CHAPTER 8

Practice Identifying Antithesis

IN THE STUDY of how Shakespeare’s language works, nothing is more important than understanding antithesis. According to Webster, “Antithesis is the placing of a sentence or one of its parts against another to which it is opposed to form a balanced contrast of ideas.”

For text awareness, you should not rely on your director. First, textual study is part of the actor’s job; to know exactly what you are saying is part of the work. Secondly, American directors are often more interested in the visual element of a production than the textual. That approach, if not balanced with the time needed to thoroughly analyze the text, can spell disaster for the actors.

If you are working in a situation where the text is not being studied for antithetical words, phrases and thoughts, you need to work especially hard on your own. You might also seek private coaching or assemble a group of actors outside rehearsal and do this work. Without text study, your acting will fall short of your capability.

For the actor, discovering antithesis is both enriching and exciting. Discovery is not an academic exercise. Rather, it turns on the brain, and does so in such a way that it fuels emotion and spontaneity. Text study gives you confidence; it does not take away confidence. (That very thought is antithetical!)

Shakespeare read without playing the antithesis sounds generalized, and we all know what Stanislavski said about “in general.” On the other hand, when you play the antithetical words, phrases, and thoughts, the meaning becomes specific.

Because you want your acting to be specific, seek opportunities for text study. Realize that each antithetical idea you dig out and play will make your acting stronger.

ANTITHESIS: THE ACTOR’S FRIEND

Here are exercises in locating antithesis. In the first examples, the antithetical ideas are identified. Then there are examples to practice on your own.

For this second group of examples, the answers are hidden in the next two chapters. After digging out the antithetical ideas as best you can, turn to that help and compare. You may even find more examples than are identified. Also, for this work, five or six brains are usually better than one, and it’s more fun. So get a pizza, put a small group together, and plunge in.

This procedure works well: First, read the speech aloud for general sense, then concentrate on two or four line sections. Read these lines aloud, and dig out the antithetical ideas. After you’ve finished, read the entire speech aloud, this time playing the discoveries, and listen for even more antithesis. For example, the first half of the speech might be antithetical to the second half, or an early line might be antithetical to a later line.

Once you believe that you’ve exhausted all possibilities, read the speech with the new discoveries, and compare to your first reading.

When in rehearsal, also be aware that any of your speeches may be antithetical to something said by another actor. See, for example, the speeches below.

This is all as true as it is strange.

Nay, it is ten times true, for truth is truth

To th’end of reck’ning.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE, V, i

Here is Romeo’s first speech. He talks of love with his cousin, Benvolio, then notices that a street fight has taken place between the two warring houses.

Benvolio:   Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, (1)

Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof! (2)

Romeo:     Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still, (3)

Should without eyes see pathways to his will! (4)

Where shall we dine? O me! What fray was here? (5)

Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all. (6)

Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love: (7)

Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate! (8)

O any thing, of nothing first create! (9)

O heavy lightness! serious vanity! (10)

Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms! (11)

Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health! (12)

Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! (13)

This love feel I, that feel no love in this. (14)

Dost thou not laugh? (15)

Benvolio:No, cuz, I rather weep. (I, i) (16)

Here are some of the antithetical words, phrases, and thoughts. Perhaps you will discover others.

Lines 1/2: The phrases “gentle in his view” and “tyrannous and rough in proof” are antithetical. (The first idea is a pleasant anticipation; the second an unpleasant experience.)

Line 4: “without eyes”—“see pathways”

Line 6: “tell me not”—“have heard it all”

Line 7: “hate”—“love”

Line 8: “brawling—“loving”; “love”—“hate”

Line 9: “any thing”—“nothing”

Line 10: “heavy”—“lightness”; “serious”—“vanity”

Line 11. “Mis-shapen chaos”—“well-seeming forms”

Line 12: All four phrases.

Line 13: “Still-waking”—“sleep”; “is not”—“is”

Line 14: “love”—“no love”

Lines 15/16: “laugh”—“weep”

Also, the thought in line 13—“That’s not what it [love] is”—is antithetical to the type of “love” expressed in lines 7–12.

Now read the speech and play all the antithetical possibilities!

In an example from Henry V, here is the King’s prayer before the battle at Agincourt.

