Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Please explain this pun, "well, then is my pump well flowered." ll. iv. 62Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

There are other translations of this pun in Act II, scene
4 of Romeo and JulietA pump is a
light shoe.  This definition is given in the Modern Text
of Romeo and Juliet
noted as such in an edition by John A Price.  In this
line,Romeo makes a pun on another use for "pink" which Mercutio uses in "I am the very
pink of courtesy," with "pink" meaning Mercutio is a paragon of courtesy.  Romeo plays
on the word, saying "pink for pattern." In Romeo's line, "Pink"means to decorate in a
perforated pattern."


Then, Mercutio says to keep jesting
until the sole is worn out, punning on the words sole/soul; Romeo finishes the pun by
saying,



O
single-soled jest, solely singular for the singularness! (II,iv,64)  [the pun is
singular/unusual because of its silly
simplicity]


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