Query on Use of Shakespeare, was Re: Health, fanaticism

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Sun Dec 2 09:26:29 PST 2001


James Heartfield wrote:
>
> The WEEK
> ending 2 December 2001
> to prepare the public - and more importantly, the business class -
> for a reversal of Labour's pledge 'not to raise taxes' (one that is
> already honoured as much in the breach as the observance).
>

When Hamlet used these words, his point was that it was more honorable to flout than to honor the custom of drinking oneself to unconsciousness. It has come to be used in the opposite sense, as a sarcastic reference to those who promise to follow a custom but don't in practice. So which of the following is being stated above?

1. Labour pledged not to raise taxes, but were they honorable they would break that pledge.

2. Labour promised not to raise taxes but in fact have been raising them.

The first use would be Shakespeare's. The second tha popular reversal of his sense.

Carrol



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