Wordcraft Home Page    Wordcraft Community Home Page    Forums  Hop To Forum Categories  The Written Word    The lady doth protest too much, methinks
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
The lady doth protest too much, methinks Login/Join
 
Member
Picture of Kalleh
posted
What does that phrase mean to you? Is Wikipedia correct in saying it "indicates doubt about someone's sincerity?"
 
Posts: 24735 | Location: Chicago, USAReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
I'd say that's right. One can refute one's sincerity by overdoing something, as is the case in Hamlet. Gertrude, however, doesn't see herself in it, IIRC.
 
Posts: 6171 | Location: Muncie, IndianaReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Kalleh
posted Hide Post
I always have taken it to mean that the person who is protesting is protesting so much, that maybe they are guilty of what they are blaming the other person of. For example, Donald accuses everyone of "fake news," knowing that he is the liar. Or some such...
 
Posts: 24735 | Location: Chicago, USAReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
I'm reminded of this: “If you don't know how to pronounce a word, say it loud! Why compound ignorance with inaudibility?” William Strunk
 
Posts: 6171 | Location: Muncie, IndianaReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of BobHale
posted Hide Post
I don’t really see any great difference between those two interpretations.


"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
 
Posts: 9421 | Location: EnglandReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of bethree5
posted Hide Post
I agree with Bob. Kalleh, your interpretation is modern, informed by psychology: you recognize the character may be "sincere" in a technical sense, but her words display subconscious insincerity.
 
Posts: 2605 | Location: As they say at 101.5FM: Not New York... Not Philadelphia... PROUD TO BE NEW JERSEY!Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of BobHale
posted Hide Post
Raises the question of whether it is logically possible to be sincere about something you don’t actually believe. You can certainly appear sincere but that’s not the same thing at all.


"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
 
Posts: 9421 | Location: EnglandReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Kalleh
posted Hide Post
Bob, give me an example. I can be sincere about other religions (other than Judaism), but I don't believe in them. I am trying to understand your perspective.
 
Posts: 24735 | Location: Chicago, USAReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of BobHale
posted Hide Post
Let me just rephrase. Is it possible to sincerely claim something that you don’t actually believe?


"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
 
Posts: 9421 | Location: EnglandReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
Can't one can play devil's advocate with sincerity? Don't trial lawyers do it all the time?
 
Posts: 6171 | Location: Muncie, IndianaReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of BobHale
posted Hide Post
I did say that appearing to be sincere isn’t the same thing as being sincere.


"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
 
Posts: 9421 | Location: EnglandReply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Kalleh
posted Hide Post
I suppose you are right about that, Bob. I couldn't, for example, convince anyone that I don't believe in abortion.

As for trial lawyers, they are standing up for their legal principles: Even if they believe their client is guilty, they must fight for them.
 
Posts: 24735 | Location: Chicago, USAReply With QuoteReport This Post
  Powered by Social Strata  
 

Wordcraft Home Page    Wordcraft Community Home Page    Forums  Hop To Forum Categories  The Written Word    The lady doth protest too much, methinks

Copyright © 2002-12