| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Lamentable Tragedy of Locrine and Mucedorus by William Shakespeare: To match with you.
AMADINE.
Hermit, this is true, and when we had--
MUCEDORUS.
Stay there, the wild man comes.
Refer the rest until another time.
[Enter Bremo.]
BREMO.
What secret tale is this? what whispering have we here?
Villain, I charge thee tell thy tale again.
MUCEDORUS.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from An International Episode by Henry James: "They have liked me," her sister rejoined; "it would be more correct
to say that. And, of course, one likes that."
Bessie Alden resumed for some moments her studies in sea green.
"Well," she said, "whether they like me or not, I mean to like them.
And happily," she added, "Lord Lambeth does not owe me ten pounds."
During the first few days after their arrival at Jones's Hotel our charming
Americans were much occupied with what they would have called looking
about them. They found occasion to make a large number of purchases,
and their opportunities for conversation were such only as were offered
by the deferential London shopmen. Bessie Alden, even in driving
from the station, took an immense fancy to the British metropolis,
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Ebb-Tide by Stevenson & Osbourne: 'I'm all right, pals,' he gasped once: 'this is the thing to
strengthen the muscles of the larynx.'
'Well, you take the cake!' cried the captain.
'O, I'm good plucked enough,' pursued the sufferer with a broken
utterance. 'But it do seem bloomin' hard to me, that I should be
the only party down with this form of vice, and the only one to
do the funny business. I think one of you other parties might
wake up. Tell a fellow something.'
'The trouble is we've nothing to tell, my son,' returned the
captain.
'I'll tell you, if you like, what I was thinking,' said Herrick.
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: by the villain of the piece.
"Do it this way. Clasp your hands so, and stagger across the
room, crying frantically, `Roderigo Save me! Save me!' and away
went Jo, with a melodramatic scream which was truly thrilling.
Amy followed, but she poked her hands out stiffly before her,
and jerked herself along as if she went by machinery, and her "Ow!"
was more suggestive of pins being run into her than of fear and
anguish. Jo gave a despairing groan, and Meg laughed outright,
while Beth let her bread burn as she watched the fun with interest.
"It's no use! Do the best you can when the time comes, and if
the audience laughs, don't blame me. Come on, Meg."
Little Women |
