I'd suggest there is in fact an applause reference. The following
plays threw up similar references after a brief trawl through, and I
have always understood this kind of reference to be part of
Shakespeare's breaking of the fourth wall. Note that all of these
references occur within a few seconds of the end of the play, and are
generally spoken in Epilogues, and that most are comedies.
Tempest as already noted.
All's Well that Ends Well;
"Ours be your patience then, and yours our parts;
Your gentle hands lend us, and take our hearts".
Midsummer's Nights Dream
"Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends".
Note also:
Henry VIII
" ...; for 'tis ill hap,
If they hold, when their ladies bid them clap"
2nd Part of Henry IV
"I will bid you good night; and so kneel kdown before you; ..."
Stephen
www.youtube.com/user/jacarandamusic
On 18 Feb 2013, at 15:57, Ron Andrico wrote:
As much as I would be pleased to join in with the interpretation of
Prospero's reference to hands, I think it probably bears the more
conventional meaning of helping hands rather than applause.
--
To get on or off this list see list information at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