King:        O God of battles, steel my soldiers’ hearts; (1)

Possess them not with fear! Take from them now (2)

The sense of reck’ning, if th’ opposed numbers (3)

Pluck their hearts from them. Not to-day, O Lord, (4)

O, not to-day, think not upon the fault (5)

My father made in compassing the crown! (6)

I Richard’s body have interred new; (7)

And on it have bestowed more contrite tears (8)

Than from it issued forced drops of blood: (9)

Five hundred poor I have in yearly pay, (10)

Who twice a day their withered hands hold up (11)

Toward heaven, to pardon blood; (12)

And I have built two chantries, (13)

Where the sad and solemn priests sing still (14)

For Richard’s soul. More will I do: (15)

Though all that I can do is nothing worth, (16)

Since that my penitence comes after all, (17)

Imploring pardon. (IV, i) (18)

Here are some of the antithetical words, phrases, and thoughts.

Lines 1/2: “steel”—“fear”

Lines 3/4: “sense of reck’ning”—“pluck their hearts”

Lines 8/9: “bestow’d”—“issued”; “tears”—“blood”

Line 14: “sad and solemn”—“sing”

Line 16: “all”—“nothing”

Also, the thought—“think not upon the fault”—(lines 5 and 6)—is antithetical to the thought—think on all of this penitence and award us victory (lines 7–18).

Here is Olivia encouraging love from Viola in Twelfth Night:

Olivia:       O, what a deal of scorn looks beautiful (1)

In the contempt and anger of his lip. (2)

A murd’rous guilt shows not itself more soon (3)

Than love that would seem hid: love’s night is noon. (4)

Cesario, by the roses of the spring, (5)

By maidhood, honor, truth, and everything, (6)

I love thee so that, maugre all thy pride, (7)

Nor wit nor reason can my passion hide. (8)

Do not extort thy reasons from this clause, (9)

For that I woo, thou therefore hast no cause; (10)

But rather reason thus with reason fetter, (11)

Love sought is good, but given unsought is better. (III, i) (12)

Clarification note: “maugre” means “despite,” and “fetter” is something that confines: (Webster: “boredom puts fetters upon the imagination.”)

Antithetical text includes:

Lines 1/2: The idea that scorn, contempt, and anger can be beautiful on the lip is antithetical.

Lines 3/4: “murd’rous guilt”—“love”; “shows”—“hid”; “night”—“noon”

Line 7: The thought “I love thee so” is antithetical to the thought “mauger all thy pride.”

Line 8: “wit nor reason”—“passion”

Line 12: “sought”—“unsought”

Also, the thought expressed in lines 1–4—“you hide your love behind scorn and pride”—is antithetical to the thought expressed in lines 5–8—“my love is unhidden and freely expressed.”

And in lines 9–12, the thought—“you deny the passion of love”—is antithetical to the thought—“but I’m giving myself to you.”

From Richard III, here is Queen Margaret (whose husband, King Henry VI, has been killed by Richard) condemning Queen Elizabeth, who succeeded her.

Margaret:  Decline all this, and see what now thou art: (1)

For happy wife, a most distressed widow; (2)

For joyful mother, one that wails the name; (3)

For one being sued to, one that humbly sues; (4)

For queen, a very caitiff crowned with care; (5)

For she that scorned at me, now scorned of me; (6)

For she being feared of all, now fearing one; (7)

For she commanding all, obeyed of none. (8)

Thus hath the course of justice whirled about (9)

And left thee but a very prey to time, (10)

Having no more but thought of what thou wast, (11)

To torture thee the more, being what thou art. (IV, iv) (12)

If you study this entire speech you will discover that these lines, taken from the middle, are antithetical to the lines that preceded them. This speech also contains these antithetical ideas:

Line 1: “Decline”—“now”

Line 2: “happy wife”—“distressed widow”

Line 3: “joyful mother”—“one that wails”

Line 4: “being sued to”—“humbly sues”

Line 5: “queen”—“caitiff”

Line 6: “scorned at me”—“scorned of me”

Line 7: “feared of all”—“fearing one”

Line 8: “commanding all”—“obeyed of none”

Lines 9/10: “course of justice”—“prey to time”

Lines 11/12: “what thou wast”—“what thou art”

Do these next examples on your own. After finishing, dig around in chapters 9 and 10 and find my listing of the antithetical words, phrases, and thoughts. Perhaps you found more possibilities.

In The Taming of the Shrew, here is Petruchio speaking to Kate after he has dismissed the tailors and plans to travel to her father’s home in old clothes.

Petruchio: Well, come, my Kate; we will unto your father’s, (1)

Even in these honest mean habiliments. (2)

Our purses shall be proud, our garments poor, (3)

For ’tis the mind that makes the body rich; (4)

And as the sun breaks through the darkest clouds (5)

So honor peereth in the meanest habit. (IV, iii) (6)

In Richard II, here is the King alone in prison shortly before his death.

