You are quite correct, Martin – I think I must have turned
over two pages at once. Please hold the pipers.
If John gets his Shakespeare out from where it’s keeping
that kitchen table level, the passage is at Act 4 Scene 3.
Curiously, one authority states that ‘hell-kite’ was
an old name for the Red Kite. I think that is incorrect, as I can find no
such synonym. Alternative names for the kite were ‘Glead’ and
‘Puttock’, the latter name being used by Shakespeare elsewhere.
Webster gives ‘a fiendish, cruel, pitiless person’ and Oxford ‘a
person of hellish cruelty’. In short, I think the reference is not
to a bird (chickens aside). The passage is not included in my little
volume of Shakespearean references to birds.
From: martin butterfield
[
Sent: Monday, 9 November 2009 9:25 AM
To: Geoffrey Dabb
Cc: Canberra Birds
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Hello! New computer. Vroom!!
Geoffrey
What edition of the Bard are you using?
In mine not only is the response to Macduff's speech "Dispute it like a
man." rather than "Vroom"but it is delivered by Malcolm. I
know we (nearly) live in republican times but referring to a prince of Scotland
as a servant is likely to get you a few midnight serenades by the
Caledonian pipers!
Martin
On Sun, Nov 8, 2009 at 2:13 PM, Geoffrey Dabb <> wrote:
Shakespeare, Macbeth:
MACDUFF, on hearing that his family has been murdered:
“All my pretty ones?
Did you say all? O hell-kite! All?
What, all my pretty chickens and their dam
At one fell swoop?”
SERVANT:
“Yes, milord. Vrooom!!”
From: John Layton [
Sent: Sunday, 8 November 2009 1:23 PM
To: Canberra Birds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Hello! New computer. Vroom!!
Thirteen
years ago I bought a computer. Last week it gave up the ghost, must have been
a lemon. So today I have my new machine up, running and loaded for
bear with spanky new Windows 7. Vrooom!!!
This
is my first email, so bear with boy with new toy. Late yesterday afternoon went
for a drive along Parkwood Road, Holt, which may appear a nondescript
semi-rural thoroughfare but has revealed some interesting birds lately,
eg Brown Songlark & Horsfield’s Bushlark last week. Yesterday was
surprised to see five Wood Ducks huddled around a few remaining rainwater
puddles right at the edge of the bitumen. Couple of Masked Lapwings nearby and
a number of Australasian Pipits here and there along the roadside fence. Saw a
Nankeen Kestrel hovering, suddenly it descended in one fell stoop (is
“fell stoop” correct and, in this instance, appropriate? It’s
an _expression_ I’m never sure about.)The kestrel was only down for a
few seconds in long grass before flying off rapidly as if heading to a favoured
feeding perch but couldn’t see if it carried anything.
John
Layton.
