Authors: William Shakespeare
83
load
reward
84
constant
loyal, devoted, firm
85
shaked
shaken (in his loyalty)
86
remembrancer
officer responsible for the collection of debts/reminder
87
handfast
marriage contract
88
unpeople … sweet
i.e. it will kill Pisanio if he takes it;
sweet
sweetheart
89
liegers
ambassadors, servants
90
Except … humour
unless she changes her attitude
93
closet
private room
Act 1 Scene 6
1
stepdame
stepmother
3
husband banished
i.e. whose husband is banished
5
thief-stol’n
stolen by a thief
7
glorious
lofty, ambitious
8
mean
lowly, humble, poor
8
wills
wishes, plays on sense of “sexual desires”
9
seasons
adds spice to/matures with time/seasons of the year
9
Fie!
exclamation of reproach
12
Change you
i.e. your color, but the phrase plays upon an ambiguous sense—“have your affections changed?”
17
out of door
external/visible
18
furnished
equipped, endowed
18
rare
exceptional
19
th’Arabian bird
the phoenix, a mythical bird, of which, according to legend, only one could exist at any time, therefore a symbol of true uniqueness
21
boldness
arm me with audacity
21
Arm me audacity
may audacity arm me/may
22
Parthian … fight
fight as I retreat like the Parthians: ancient inhabitants of what is now Iraq known for their battle tactic of retreating on horseback while firing arrows at their pursuing enemies
23
Rather, directly fly
or retreat outright
24
note
reputation, distinction
25
Reflect
bestow attention
26
as … trust
to the same degree as you value the quality of trust in yourself/as you value your trust in me/as you value your duty as a wife
27
So far
thus much
35
vaulted arch
i.e. the sky
36
which
i.e. men’s eyes
37
fiery orbs
stars/planets
37
twinned
identical
38
th’unnumbered
the uncountable
39
Partition
distinction
39
spectacles so precious
miraculous organs of sight/such wondrous sights, i.e. Innogen
41
makes your admiration
causes your amazement, wonder
43
shes
women
43
chatter this way
signal approval by their chattering
44
Contemn
scorn, slight
44
mows
grimaces
45
idiots … definite
even an idiot presiding over this case of beauty (
favour
) would be resolute as would a wise judge
46
appetite
sexual desire
47
Sluttery
sluttishness
47
neat
elegant
48
vomit emptiness
i.e. retch
49
allured
offered, tempted
49
feed
plays on sense of “have sex with her”
50
trow
in truth
51
cloyèd
sated, surfeited
51
will
sexual desire; plays on sense of “genitals,” usually “penis”
53
running
emptying, running over
53
ravening
ravenously devouring
54
garbage
offal, intestines
56
raps
possesses, transports
58
Desire … abode
ask my manservant to remain
59
strange
a stranger
59
peevish
temperamental, irritable
66
gamesome
lively, sportive/lusty, i.e. with sexual implication
69
sadness
gravity, seriousness
72
one an
one (who is) an
74
Gallian
French
74
furnaces … sighs
sighing frequently like a furnace
76
from’s free lungs
openly, without restraint;
free
has connotations of licentiousness
78
proof
experience
88
but … thankfully
although he could be more appreciative of the gifts heaven has bestowed upon him, especially of Innogen
89
’tis
i.e. heaven’s bounty is
90
account
reckon
90
talents
personal qualities/monetary account
99
hide me
hide myself
100
snuff
candle end
105
enjoy
take pleasure in, with sexual innuendo
106
office
duty
106
venge
avenge
110
doubting … ill
suspecting things are going badly
112
timely knowing
learning in time
113
born
found
113
discover … stop
reveal to me what makes your speech start and
stop
(the image is from horse riding)
115
Had I
if I had
117
feeler’s
i.e. the person who felt the touch (of Innogen’s hand)
118
this object
Innogen herself/her eye
119
Takes … motion
transfixes the restless gaze
120
Firing
setting it aflame (with desire)
121
Slaver
