Comedies. Two gentlemen of Verona |
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He wonder'd , that your lordship Would suffer him to spend his youth at home , While other men , of slender reputation , Put forth their sons to seek preferment out : Some to the wars , to try their fortune there ; Some , to discover ...
Enough ; I read your fortune in your eye . Was this the idol that you worship so ? Val . Even she ; and is she not a heavenly saint ? Pro . No , but she's an earthly paragon . Val . Call her divine . Pro . I will not flatter her . Val .
My herald thoughts in thy pure bosom rest them ; While I , their king , that thither them importune , Do curse the grace that with such grace hath bless'd them , Because myself do want my servants ' fortune . I curse myself , for they ...
These are the villains That all the travellers do fear so much . ww have stay'd , If crooked fortune had not thwarted me . 2 Out . What ! were you banish'd thence ? Val . I was . 2 Out . For what offence ? 4 רך Val . My friends ,1 Out .
Nothing , but my fortune . 3 Out . Know then , that some of us are gentlemen , Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth Thrust from the company of awful men : Myself was from Verona banished , For practising to steal away a lady , An heir ...
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"like a wood woman" might indeed have meant "frantic" or "wild" (with grief) which Launce mentions referring to the "shoe" which he adopts for the sake of illustration. However, Shakespeare, even at his earliest writings, was vastly entertained by double entendres and his love of puns is so well documented. In that time in Italy, women wore platform shoes which were raised to elevate the shoes from the mud and other unpleasant "stuff". These were called "chopines" and the platforms were constructed of wood. The higher the platform, the higher the pretentiousness of the lady. Her height could have put her above many others. Since Launce has his father and mother represented as shoes, this second meaning is certainly not outside of the possibility for Shakespeare's intention. Naturally, it would have had the effect of a rather "localized" and "temporary" idea, but the fact of its having been very popular in that day makes it a candidate for the Bard's delight.