Good Monsieur Lavache, give my Lord Lafew this letter; I have ere now,
sir, been better known to you, when I have held familiarity with
fresher clothes; but I am now, sir, muddied in Fortune’s mood, and
smell somewhat strong of her strong displeasure.
Good Monsieur Lavache, give this letter to my Lord Lafew. I used to be better known to you, sir, back when I had clean, nice clothes and better circumstances. But now, sir, I'm muddied by Fortune's bad mood and I absolutely reek of her strong displeasure.
Monsieur Lavache, take this to Lord Lafew for me. Look, I used to be better off, you know? Back when I had nice clothes and things were going well. But now I'm totally covered in Fortune's mess, and honestly, I stink of how disgusted she is with me.
give this 2 lafew i used 2 be better off with nicer clothes now i'm muddied by fortune i stink of her displeasure
Truly, Fortune’s displeasure is but sluttish, if it smell so strongly
as thou speak’st of. I will henceforth eat no fish of Fortune’s
buttering. Pr’ythee, allow the wind.
Truly, Fortune's displeasure is just crude if it smells as strongly as you describe. I will henceforth eat no fish that Fortune has seasoned. Please, let the wind blow.
Look, if Fortune's anger smells that bad, it's just gross. I'm done eating anything Fortune has prepared. Come on, let me get some air here.
fortune's mood is gross not eating her seasoned stuff move away already
Nay, you need not to stop your nose, sir. I spake but by a metaphor.
No, you don't need to plug your nose, sir. I was only speaking metaphorically.
Whoa, you don't have to literally hold your nose. I was just being metaphorical.
chill it's just metaphor
Indeed, sir, if your metaphor stink, I will stop my nose, or against
any man’s metaphor. Pr’ythee, get thee further.
Indeed, sir, if your metaphor stinks, I will stop my nose against it or against any man's metaphor. Please, move further away.
Well, if your metaphor smells bad, I'll hold my nose against it or any metaphor. Come on, get away from me.
if your metaphor stinks i'll plug my nose move back
Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper.
I beg you, sir, deliver this paper for me.
Please, sir, just deliver this paper.
can u just deliver this
Foh, pr’ythee stand away. A paper from Fortune’s close-stool to give to
a nobleman! Look here he comes himself.
Ugh, please stand away. A paper from Fortune's toilet to give to a nobleman! Look, here he comes now.
Gross, back off. A letter from Fortune's outhouse for a nobleman? Oh look, here he comes.
gross back away letter from fortune's toilet here comes lafew
Lafew was the first character to see through Parolles — in Act 2 Scene 3, he called him out while Bertram was still bedazzled. He is not a sentimental man. He's precise, sardonic, and old enough to have seen every variety of fraud. So why does he take Parolles in? The answer is in the exchange: 'You were the first who found me.' 'Was I? And I was the first who lost you.' There's a kind of reciprocal responsibility in that. Lafew found him out, dismissed him, and in so doing set the dominoes falling that led to Parolles' humiliation. But also: a man who will say his name simply, without embellishment, to someone who already knows what he is — that man has done the one thing Lafew's entire character respects. He stopped performing. Lafew doesn't need people to be good. He needs them to be honest.
Here is a pur of Fortune’s, sir, or of Fortune’s cat, but not a
musk-cat, that has fallen into the unclean fishpond of her displeasure,
and as he says, is muddied withal. Pray you, sir, use the carp as you
may, for he looks like a poor, decayed, ingenious, foolish, rascally
knave. I do pity his distress in my similes of comfort, and leave him
to your lordship.
Here is a pet of Fortune's, sir, or of Fortune's cat, but not a fine one, who has fallen into the filthy pond of her displeasure, and is covered in mud as he says. Treat him as you see fit, I pray you, sir, for he looks like a poor, ruined, foolish, wretched knave. I do pity his distress in my words of comfort, and I leave him to your lordship.
Here's Fortune's pet, sir—though not a valuable one—he's fallen into the foul pond of her disfavor and gotten himself all muddy. Please, sir, treat him as you think best, because he looks like a worthless, foolish, wretched fellow. I'm sorry for his troubles, but I'm leaving him to you, my lord.
here's parolles fell in fortunes disgrace pond all muddy treat him how u want i pity him tho
My lord, I am a man whom Fortune hath cruelly scratch’d.
My lord, I am a man whom Fortune has cruelly wounded.
My lord, I'm a guy that Fortune has really done a number on.
fortune beat me up
And what would you have me to do? ’Tis too late to pare her nails now.
