Ink and Incapability (Blackadder)
Encyclopedia
Ink and Incapability is the second episode of the third series
of the BBC
sitcom Blackadder
.
(Robbie Coltrane
) seeks Prince George
's patronage
for his new book, A Dictionary of the English Language
. The Prince – seeking to amend his reputation as an "utter turnip-head" – is interested, but Blackadder
tries to turn him against the idea, condemning the dictionary as "the most pointless book since 'How to learn French' was translated into French
". It soon emerges that Blackadder resents Johnson for apparently ignoring his novel Edmund: A Butler's Tale which, under the pseudonym of "Gertrude Perkins", he had secretly sent to Johnson in the hope that he would get it published.
Johnson has a meeting with the Prince, during which George fails to grasp the purpose of the Dictionary and Blackadder infuriates Johnson by continuously inventing and using new words in order to convince him that his work is incomplete. However, on learning that Dr. Johnson had also intended, if given the Prince's patronage, to promote Edmund: A Butler's Tale – a book Johnson considers to be the only one better than his – Blackadder persuades George that he should, in fact, support the dictionary.
However, when Blackadder seeks to retrieve the dictionary for Johnson, Baldrick admits that he has used it to light a fire for the Prince. Repairing to "Mrs. Miggins' Literary Salon", where Johnson and his admirers (Byron, Shelley and Coleridge
) are socializing, Blackadder attempts to find out where a copy is kept, but Johnson indignantly proclaims that there is none, considering it "like fitting wheels to a tomato, time consuming and completely unnecessary". Under threat of death from Johnson and his devotees, Blackadder desperately attempts to recreate the Dictionary before Johnson discovers the truth. Baldrick and George try to assist, but their efforts are of little help (Blackadder: "Have you got 'C'?" Baldrick: "Yes. 'C: Big blue wobbly thing that mermaid
s live in.'")
The next morning, Johnson and his devotees arrive at the palace, demanding the dictionary. He explains that he has worked on this book 18 hours every day these past 10 years, ignoring his mother's death, his father's suicide, and his wife leaving him. Just as the enraged literati are about to kill Blackadder, the Prince emerges from his room, holding the dictionary and offering his patronage. It is ultimately revealed that Baldrick did not burn the dictionary but instead burned the only copy of Blackadder's novel (which Johnson had also brought with him when visiting the Prince). Blackadder is, of course, devastated. Johnson departs in a fit of rage on realizing that his dictionary is missing the word "sausage" after he reads Baldrick's "semi-autobiographical" novel (" Once upon a time there was a lovely little sausage called Baldrick, and it lived happily ever after.") The episode ends with Baldrick lighting another fire and this time burning the actual dictionary.
Blackadder the Third
Blackadder the Third is the third series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 17 September to 22 October 1987....
of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom Blackadder
Blackadder
Blackadder is the name that encompassed four series of a BBC1 historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments. All television programme episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Blackadder's dogsbody, Baldrick...
.
Plot
Samuel JohnsonSamuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
(Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr...
) seeks Prince George
George (Blackadder character)
George was a supporting character that appeared in various adaptations of the BBC sitcom Blackadder, played by Hugh Laurie. Each series saw a different incarnation of the character, because each was set in a different period of history. He was most prominently featured in the third and fourth series...
's patronage
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
for his new book, A Dictionary of the English Language
A Dictionary of the English Language
Published on 15 April 1755 and written by Samuel Johnson, A Dictionary of the English Language, sometimes published as Johnson's Dictionary, is among the most influential dictionaries in the history of the English language....
. The Prince – seeking to amend his reputation as an "utter turnip-head" – is interested, but Blackadder
Edmund Blackadder
Edmund Blackadder is the single name given to a collection of fictional characters who appear in the BBC mock-historical comedy series Blackadder, each played by Rowan Atkinson. Although each series is set within a different period of British history, each character is part of the same familial...
tries to turn him against the idea, condemning the dictionary as "the most pointless book since 'How to learn French' was translated into French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
". It soon emerges that Blackadder resents Johnson for apparently ignoring his novel Edmund: A Butler's Tale which, under the pseudonym of "Gertrude Perkins", he had secretly sent to Johnson in the hope that he would get it published.
Johnson has a meeting with the Prince, during which George fails to grasp the purpose of the Dictionary and Blackadder infuriates Johnson by continuously inventing and using new words in order to convince him that his work is incomplete. However, on learning that Dr. Johnson had also intended, if given the Prince's patronage, to promote Edmund: A Butler's Tale – a book Johnson considers to be the only one better than his – Blackadder persuades George that he should, in fact, support the dictionary.
However, when Blackadder seeks to retrieve the dictionary for Johnson, Baldrick admits that he has used it to light a fire for the Prince. Repairing to "Mrs. Miggins' Literary Salon", where Johnson and his admirers (Byron, Shelley and Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
) are socializing, Blackadder attempts to find out where a copy is kept, but Johnson indignantly proclaims that there is none, considering it "like fitting wheels to a tomato, time consuming and completely unnecessary". Under threat of death from Johnson and his devotees, Blackadder desperately attempts to recreate the Dictionary before Johnson discovers the truth. Baldrick and George try to assist, but their efforts are of little help (Blackadder: "Have you got 'C'?" Baldrick: "Yes. 'C: Big blue wobbly thing that mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
s live in.'")
