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 my Lord Lafew this letter; I have before 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 my lord lafew th's letter; i 've before now, sir, been better known to you, when i 've 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 my Lord Lafew this letter; I have before...
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 but sluttish, if it smell so strongly as you speak’st of. I will henceforth eat no fish of Fortune’s buttering. Pr’ythee, allow the wind.
truly, fortune’s displeasure 's but sluttish, if it smell so strongly as you speak’st of. i will henceforth eat no fish of fortune’s buttering. pr’ythee, allow the wind.
Truly, Fortune’s displeasure is but sluttish, if it smell so strongly as...
Nay, you need not to stop your nose, sir. I spake but by a metaphor.
no, you need not to stop your nose, sir. I spake but by a metaphor.
no, you need not to stop your nose, sir. i spake but by a metaphor.
no, you need not to stop your nose, sir. I spake but...
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 stink, I will stop my nose, or against any man’s metaphor. Pr’ythee, get you further.
indeed, sir, if your metaphor stink, i will stop my nose, or against any man’s metaphor. pr’ythee, get you further.
Indeed, sir, if your metaphor stink, I will stop my nose, or...
Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper.
Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper.
pray you, sir, deliver me th's paper.
Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper.
Foh, pr’ythee stand away. A paper from Fortune’s close-stool to give to
a nobleman! Look here he comes himself.
Foh, pr’ythee stand away. A paper from Fortune’s close-stool to give to a nobleman! Look here he comes himself.
foh, pr’ythee stand away. a paper from fortune’s close-stool to give to a nobleman! look here he comes himself.
Foh, pr’ythee stand away. A paper from Fortune’s close-stool to give to...
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.
My lord, I am a man whom Fortune hath cruelly scratch’d.
My lord, I am a man whom Fortune has cruelly scratch’d.
my lord, i am a man whom fortune has cruelly scratch’d.
My lord, I am a man whom Fortune has cruelly scratch’d.
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 to do? ’is 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 've me to do? ’t's too late to p're her nails now. wherein 've you played the knave with fortune that she should scratch you, who of herself 's a good lady, and would not 've 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 to do? ’is too late to...
I beseech your honour to hear me one single word.
I beseech your honour to hear me one single word.
i beseech your honour to hear me one single word.
I beseech your honour to hear me one single word.
You beg a single penny more. Come, you shall ha’t; save your word.
You beg a single penny more. Come, you shall ha’t; save your word.
you beg a single penny more. come, you shall ha’t; save your word.
You beg a single penny more. Come, you shall ha’t; save your...
My name, my good lord, is Parolles.
My name, my good lord, is Parolles.
my name, my good lord, 's parolles.
My name, my good lord, is Parolles.
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.
You beg more than word then. Cox my passion! Give me your hand. How
does your drum?
You beg more than word then. Cox my passion! Give me your hand. How does your drum?
you beg more than word then. cox my passion! give me your hand. how does your drum?
You beg more than word then. Cox my passion! Give me your...
O my good lord, you were the first that found me.
O my good lord, you were the first that found me.
o my good lord, you were the first that found me.
O my good lord, you were the first that found me.
Was I, in sooth? And I was the first that lost thee.
Was I, in sooth? And I was the first that lost you.
was i, in sooth? and i was the first that lost you.
Was I, in sooth? And I was the first that lost you.
It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace, for you did bring
me out.
It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace, for you did bring me out.
it lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace, for you did bring me out.
It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace,...
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.
Out upon you, knave! do you put upon me at once both the office of God and the devil? One brings you in grace, and the other brings you out.
out upon you, knave! do you put upon me at once both the office of god and the devil? one brings you in grace, and the other brings you out.
Out upon you, knave! do you put upon me at once both...
I praise God for you.
I praise God for you.
i praise god for you.
I praise God for you.
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.