, Richard III. To prove that the theme of the false or the usurping or the adulterous brother or all three in one is to Shakespeare... always with him, Stephen refers to various plays by Shakespeare, to his daughter who was accused of adultery, and to the wordings on his tombstone. According to Stephen, it was the original sin (of his being seduced by Ann Hathaway) that darkened his understanding.
Even though Stephen himself laughs at the end of his argument (to free his mind from his mind's bondage), even though Buck Mulligan intervenes with one of his, apparently, irrelevant comments, the mood here is sombre. It also contains two profound sentences everyone knows but does not always think about: "We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love, but always meeting ourselves. Every life is many days, day after day."
On being asked by Eglinton whether he believes in his own theory, Stephen promptly says, 'no'. What Stephen really means by this 'no' is worth pondering about. In any case, Eglinton is relieved (is that why he smiles doubly?) because then Stephen cannot expect any payment for his theory even if he writes it down (for publication in the Dana)
Mulligan gets up, saying, 'Come, Kinch', words that remind Stephen of what Mulligan had said that morning as they were leaving the Martello Tower (Penguin 20.2). Feeling that he is following a clown (a lubber), Stephen goes out - feeling dejected (all amort) - of the dark room in which they were all sitting into daylight. Mulligan reads out from the scrap of paper on which he was scribbling something before they left the National Library. This scribbling act ('The Lord has spoken to Malachi'; Penguin 274.8) and reading from his tablet (Penguin 278.13) conceal references to the Bible.
A man passed out between them, bowing, greeting. 'The wandering jew', whispers Buck Mulligan. It was Mr. Bloom.
The episode ends with a quotation from the end of Cymbeline. Peace and tranquility have been restored.
Laud we the gods
And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils
From our bless'd altars.
But first things first. As Stephen continues to lecture on how Shakespeare modeled a few characters in his plays on his family members, and moves on to mention specially his three brothers, Gilbert, Edmund and Richard, John Eglinton provokes him (draws his sword / touched the foil) saying, "Let us hear what you have to say of Richard and Edmund..." Stephen then thinks of his own brother (Where is your brother? Apothecaries Hall.), who for him was like a whetstone (a stone used to sharpen knives, here one's own wits) along with later friends like Cranly, Mulligan, etc. By the way, this little paragraph offers one of the many proofs scattered around in the book that Stephen is modeled on Joyce himself. James Joyce's brother, Stanislaus, worked in a apothecary, and was like a whetstone for Joyce.
What follows is Stephen's discourse on relating Richard, William Shakespeare's brother, to the Richard of the play, Richard III. To prove that the theme of the false or the usurping or the adulterous brother or all three in one is to Shakespeare... always with him, Stephen refers to various plays by Shakespeare, to his daughter who was accused of adultery, and to the wordings on his tombstone. According to Stephen, it was the original sin (of his being seduced by Ann Hathaway) that darkened his understanding.
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| (Source: http://imgkid.com/william-shakespeare-grave.shtml) |
On being asked by Eglinton whether he believes in his own theory, Stephen promptly says, 'no'. What Stephen really means by this 'no' is worth pondering about. In any case, Eglinton is relieved (is that why he smiles doubly?) because then Stephen cannot expect any payment for his theory even if he writes it down (for publication in the Dana)
Mulligan gets up, saying, 'Come, Kinch', words that remind Stephen of what Mulligan had said that morning as they were leaving the Martello Tower (Penguin 20.2). Feeling that he is following a clown (a lubber), Stephen goes out - feeling dejected (all amort) - of the dark room in which they were all sitting into daylight. Mulligan reads out from the scrap of paper on which he was scribbling something before they left the National Library. This scribbling act ('The Lord has spoken to Malachi'; Penguin 274.8) and reading from his tablet (Penguin 278.13) conceal references to the Bible.
A man passed out between them, bowing, greeting. 'The wandering jew', whispers Buck Mulligan. It was Mr. Bloom.
The episode ends with a quotation from the end of Cymbeline. Peace and tranquility have been restored.