The next morning, Johnson and his devotees arrive at the palace, demanding the dictionary. He explains that he has worked on this book 18 hours every day these past 10 years, ignoring his mother's death, his father's suicide, and his wife leaving him. Just as the enraged literati are about to kill Blackadder, the Prince emerges from his room, holding the dictionary and offering his patronage. It is ultimately revealed that Baldrick did not burn the dictionary but instead burned the only copy of Blackadder's novel (which Johnson had also brought with him when visiting the Prince). Blackadder is, of course, devastated. Johnson departs in a fit of rage on realizing that his dictionary is missing the word "sausage" after he reads Baldrick's "semi-autobiographical" novel (" Once upon a time there was a lovely little sausage called Baldrick, and it lived happily ever after.") The episode ends with Baldrick lighting another fire and this time burning the actual dictionary.
Historical and cultural references
- Lord ByronGeorge Gordon Byron, 6th Baron ByronGeorge Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, later George Gordon Noel, 6th Baron Byron, FRS , commonly known simply as Lord Byron, was a British poet and a leading figure in the Romantic movement...
, Percy Bysshe ShelleyPercy Bysshe ShelleyPercy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets and is critically regarded as among the finest lyric poets in the English language. Shelley was famous for his association with John Keats and Lord Byron...
, and Samuel Taylor ColeridgeSamuel Taylor ColeridgeSamuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
appear in this episode, hanging around Mrs. Miggins's coffee shop and lamenting their drug addiction, tuberculosisTuberculosisTuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and other woes. They are billed in the credits as "romanticRomantic poetryRomanticism, a philosophical, literary, artistic and cultural era which began in the mid/late-1700s as a reaction against the prevailing Enlightenment ideals of the day , also influenced poetry...
junkieSubstance dependenceThe section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
poets". - While explaining his pseudonym to Baldrick, Blackadder claims that Ann RadcliffeAnn RadcliffeAnne Radcliffe was an English author, and considered the pioneer of the gothic novel . Her style is romantic in its vivid descriptions of landscapes, and long travel scenes, yet the Gothic element is obvious through her use of the supernatural...
, Jane AustenJane AustenJane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
and Dorothy WordsworthDorothy WordsworthDorothy Mae Ann Wordsworth was an English author, poet and diarist. She was the sister of the Romantic poet William Wordsworth, and the two were close for all of their lives...
are men (especially Jane Austen, who is actually "a huge YorkshireYorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
man with a beard like a rhododendronRhododendronRhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
bush"), and the only female writer in England is James BoswellJames BoswellJames Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck was a lawyer, diarist, and author born in Edinburgh, Scotland; he is best known for the biography he wrote of one of his contemporaries, the English literary figure Samuel Johnson....
. These untruths are naturally meant to be comical references to female authors of that time who published under male names. - Baldrick's destruction of Blackadder's novel and Dr. Johnson's dictionary by mistakenly tossing them in the fire is the manner in which the manuscript of Thomas CarlyleThomas CarlyleThomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era.He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator.Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was...
's 1837 history The French Revolution was destroyed by John Stuart MillJohn Stuart MillJohn Stuart Mill was a British philosopher, economist and civil servant. An influential contributor to social theory, political theory, and political economy, his conception of liberty justified the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state control. He was a proponent of...
's maid. - While exaggerated for comic effect in this episode, there was a trend of Royal philistinismPhilistinismPhilistinism is a derogatory term used to a particular attitude or set of values perceived as despising or undervaluing art, beauty, spirituality, or intellectualism. A person with this attitude is referred to as a Philistine and may also be considered materialistic, favoring conventional social...
during this era. Either George III or his younger brother Prince WilliamPrince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and EdinburghPrince William, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh was a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of George II and a younger brother of George III.-Early life:...
is believed to have said, when presented with a complimentary copy of Edward GibbonEdward GibbonEdward Gibbon was an English historian and Member of Parliament...
's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: "Another damn, great, thick book! Scribble, scribble, scribble, Mr Gibbon, heh?" - While writing the dictionary, the word "a" is described by Blackadder as an impersonal pronounDummy pronounA dummy pronoun is a type of pronoun used in non-pro-drop languages, such as English....
. It is in fact an indefinite articleArticle (grammar)An article is a word that combines with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun. Articles specify the grammatical definiteness of the noun, in some languages extending to volume or numerical scope. The articles in the English language are the and a/an, and some...
, which is then defined by Prince George as "doesn't really mean anything". - Johnson's dictionary is indeed missing a definition for the AfrikaansAfrikaansAfrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
word "aardvark", as the Afrikaans language did not exist during his lifetime. but it does contain "sausage", albeit in the wrong spot for alphabetical order, so it's entirely possible for someone to assume that it is missing.
Inaccuracies and anachronisms
- Samuel Johnson actually published his dictionary in 1755, seven years before the Prince was born. Johnson died in 1784, 25 years before Prince George became Regent. Likewise, Byron, Shelley and Coleridge, though contemporaries of each other and the Prince, would never have met Johnson.
- Blackadder and Samuel Johnson both describe Blackadder's book as "a roller coaster of a novel". As the series takes place in the 18th century, the "roller coasterRoller coasterThe roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
" anachronism is obvious. - In the episode, a reference is made to Thomas MoreThomas MoreSir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
about the fact that he was burned alive for heresyHeresyHeresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. More was actually beheaded for his refusal to swear to the Act of Succession.
External links
- "Ink and Incapability" BBC official Black Adder website. Retrieved on 11 July 2008.