I'll look for coordinate conjunctions if coordinate conjunctions move.

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Mephorium  #48393  Fri, 01 Oct 04 02:26 AM
"'I'll look to like, if looking liking move: But no more deep will I endart mine eye/ Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.'" -William Shakespeare (who else?)

For some time now this sentence has bothered me; mainly this part: "if looking liking move"

Now is this a complete phrase, and if so what is its object and referent?

I know that one thing Shakespeare did in his writing was to omit words and phrases. In the phrase that I cited, did he leave out the coordinate conjunction ( if looking and liking move). If so, is it because that it is one of those many understood yet omitted elements i.e., I am faster than she (is fast)?

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CalifJim  #48413  Fri, 01 Oct 04 05:57 AM
No. There is no missing conjunction.

There's a play on "look to", which means both "try to" and the literal "take a look at". There is also a typical poetic inversion of verb and object. Note also that in Shakespeare's day "if" used to take the subjunctive, so (uninverted) we have "if looking move liking" instead of the modern "if looking moves liking". The similarity of sound between "look" and "like" makes the passage an even greater delight!

"I'll look to like" = I will try to like you. (I think an alternate interpretation might be "I'll show I like you.")
"if looking" = if taking a look (at you)
"liking move" ("moves liking") = moves me to like (you).

(but I won't look any more deeply than you consent to)

I don't think I'm very far off, but consulting a scholar of Shakespeare wouldn't hurt.! Smile [:)]

After reading Mr. Micawber's response I got out my copy of the play, and I see that it is more like:
I will try to like him (Paris), if looking moves me to like him [not "you"!]. The "you" in the second part remains "you" because it refers to Lady Capulet, whom she is talking to.
  
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Mister Micawber  #48414  Fri, 01 Oct 04 05:59 AM
No-- 'if looking moves liking', that is, if by looking at Paris, Juliet can be moved to like him (which of course she can't-- she is just waffling)

'I'll look to like' means I'll take a look and see if I like him. . . and then she modestly tells her mother she will look at him no more than her mother will permit her. (Lady Capulet has just asked Juliet, 'Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love?' (Paris has already declared his love for Juliet.)

Durn, Jim-- you did it again!
  
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CalifJim  #48417  Fri, 01 Oct 04 06:18 AM
I didn't even realize you were on just now!
Actually YOU did it again -- gave a briefer answer that hit it on the head, while I did my usual blah-blah-blah!

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Mephorium  #48418  Fri, 01 Oct 04 06:20 AM
Thank you very much for your replies.
  
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