Shakespeare quote and pun on "manners"
Posted by The Mysterious H.C. on April 03, 1998 at 15:36:50:
In response to Wondering about manners, written by Kemi on April 02, 1998 at 13:05:55
] I'm having trouble understanding just what Jane Austen means by the term 'manners.'
Here's a quote from Shakespeare's As You Like It, Act 3 Scene 2 which involves a pun on different meanings of the word "manners"; according to the OED, the word had various moral senses (good behavior etc.) as well as external politeness (though these other senses were already beginning to be on their way out by Austen's time...)
- TOUCHSTONE
- Wast ever in court, shepherd?
- CORIN
- No, truly.
- TOUCHSTONE
- Then thou art damned.
- CORIN
- Nay, I hope.
- TOUCHSTONE
- Truly, thou art damned like an ill-roasted egg, all on one side.
- CORIN
- For not being at court? Your reason.
- TOUCHSTONE
- Why, if thou never wast at court, thou never sawest good manners; if thou never sawest good manners, then thy manners must be wicked; and wickedness is sin, and sin is damnation. Thou art in a parlous state, shepherd.
- CORIN
- Not a whit, Touchstone: those that are good manners at the court are as ridiculous in the country as the behavior of the country is most mockable at the court.
- LOL! Bad manners=damnation - I wonder if JA would agree? ;-Dnfm Kemi 17:04:54 4/03/98
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