| Quote #4
But follows it, my lord, to bring me down
It's not surprising that Bertram sees himself as a man trapped by marriage. After all, he didn't even have a choice in the matter. Here,
| Quote #4
But follows it, my lord, to bring me down
It's not surprising that Bertram sees himself as a man trapped by marriage. After all, he didn't even have a choice in the matter. Here, though, he calls Helen a "clog," a big block that's tied to animals to keep them from running away. In other words, he's pretty much calling his wife an old ball and chain. Does this make us less sympathetic toward Bertram?
| Quote #5
war is no strife
The idea that running off to war is preferable to staying at home with one's wife is an idea we hear over and over again in this play. Paroles says something similar: he tells Bertram that men who stay at home with their wives instead of fighting are no better than "jades," female horses that are used for breeding (2.3