Today's seminar is unlikely to be topped

[aryanhwy]

A student, H., flagged me at the beginning of tutorial today saying he and another, G., had an announcement to make, if that was all right. (Important backstory: at the Philosophy Society Ball a few weeks previously, H. apparently proposed to G., and G. eventually agreed.) He showed me what they wanted to say, and I knew immediately, how could I say no?

So I called class to order, and mentioned that there was an announcement someone wanted to make, and H. got up, walked over to a third, I., and proceeded to request that she marry both he and G., complete in iambic pentameter and down on bended knee.

This is the best thing that I think will ever happen in one of my classes. I have been watched relationships blossom from day one, and while I have no idea how much of this is a joke and how much isn't (I'm not even sure any of they know!), I am loving it so much.

Comments

[kareina.livejournal.com]

Oh, how delightful. Do report back if you hear any further on this matter, I would love love to hear if such a proposal leads to a happy set of three.

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

I *think* they may end up sharing a house together. Rest assured, I am deeply invested, and if anything turns up worth sharing I will!

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

I read this as "H requested that I perform a marriage ceremony for G and H." Which I thought was an odd thing to celebrate happening in a seminar, but okay.
What actually happened, now that I am parsing it accurately, is much neater.

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

Hah! Funnily enough, the ambiguity of the verb "marry" has come up this class before. I commented in one lecture that there are not many natural ternary relations in English (which is why "X is between Y and Z" is always the example that gets used), and one of my TAs piped up with "X married Y and Z", which I have now incorporated into my arsenal because I enjoy its ambiguity!

From Much Ado About Nothing

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

FRIAR FRANCIS
You come hither, my lord, to marry this lady.

CLAUDIO
No.

LEONATO
To be married to her: friar, _you_ come to marry her.

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

One of my favorite Shakespeare lines, ever.