Monday, September 26, 2005

Superlatively Unsuperlative

What else but Shakespeare...

As I mentioned here, we had a reading of Much Ado About Nothing yesterday afternoon (great fun, highly recommended form of entertainment!).

When asked by leading man Claudio to compliment Claudio's love, Benedick (ever the sharp-witted one) replies:

Why, i' faith, methinks she's too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise, only this commendation I can afford her, that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome, and being no other but as she is, I do not like her.

Something about this quote has always tickled my fancy and it frequently pops into my head in terms of analyzing books. Nobody can write even on the topic of mediocrity quite like Shakespeare. :)

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