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                                     2b|~2b
                                        
Some more ramblings on Hypertext.

The work I did on the King James Bible [1] was partly a result of wanting to
reference a portion of a much larger work. After I was done with that, my eye
then turned towards Shakespeare. It'd be nice to say something like:

http://literature.conman.org/Shakespeare/Hamlet.III.i.56-64

And get:

> To be, or not to be,—that is the question:—
>  Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
>  The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
>  Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
>  And by opposing end them?—To die,—to sleep,—
>  No more; and by a sleep to say we end
>  The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks
>  That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
>  Devoutly to be wisht. To die,—to sleep;—
> 

Ah, but the problem with Shakespeare, or rather, with the notation used to
reference part of his plays, deals with what constitutes a countable line:

> MARCELLUS.
> 
> Peace, break thee off; look, where it comes again!
> 
> Enter GHOST
> 
> BERNARDO.
> 
> In the same figure, like the king that's dead.
> 
> MARCELLUS.
> 
> Thou art a scholar; speak to it, Horatio.
> 
> BERNARDO.
> 
> Looks it not like the king? mark it, Horatio.
> 
> HORATIO.
> 
> Most like:—it harrows me with fear and wonder.
> 

“Hamlet, I.i.40-44”

It's basically lines that are spoken that are counted. So line 40 is actually
“Pease, break thee off; look, where it comes again!” It's not the line that
says MARCELLUS.

Makes for an interesting project.

[1] http://literature.conman.org/bible/

Email author at sean@conman.org

.