The term appears in William Shakespeare's play Othello. However, the first two printed versions of the play exhibit differences in the relevant passage. Thus textual criticism can lead to a variety of interpretations:
| Variorum | Quarto (1622)[2] | Folio (1623)[3] |
- Act 1,
- Scene 3
|
- ". . . . no, when light-winged toyes,
- And feather'd Cupid foyles with wanton dulnesse,
- My speculatiue and actiue instruments,
- That my disports, corrupt and taint my businesse,
- Let huswiues make a skellett of my Helme,
- And all indigne and base aduersities,
- Make head against my reputation."
|
- "...No, when light wing'd Toyes
- Of feather'd Cupid, seele with wanton dulnesse
- My speculatiue, and offic'd Instrument:
- That my Disports corrupt, and taint my businesse:
- Let House-wiues make a Skillet of my Helme,
- And all indigne, and base aduersities,
- Make head against my Estimation."
|
| Interpretation |
Edmond Malone:Speculative instruments are the eyes, and active instruments are the hands and feet, "seel" means to "close the eyelids of a hawk by running a thread through them"[4] |
Jared Curtis:Speculative instruments refers to Othello's rational powers, or speculative wit, by which the will is in turn offic'd[5] |
However as the term "theory" in itself derives from a metaphorical use of a greek word more generally used as regards viewing and spectating,[6] these differences can both be seen as lying within that metaphoric range. As Francis Sibley remarks: "the concept of speculative instruments is itself a speculative instrument and hence fluid, not static."[1]: vi