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02/08/2005 01:51:01 PM · #51 |
"The dogs of war" as a phrase is a metaphor for unleashing conflict by releasing the "machinery" of war, and was known to be such in WS's time. You are correct that there's an uber-metaphor in the context of the play itself, there are layers on layers.
Robt.
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02/08/2005 02:09:10 PM · #52 |
Originally posted by bear_music:
"The dogs of war" as a phrase is a metaphor for unleashing conflict by releasing the "machinery" of war, and was known to be such in WS's time. You are correct that there's an uber-metaphor in the context of the play itself, there are layers on layers.
Robt. |
The Machinery of war makes much more sense in that WS made a play on words using dogs , the animal, for a dog of a siege engine to represent the machinery of war that was about to be unleashed as a result of the assasination of Ceasar. But to use "Cry Havoc! and let slip the dogs of war..." to metaphorically represent siege engines in particular would have been lost on the reader even in his own time.
Now I understand your meaning.
Message edited by author 2005-02-08 14:10:53.
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02/08/2005 02:13:31 PM · #53 |
Actually, in Shakespeare's time, the phrase "slip the dog" was in common usage and was universally understood; much primitive machinery was held in place with a dog (or pawl), including but not limited to the dog that held the bucket in suspension above your well. When you wanted to lower the bucket, you slipped the dog.
Robt.
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02/08/2005 03:20:21 PM · #54 |
And of course, and far more familiarly, there would be a dog on a crossbow.
E |
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02/08/2005 03:27:20 PM · #55 |
Originally posted by e301:
And of course, and far more familiarly, there would be a dog on a crossbow.
E |
And one on a dog house. And one on the back step. And one in the stable. And one in the lady's arms. And one swimming in the creek. And a big old fat one sprawled out in front of the fireplace.
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