D.H. Lawrence wrote three versions of Lady Chatterley’s
Lover. The version I read is the third version, originally published in 1928,
and this edition includes “Apropos of ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’,” as well as an
introduction by Doris Lessing. And it contains few Shakespeare reference. The
first is to
The Winter’s Tale. D.H
Lawrence writes, “‘Sweeter than the lids of Juno’s eyes,’ he quoted” (p. 91).
Indeed, the character is quoting Perdita’s lines from the fourth scene of Act
IV: “Daffodils,/That come before the swallow dares, and take/The winds of March
with beauty; violets dim,/But sweeter than the lids of Juno’s eyes/Or Cytherea’s
breath.” The book contains a series of notes at the end, and the note on that
line reads, “Shakespeare,
The Winter’s
Tale, IV.iv.121” (p. 353). The next reference is to Shakespeare himself,
with Lawrence writing: “Tevershall! That was Tevershall! Merrie England!
Shakespeare’s England!” (p. 153). Then we get a reference to Cassius’ great
speech from Act I Scene ii of
Julius
Caesar. Lawrence writes: “He had a natural sort of quiet distinction, an
aloof pride, and also, a certain look of frailty. A hireling! One of Clifford’s
hirelings! ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that
we are underlings’” (p. 161). This is the speech in which Cassius works to
convince Brutus to take part in the opposition to Caesar. A note at the back
identifies the passage: “
Julius Caesar,
I. ii. 140-141” (p. 355). There is also a reference to
Hamlet: “Duncan was a rather short, broad, dark-skinned, taciturn
Hamlet of a fellow with straight black hair and a weird celtic conceit of
himself” (p. 286).
This edition of Lady
Chatterley’s Lover, the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, was published in
2006.
