The Monster with Four Legs and Two Voices

 

Just as a reminder, the hidden messages discussed in this blog are the “backward voice” of “the monster” with--

Foure legges and two voyces; a most delicate

Monster: his forward voyce now is to speake well of
his friend; his backward voice, is to vtter foule speeches,
and to detract…

--The character Stephano in The Tempest (Act 2, Scene 2).

The “four legs” of “the monster” (i.e., the First Folio) are the four columns of text seen on two facing pages of the First Folio of Shakespeare.  The “forward voice” of “the monster,” which “speak[s] well of his friend,” is the straight-forward reading of the plays.  The “backward voice” of “the monster” are the hidden messages contained in the play, which usually must be read backwards.

 

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