80 SHAKSPEARE S MEANING EXPLAINED, 



" Othello's occupation's gone," let us examine more 

 closely the words which Shakspeare employs, and 

 the circumstances under which they are used. 

 Claudio is in a dungeon, from which the compliance 

 of his sister Isabella with the terms of the ^^ceroy 

 would set him free. She dreads his fear of death 

 may overcome his sense of honour, and that he may 

 urge her, as in fact he eventually does, to adopt that 

 remedy which " to save a head " would " cleave a 

 heart in twain." Under this apprehension she 

 speaks : — 



" Oh ! I do fear thee, Claudio ; and I qualce. 

 Lest thou a feverous life should'st entertain. 

 And sL\ or seven winters more respect 

 Than a perpetual honour. Barest thou die ? 

 The sense of death is most in apprehension ; 

 And the poor beetle that we tread upon 

 In corporal suft'erance finds a pang as great 

 As when a giant dies." 



When the latter part of the sentence is separated 

 from the preceding lines, it appears to convey such 

 a picture of the sufferings of " the poor beetle," that 

 many have, on this passage, brought a charge of 

 cruelty against all persons devoted to Entomological 

 pursuits. Such a charge, ignorance alone could 

 suggest. " There are few instances of a more com- 

 plete perversion of the meaning of a poetical quota- 

 tion than occurs in this passage of Shakspeare. The 

 object of the fair pleader being to encourage her 