Richard:    I have been studying how I may compare (1)

This prison where I live unto the world; (2)

And, for because the world is populous, (3)

And here is not a creature but myself, (4)

I cannot do it. Yet I’ll hammer it out. (5)

My brain I’ll prove the female to my soul, (6)

My soul the father; and these two beget (7)

A generation of still-breeding thoughts; (8)

And these same thoughts people this little world, (9)

In humors like the people of this world, (10)

For no thought is contented. (V, v) (11)

Also from Richard II, Bolingbroke condemns Exton, Richard’s killer, after having wished the murder done.

Bolingbroke: They love not poison that do poison need, (1)

Nor do I thee. Though I did wish him dead, (2)

I hate the murderer, love him murdered. (3)

The guilt of conscience take thou for thy labor, (4)

But neither my good word nor princely favor. (5)

With Cain go wander through the shade of night, (6)

And never show thy head by day nor light. (V, vi) (7)

Note: Line 6 follows the Folio. The Pelican edition prefers “through shades of night.”

In As You Like It, the shepherdess, Phebe, is in love with Rosalind, who is disguised as a man and has rejected her.

Phebe:      Think not I love him, though I ask for him; (1)

’Tis but a peevish boy; yet he talks well. (2)

But what care I for words? Yet words do well (3)

When he that speaks them pleases those that hear. (4)

It is a pretty youth; not very pretty: (5)

But, sure he’s proud, and yet his pride becomes him. (6)

He’ll make a proper man. The best thing in him (7)

Is his complexion; and faster than his tongue (8)

Did make offense, his eye did heal it up. (9)

He is not very tall; yet for his years he’s tall. (10)

His leg is but so so; and yet ‘tis well. (11)

There was a pretty redness in his lip, (12)

A little riper and more lusty red (13)

Than that mixed in his cheek; ’twas just the difference (14)

Betwixt the constant red and mingled damask. (15)

There be some women, Silvius, had they marked him (16)

In parcels as I did, would have gone near (17)

To fall in love with him; but, for my part, (18)

I love him not nor hate him not; and yet (19)

I have more cause to hate him than to love him; (20)

For what had he to do to chide at me? (21)

He said mine eyes were black and my hair black; (22)

And, now I am rememb’red, scorned at me. (23)

I marvel why I answered not again. (24)

But that’s all one: omittance is no quittance. (25)

I’ll write to him a very taunting letter, (26)

And thou shalt bear it. Wilt thou, Silvius? (27)

Silvius:      Phebe, with all my heart. (28)

Phebe:       I’ll write it straight; (29)

The matter’s in my head and in my heart; (30)

I will be bitter with him and passing short. (31)

Go with me, Silvius. (III, v) (32)

In this speech, you will find an antithesis not found in the previous two examples.

When lines have no antithetical thoughts, check to see if any ideas are antithetical to something spoken by another person. Note this example from The Merchant of Venice:

Bassanio:   This is no answer, thou unfeeling man, (1)

To excuse the current of thy cruelty. (2)

Shylock:    I am not bound to please thee with my answer. (3)

Bassanio:   Do all men kill the things they do not love? (4)

Shylock:    Hates any man the thing he would not kill? (5)

Bassanio:   Every offense is not a hate at first. (6)

Shylock:   What, wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice? (IV, i) (7)

In lines 2 through 7, the idea in each line is antithetical to the next line. You will find many similar exchanges in Shakespeare. Watch for them and play them accordingly. (There is nothing in the answer key about this example.)

You will find many lines and short speeches with no antithetical words, phrases, or thoughts—just straightforward dialogue. In these cases, use the scansion and kick the box.

As a final example, let’s look at one sonnet. The sonnets are rich in antithetical words, phrases, and thoughts. They are also rich in imagery, which we will consider in chapter 10.

Sonnet 15

When I consider everything that grows (1)

Holds in perfection but a little moment, (2)

That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows (3)

Whereon the stars in secret influence comment; (4)

When I perceive that men as plants increase, (5)

Cheered and checked even by the selfsame sky, (6)

Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease, (7)

And wear their brave state out of memory: (8)

Then the conceit of this inconstant stay (9)

Sets you most rich in youth before my sight, (10)

Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay (11)

To change your day of youth to sullied night; (12)

And, all in war with Time for love of you, (13)

As he takes from you, I engraft you new. (14)

You will discover wonderful antithetical words, phrases, and thoughts in this remarkable sonnet, some of which are included in the answer key.

Hath that awakened you?

Ay, but not frighted me.

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, V, ii

Before moving on, take your monologue and sonnet and work out the antithetical words, phrases, and thoughts. It’s more fun if you have a few people work with you and have someone check your readings after you’ve added the antithesis.