Doctor Thorne
Chapters 10 to 12

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[7-9]   [13-15]  

Chapter 10
Sir Roger's Will

Habit is second nature
This sentiment is attributed to Diogenes who lived during the 5th and 4th centuries BCE and was a Cynic from Sinope. He moved to Athens after becoming involved in some legal trouble and became a student of the Greek philosopher Antisthenes.  Sir Roger Scatcherd uses this phrase to explain to Dr. Thorne why he drinks such large quantities of alcohol. Sir Roger goes on to say that even though this habit is second nature, it is actually a more powerful nature than the first nature, presumably the instinct we're born with.
http://www.bartleby.com/81/7797.html
Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, Volume 1.  Ed. William Smith.  Boston:  Little and Brown, 1849. [MD]

Sowing wild oats
In Plautus' Trinummus, the character Philto says something similar in lines 532-32.  In Latin, the phrase is "Em istic oportet opseri mores malos, si in opserendo possint interfieri," however, it can be translated into English as: "Ah! bad habits should be sown right there, if in sowing they are able to be killed."  Trollope uses the phrase "sow his wild oats," in a conversation between Sir Roger Scatcherd and Dr. Thorne regarding Sir Roger's son, Louis Philippe. Sir Roger says to let him get rid of his bad habits (excessive drinking) while he is still young, in other words "sow his wild oats," and he will straighten out by the time he's older. This seems to be the same idea to which Plautus is referring in Trinummus; get rid of one's bad habits by sowing them into the earth so that they are no longer a burden.  [MD]

 

Chapter 11
The Doctor Drinks His Tea

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Chapter 12
When Greek Meets Greek, Then Comes Tug of War

Barchester Galen
Dr. Fillgrave is referred to as a Galen.  Previously Dr. Thorne was referred to by this same title. 
See commentary on Doctor Thorne Chapter 2.  [TH]

Frog and ox
Trollope describes Dr. Fillgrave's attempt at carrying himself with dignity by saying that "the effort would occasionally betray itself, and the story of the frog and the ox would irresistibly force itself into one's mind at those moments when it most behoved Dr. Fillgrave to be magnificent."  This is a reference to one of the fables of Aesop.  The story begins when a frog sees an ox.  The frog is seized by a jealous rage and tries to puff itself up to the size of the ox.  It asks its children which of them is bigger and each time the children answer, "The ox."  Finally the frog explodes.  Dr. Fillgrave is compared to this frog because during the ensuing scenes his injured pride leads him to try to act larger than he is.  He, like the frog, blows himself up to a large size only to end up looking far from dignified.  Dr. Fillgrave is upset because he is left waiting by Roger Scatcherd for 20 minutes and is then told that Roger won't see him.  Lady Scatcherd offers him payment but he declines out of pride.  Finally he explodes with rage when he meets Dr. Thorne in the hallway.  Because Dr. Fillgrave is described as being short and plump the imagery of a puffed up frog seems even more fitting for him. 
 www.mythfollore.net/aesopica/oxford/349.htm (site no longer available) 
 OCD  [TH]

Achilles glaring at at Hector
Achilles was a Greek hero in the Trojan War who is prominently placed in Homer's Iliad.  Hector is the commander of the Trojan forces and the staunchest rival of Achilles.  Both meet in Book 22 of the Iliad wherein Achilles triumphs over Hector.  Dr. Fillgrave, when trying to exit the residence of Roger Scatcherd, bumps into Dr. Thorne.  Dr. Fillgrave glares at him as Achilles might have at Hector.  Achilles and Hector being intense classical rivals seems a fitting pair for comparison with the intense rivals Dr. Fillgrave and Dr. Thorne.  [TH]

Achilles
Dr. Fillgrave is compared to Achilles.  Like Fillgrave, Achilles was offended by a person in power.  For Achilles it was Agamemnon's seizure of Briseis that provided the insult and the root of his anger.  For Dr. Fillgrave it is his belief that Dr. Thorne has publicly stolen his patient.  Dr.  Fillgrave is extremely hurt by this humiliation and thus retreats to make good on his threats against Dr. Thorne. 
Cassell's Dictionary of Classical Mythology 
[TH]

Quoad

Latin, "in respect to."  [RR]

[7-9]   [13-15]  

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