Wherein have you played the knave with Fortune that she should scratch
you, who of herself is a good lady, and would not have knaves thrive
long under her? There’s a quart d’ecu for you. Let the justices make
you and Fortune friends; I am for other business.
And what would you have me do? It's too late to control Fortune now. How did you offend Fortune that she should wound you, when she's a good lady herself and wouldn't let rascals thrive long under her? Here's a coin for you. Let the magistrates make you and Fortune friends; I have other business.
So what do you want me to do? It's way too late to rein in Fortune now. How'd you wrong Fortune anyway? She's a good lady and she doesn't let scoundrels succeed under her watch. Here's some money. Get the courts to settle things between you and Fortune; I've got other business.
what do u want too late to fix this u messed up somehow here's money deal with it
I beseech your honour to hear me one single word.
I beg your honor to hear me speak just one word.
Please, sir, just let me say one thing.
just let me say one word
You beg a single penny more. Come, you shall ha’t; save your word.
You're begging for a single penny more. Come, you'll have it; save your words.
You're asking for another penny. Here, take it; stop talking.
u want money again fine here stop talking
My name, my good lord, is Parolles.
Sir, I am known as Parolles.
I'm Parolles, sir.
i go by parolles that's who i am
You beg more than word then. Cox my passion! Give me your hand. How
does your drum?
You're asking for more than a word then. Good lord! Give me your hand. How is your drum?
Oh, you want more than words then. Come on! Shake my hand. How's that drum of yours doing?
u want more than words shake my hand how's your drum
Parolles' name means 'words' — from the French paroles. His character is built entirely on verbal performance: the elaborate lies, the military jargon he didn't understand, the letter to Diana, the confessions in the mock-interrogation. His arc is the stripping away of language. In 4-3, the fake language (gibberish) defeats him. In 4-3's closing soliloquy, he stops speaking to his audience and speaks to himself. Here in 5-2, his entire self-introduction is his name and three final words: 'I praise God for you.' The man of words has been reduced — or perhaps elevated — to pure simplicity. Shakespeare's comedies often end with music and dancing. Parolles' version of that ending is silence, a coin, a hand extended, and a walk to wherever Lafew is going. It's the right ending for him.
O my good lord, you were the first that found me.
Oh my good lord, you were the first to discover me.
Oh sir, you were the first one to find me.
you found me first
Was I, in sooth? And I was the first that lost thee.
Was I, truly? And I was the first that lost you.
Really? And I was also the first to lose you.
yeah and i lost u first too
It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace, for you did bring
me out.
It's in your power, my lord, to bring me back into favor, for you were the one who brought me down.
You've got the power to bring me back into favor, sir, since you're the one who cast me out.
u can bring me back u're the one who dropped me
Out upon thee, knave! dost thou put upon me at once both the office of
God and the devil? One brings thee in grace, and the other brings thee
out.
Shame on you, rascal! Are you asking me to play both God and the devil at once? One brings you into grace and the other brings you out.
Come on, you rogue! You're trying to make me be both God and the devil? One rescues you and the other destroys you.
u want me to be god AND devil one saves u one destroys
The king’s coming; I know by his trumpets. Sirrah, inquire further
after me. I had talk of you last night; though you are a fool and a
knave, you shall eat. Go to; follow.
The king is coming; I can tell by his trumpets. Look after me then, fellow. I spoke about you last night; though you are a fool and a knave, you will have something to eat. Come on; follow me.
The king's here—you can hear his trumpets. Listen, find me later and ask about me. I talked about you last night. You're an idiot and a rogue, but you'll get fed. Now come on, follow me.
king's coming hear the trumpets u got food even tho ur a fool follow me
I praise God for you.
I thank God for you.
I'm grateful to God for you.
thank god for u
The Reckoning
This is Parolles' redemption scene, and it works exactly because it's not presented as redemption. He shows up muddy, humiliated, and begging. The Clown has tremendous fun at his expense. And Lafew — the man who first identified him as a fraud back in Act 2 — sees through the performance in a completely different direction: he gives the man his hand and takes him in. The scene ends with the King's trumpets, pulling everyone toward the final reckoning. Parolles says only three words before exiting: 'I praise God for you.' It's perfect.
If this happened today…
The former Chief Evangelist from the failed startup turns up at the company's office party, wearing the same clothes he was photographed in three months ago on the night of the sting. The company's sharpest intern loudly describes him as 'a cat that fell into the sewer of Fortune's displeasure.' The old chairman — who fired him — comes in. They exchange a look. The chairman says: 'I found you first. And I lost you first.' He takes out his card, says 'you're a fool and a knave, but you'll eat,' and the intern is promptly sent to get drinks.