There is another Shakespeare play in which dogs appear and are named: “The Taming of the Shrew”.TOTS is actually a play-within-a-play which begins as follows:
Horns winded. Enter a Lord from hunting, with his trainLord Huntsman, I charge thee, tender well my hounds:Brach Merriman, the poor cur is emboss’d;And couple Clowder with the deep—mouth’d brach.Saw’st thou not, boy, how Silver made it goodAt the hedge-corner, in the coldest fault?I would not lose the dog for twenty pound.
First Huntsman Why, Belman is as good as he, my lord;He cried upon it at the merest lossAnd twice to-day pick’d out the dullest scent:Trust me, I take him for the better dog.
Lord Thou art a fool: if Echo were as fleet,I would esteem him worth a dozen such.But sup them well and look unto them all:To-morrow I intend to hunt again.
First Huntsman I will, my lord.
This scene is often skipped but I once worked on a production that included it, complete with hounds. On opening night, First Huntsman patted the head of “Belman” as he proclaimed him the better dog. “Belman” responded with an adoring gaze. Awwww.On the second night, First Huntsman attempted to repeat the touching bit.“Belman” shook off Huntsman’s hand, flopped to the stage and began licking his balls.
Don’t play Trivial Pursuit with English majors and avoid casting dogs (or small children) in live theater.
There is another Shakespeare play in which dogs appear and are named: “The Taming of the Shrew”.TOTS is actually a play-within-a-play which begins as follows:
Horns winded. Enter a Lord from hunting, with his trainLord Huntsman, I charge thee, tender well my hounds:Brach Merriman, the poor cur is emboss’d;And couple Clowder with the deep—mouth’d brach.Saw’st thou not, boy, how Silver made it goodAt the hedge-corner, in the coldest fault?I would not lose the dog for twenty pound.
First Huntsman Why, Belman is as good as he, my lord;He cried upon it at the merest lossAnd twice to-day pick’d out the dullest scent:Trust me, I take him for the better dog.
Lord Thou art a fool: if Echo were as fleet,I would esteem him worth a dozen such.But sup them well and look unto them all:To-morrow I intend to hunt again.
First Huntsman I will, my lord.
This scene is often skipped but I once worked on a production that included it, complete with hounds. On opening night, First Huntsman patted the head of “Belman” as he proclaimed him the better dog. “Belman” responded with an adoring gaze. Awwww.On the second night, First Huntsman attempted to repeat the touching bit.“Belman” shook off Huntsman’s hand, flopped to the stage and began licking his balls.
Don’t play Trivial Pursuit with English majors and avoid casting dogs (or small children) in live theater.