Original artwork, not a still
So shines a good deed in a weary world.
— Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ‧ 1971
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Wonka has spent the whole film unreadable, and here he drops the act for a moment to say, in borrowed words, that he saw what Charlie did. Swapping Shakespeare's "naughty" for "weary" makes it softer and sadder. It is the turn from the film's cold test of children to its warmest beat, and fans quote it when someone does a small kind thing for nothing.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryShow the scene
The tour is over and Wonka has just turned on Charlie and Grandpa Joe in his office, ending his tirade with "Good day, sir!" Grandpa Joe, furious, swears he will sell Slugworth a Gobstopper. Charlie quietly sets the Everlasting Gobstopper on Wonka's desk, and Wonka rests a hand on it and murmurs this line before looking up to tell Charlie he has won. The words are Portia's, from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, where she says "naughty" and not "weary".
Sources (4)
- Wikiquote: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryWonka's office scene, Charlie places the Gobstopper on the deskReference checked
- Springfield! Springfield! film transcriptPassage after the "Good day" outburstReference checked
- Wikiquote: The Merchant of VeniceAct V, Portia, line 90Reference checked
- Wikipedia: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryPlot sectionReference checked
Context reviewed
