[PW] Meaning of Shakespeare quote: Puck: "Now to scrape theserpent's tongue"

[Sharon Custer]

The actual section of the monologue is:
		 Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
             We will make amends ere long;
             Else the Puck a liar call.
             So, good night unto you all.
             Give me your hands, if we be friends,
             And Robin shall restore amends.  

I had always thought that "escape the serpent's tongue" meant to escape
lies, however my annotated Shakespeare says that "serpent's tongue" means
hissing, which never made any sense to me.

Sharon Custer
Eccles-Lesher Memorial Library
673 Main Street
PO Box 359
Rimersburg, PA  16248
(814) 473-3800
FAX: (814) 473-8200
Sharon.Custer at eccles-lesher.org

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin

-----Original Message-----
From: project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org
[mailto:project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org] On Behalf Of Dianne
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 12:26 PM
To: list at project-wombat.org
Subject: [PW] Meaning of Shakespeare quote: Puck: "Now to scrape
theserpent's tongue"


A middle school teacher would like to know this one:
  
"In Puck's final monolog from Midsummer Night's Dream: 
What is the meaning of the phrase  'Now to scrape the serpent's tongue'?"
   
  I'm not having much luck trying to decipher it.
   
  Many thanks.
   
  Dianne Parham
  San Diego State University
  Liberal Studies Program
  (retired from San Diegp Public Library)

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