And thus ends the Scottish play, live the nightmare with us as we go thru Lady Macbeth's infamous sleep walking scene, and finish up our discussion on the nature of ambition and honor as Shakespeare portrays it in this final act as well as connections and parallels to the rest of his work. Below is the quote from Alan Bennett's The History Boys about the construction of the "un" words from the professor Hector.
" 'Uncoffined' is a typical Hardy usage. A compound adjective, formed by putting 'un-' in front of the noun. Or verb, of course. Un-kissed. Un-rejoicing. Un-confessed. un-embraced. It's a turn of phrase he has bequeathed to Larkin, who liked Hardy, apparently. He does the same. Un-spent. Un-fingermarked. And with both of them it brings a sense of not sharing, of being out of it. Whether because of diffidence or shyness, but a holding back. Not being in the swim. Can you see that?"
Food for thought!
