Riddle: the Answer

Here is the answer to this riddle:

What Stamps without Ink?
Whose tail is long and Fine?
What creature can Winnie without a Pooh,
What creature can carry Me or You,
Who snorts but doesn't Whine?








A horse!

Bell 

Nicias

Nicias was mad at the new general, because he had led them into defeat. They all but Nicias decided to flee the place, it being unwholesome, many of the of the men being sick. When they were defeated again, Nicias was won over, and made ready to leave. Just as all was ready, an eclipse occurred. This scared the Athenians, because they had neglected the study of the stars and planets, despising all who studied them. Really, it was a good thing, since they had to work in darkness, but they did not take advantage of  it. They were defeated trying to sail away, and were trapped. They are not in a good position.

The Athenians were defeated because they were in big ships. They were also in a difficult position, because rocks were thrown at them, but they could only shoot darts and arrows back. Darts and arrows don't fly true when they are shot in ships. Does this recall to mind any other defeat in history? I think of the Spanish Armanda, with the English being able to defeat them because of the mobility of their ships.

More later,
Bell

A new Riddle

Here is another riddle:

What Stamps without Ink?

Whose tail is long and Fine?

What creature can Winnie without a Pooh,

What creature can carry Me or You,

Who snorts but doesn't Whine?

What am I? 

By the way, I don't make these riddles up. A friend does. 

Bell   

King Lear, Act 4 scenes 3-6

The King of France has had to return to France because of “something he left imperfect in the state.” We don’t find out what that something is. Is this a weakness in the plot, or is there a subtle reason why Shakespeare has the King leave before the fateful battle with the British forces?  

   I think that Shakespeare doesn't want the King of France to be captured, and he wants to show Cordelia as a person who can take charge, not a weakling.  


 Regan tells us that the blinded Gloucester is moving hearts against the evil sisters. It wasn’t a good idea to send him out on the road to Dover. So the plans of the evil figures in the drama are finally starting to unravel. What else is about to tear the evil alliance between the sisters apart?

    They both love Edmund, and are trying to marry him.  Gonril is going to kill her husband and marry Edmund instead, and Regan wants to marry him because her husband is dead.   


Why does Edgar go through the strange charade of seeming to take Gloucester up to the top of the Dover cliffs?

   He wants Gloucester to believe that the gods intervened and kept him from dying. He doesn't want his father to die, so he pretends to lead him to his death, but he really doesn't.

Scenes 3&4 have nothing of note in them. I will talk about scenes 5-6.

 

Scene 5

Regan wants to marry Edmund, and so she tells Oswald to go and stop Gonril from marrying him. This will rip up the sisters' relationship. Regan remarks that Edmund has a life"as dark as night," which I find interesting. 

Scene 6

Edgar pretends to aid Gloucester, his father, in a suicide attempt, but really just makes Gloucester think that he is aiding him. Lear arrives, and is seeing that he is pursued by people trying to arrest him for counterfeiting money. He shows Gloucester a letter, and is raving on about how they are mistreating him.



More later,
Bell     

 

   

Next part of new ending for King Lear

A procession enters, with Gonril in chains. Albany is right behind her. 

King Lear: Albany, state your case against this woman. 
Albany: My lord, she hath plotted against your person, and turned you out of house without my knowledge. I had no part in this. She and her vile sister came up with this to get the crown, and were aided in this by Regan's evil husband, the duke of Cornwall. 

K.L. We judge her guilty of high treason, and sentence her to death. She is not fit to live. Lead her away! <Gonril, struggling, is led away>. We shall also bring back our daughter, Cordelia, to take the crown. 

Cheering, Cordelia rushes in. 

K.L. There is just one person missing to make happiness complete. Kent, a faithful man whom we did banish thinking that he was dangerous. 

Kent throws off his disguise. 

Kent: I am here, my lord. I was your servant through all your wanderings, wanting to help you. 

 K.L. Do you still love Cordelia? If so, she is yours. 

Kent: Yes, I do. 

K.L. Then let them be wed at once! I will give up the cares of state and let Kent rule. 

They exit with cheering. 

 



The End        
Bell