flatter/wet with saliva
121
common … Capitol
i.e. used by everyone
122
Capitol
the national temple of Rome dedicated to Jupiter
123
falsehood … labour
i.e. just as manual labor hardens the hands, habitual falsehood hardens the heart
124
by-peeping
glancing sideways
125
illustrous
lackluster, dull
126
fed with
produced by
126
tallow
animal fat, used to make candles
126
fit
right, appropriate
128
Encounter such revolt
punish such a transgression
131
Not … pronounce
it gives me no pleasure to reveal this news
139
empery
empire
140
Would … double
which would double the power of even the greatest king
140
partnered
equated, considered alongside
141
tomboys
prostitutes
141
self-exhibition
same allowance of money
142
ventures
hazards/prostitutes
143
play
gamble
143
infirmities
diseases
144
boiled stuff
women who have been made to sweat in steam rooms: a treatment for venereal disease
147
Recoil … stock
degenerate from your royal lineage
154
Diana’s priest
Diana was the goddess of chastity, whose female priests were virgins
154
cold
chaste, sexless
155
vaulting
to mount sexually
155
variable ramps
various prostitutes
155
ramp
a bold, vulgar woman
156
In your despite
in contempt, scorn of you
156
upon your purse
at your expense
158
runagate
runaway, vagabond
159
fast
constant, firm
162
Let … lips
allow me to kiss you
164
attended
listened, paid attention to
164
thee
less polite than
you
as a term of address, used to inferiors but also to intimates
173
saucy
impudent, insolent
173
mart
do business; literally “marketplace”
174
Romish stew
Roman brothel
175
us
the royal plural pronoun
179
credit
trust, belief, good reputation, plays on economic sense
185
affiance
trothplight, marriage promise
187
new o’er
all over again
188
truest mannered
most honestly given, most faithful
188
holy witch
i.e. good wizard who uses holy magic
196
try your taking
test how you would take
198
In … rare
in choosing such an exceptional husband
200
fan
winnow; blow air through grain to separate the wheat from the chaff or husks
201
chaffless
without chaff or refuse
204
but
only
205
moment
importance, significance
210
best … wing
best among our group of friends
210
mingled sums
all contributed money
212
factor
agent
213
plate
gold or silver utensils/tableware
213
rare device
exceptional craftwork, carving
215
something curious
somewhat anxious
215
strange
a stranger, foreigner
219
pawn
lay down
220
interest
a stake, a share
227
short
fall short of, not live up to
228
Gallia
France
236
outstood
outstayed
236
material
crucial
237
tender
giving
Act 2 Scene 1
1
kissed the jack
bowling term, i.e. Cloten’s bowl touched the small target ball
2
upon an upcast
meaning uncertain: by accident/tossing a throw up/on the last shot (as in upshot)
3
jackanapes
upstart/impertinent fellow
3
take me up
rebuke me
4
oaths
swearwords
4
of
from
5
spend … pleasure
utter them when I please
6
pate
head
8
If … out
i.e. Cloten’s brain is thin, poor stuff
10
gentleman
i.e. a nobleman
11
curtail
cut short
15
rank
status, plays on secondary sense of “smell”
17
a pox on’t
expression of anger
17
pox
any disease characterized by pustules/venereal disease
18
so
as
19
jack-slave
lowborn person
21
cock
cockerel, plays on sense of “penis”
22
capon
castrated cockerel/idiot
23
comb
i.e. like a fool;
cock
and
comb
together make “cockscomb,” a jester’s cap/fool
24
Sayest thou?
What did you say?
25
undertake
take on, fight
26
companion
fellow
27
commit offence
take on in fight/be offensive to
29
fit … only
i.e. only you would show such ill breeding (although on the surface the First Lord means “it is your right alone”)
39
whatsoever
whoever
42
derogation
disgrace, loss of dignity
43
You cannot derogate
i.e. because you have no dignity to lose in the first place