Why then Ile fit you
Eliot's Notes refer us to The Spanish Tragedy, a bloody and violent revenge play by Thomas Kyd (1580s). The alternative title is Hieronimo is Mad Again.
Hieronimo seeks revenge for the brutal murder of his son. He sees an opportunity when he is asked to write a play for the entertainment of the King: he casts the murderers and himself in the play, but brings a real dagger rather than a prop onstage, and kills them in full view of the audience.
The line, Why then I'll fit you, is Hieronimo's response to the request to write the play. It has a double meaning: (i) I will do what you ask; and (ii) I will give you what you deserve.
This particular allusion is one of the more obscure and impenetrable puzzles of the poem. A clue may be found, however, in the context of the line in the play:
Why then I’ll fit you, say no more.
When I was young, I gave my mind
And plied myself to fruitless poetry:
Which though it profit the professor naught,
Yet is it passing pleasing to the world.
Hieronimo is saying, Yes, I can give you a play: I wrote poetry when I was young, and although some people liked it, it didn't bring me much in the way of reward.
Eliot is comparing himself ironically to Hieronimo, an under-appreciated poet who has produced a work of revenge that will utterly shock its audience. Eliot is the poet-prophet, and The Waste Land his own assault on a complacent and uncultured society.
The line, Why then I'll fit you, is Hieronimo's response to the request to write the play. It has a double meaning: (i) I will do what you ask; and (ii) I will give you what you deserve.
This particular allusion is one of the more obscure and impenetrable puzzles of the poem. A clue may be found, however, in the context of the line in the play:
Why then I’ll fit you, say no more.
When I was young, I gave my mind
And plied myself to fruitless poetry:
Which though it profit the professor naught,
Yet is it passing pleasing to the world.
Hieronimo is saying, Yes, I can give you a play: I wrote poetry when I was young, and although some people liked it, it didn't bring me much in the way of reward.
Eliot is comparing himself ironically to Hieronimo, an under-appreciated poet who has produced a work of revenge that will utterly shock its audience. Eliot is the poet-prophet, and The Waste Land his own assault on a complacent and uncultured society.
This analysis is fascinating! The double meaning behind "Why then I'll fit you" adds a deeper layer of understanding to both The Spanish Tragedy and Eliot's comparison of himself to Hieronimo. It's amazing how Eliot intertwines literary allusions with his critique of society.
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The metaphor of the play within the play, with Hieronimo using it as a means of revenge, mirrors Eliot’s use of The Waste Land to critique culture. It’s intriguing to see how the arts can reflect rebellion and societal commentary across centuries.
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Hieronimo’s lament about poetry being "pleasing to the world" but not rewarding resonates even today. Eliot must have felt this keenly, especially as a modernist poet in a rapidly changing society.
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The connection between Hieronimo's revenge and Eliot's cultural critique highlights how literature can be both personal and universal. It makes me appreciate The Waste Land even more as an artistic statement.
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I love how this analysis brings out Eliot’s use of irony. By referencing an obscure play like The Spanish Tragedy, he not only critiques society but also challenges his audience to engage with complex literary traditions.
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