| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy: the fact of his ignorance of Mrs. Henchard were sufficient
to deprive her history of all interest. "But I know that
'a's a banded teetotaller, and that if any of his men be
ever so little overtook by a drop he's down upon 'em as
stern as the Lord upon the jovial Jews."
"Has he many men, then?" said Elizabeth-Jane.
"Many! Why, my good maid, he's the powerfullest member of
the Town Council, and quite a principal man in the country
round besides. Never a big dealing in wheat, barley, oats,
hay, roots, and such-like but Henchard's got a hand in it.
Ay, and he'll go into other things too; and that's where he
The Mayor of Casterbridge |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Salome by Oscar Wilde: noir le-dedans! Cela doit etre terrible d'etre dans un trou si
noir! Cela ressemble e une tombe . . . [aux soldats] Vous ne
m'avez pas entendue? Faites-le sortir. Je veux le voir.
SECOND SOLDAT. Je vous prie, princesse, de ne pas nous demander
cela.
SALOME. Vous me faites attendre.
PREMIER SOLDAT. Princesse, nos vies vous appartiennent, mais nous
ne pouvons pas faire ce que vous nous demandez . . . Enfin, ce n'est
pas e nous qu'il faut vous adresser.
SALOME [regardant le jeune Syrien] Ah!
LE PAGE D'HERODIAS. Oh! qu'est-ce qu'il va arriver? Je suis sur
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