Cymbeline (38 page)

45
issues
deeds, puns on “children”

52
Bears all down
crushes everything that stands in her way

53
for his heart
for the life of him

56
Betwixt
between

57
mother
i.e. stepmother

57
coining
devising, creating

58
expulsion
banishment

60
he’d make
i.e. which he would make happen, in order to marry her himself

Act 2 Scene 2

5
weak
tired

6
leaf
page

6
left
left off

7
taper
candle

11
fairies
believed to be malign in folklore

11
tempters … night
presumably evil spirits, perhaps incubi, male demons believed to have sex with sleeping women

13
crickets sing
indicates that it is night and very quiet

13
o’er-laboured sense
overworked capacity for feeling

14
Our Tarquin
Sextus Tarquinius raped Lucrece after which the Tarquins were driven from Rome and the republic was born (events narrated by Shakespeare in
The Rape of Lucrece
); Iachimo’s use of
our
, i.e. a fellow Roman suggests a more sinister affinity

15
rushes
reeds strewn on the floor as a covering

15
ere
before

16
Cytherea
Venus, goddess of love

17
bravely thou becom’st
how finely, admirably you adorn your bed

17
lily
an emblem of purity and chastity

19
Rubies
i.e. Innogen’s red lips

19
unparagoned
unequaled, matchless

20
dearly
exquisitely

20
do’t
i.e. kiss; possibly confirms that he does kiss her on the previous line

22
underpeep her lids
peep under her eyelids

23
lights
i.e. her eyes

23
canopied
covered

24
windows
shutters, i.e. her eyelids

24
azure
bright blue

24
laced
ornamented

25
tinct
color

25
But my design
but back to my purpose

28
Th’adornment
the decoration

28
arras
tapestry wall hanging

28
figures
either sewn into the tapestry or carved into the mantelpiece

29
contents
subject matter

30
notes
distinctive marks

30
about
upon

31
Above
more than

31
meaner
less important/convincing as evidence

31
movables
items of furniture, property

32
testify … inventory
give credibility to my list of evidence

33
ape
mimic

33
dull
heavy

34
sense
senses

34
monument
carved statue of a figure lying on a tomb

36
Gordian knot
which was tied by the Phrygian king Gordius and was so

36
hard
that no one could untie it; a prophecy said that whoever did so would conquer Asia, which Alexander the Great fulfilled by cutting through the knot with his sword

37
witness outwardly
serve as proof

39
th’madding
the maddening

40
cinque-spotted
having five spots

40
drops
spots

41
cowslip
wild spring flower, yellow in color (which does indeed have five spots inside)

41
voucher
piece of evidence; in legal terms offering a warranty of title

42
secret
intimate fact, detail

43
picked
i.e. a delicate and skillful operation, implying he seduced her into giving up her honor to him as opposed to taking it by force

47
Tereus
another famous rapist: King of Thrace, he ravished Philomel, his sister-in-law, and cut out her tongue to stop her revealing the crime

48
gave up
was forced to yield/succumbed, surrendered

49
spring
lock, catch

50
dragons … night
night was imagined as a chariot drawn by dragons

50
dawning … eye
ravens, considered birds of ill omen, were believed to wake at dawn

52
this
i.e. Innogen

Act 2 Scene 3

2
most coldest
least passionate

2
ace
the lowest score in dice

3
cold
gloomy, dispirited

4
after
according to, following the example of

4
temper
temperament

11
penetrate
i.e. move her emotionally, plays on sexual sense

12
fingering
i.e. your playing, with obvious secondary image of penetrating the vagina with fingers

13
so
so much the better

13
with tongue
i.e. with voices, with the secondary image of “cunnilingus”

13
remain
stay as she is

14
good-conceited thing
well devised, fanciful piece

15
air
solo song

18
Phoebus
Apollo, the sun god

18
’gins
begins to

19
springs … lies
water from the dew that collects in flowers

20
chaliced
cuplike

21
winking
sleeping

21
Mary-buds
marigold buds

26
horsehairs
used for the bows of stringed instruments

26
calves’ guts
used for the strings

26
unpaved
without stones (testicles), i.e. castrated

27
to boot
into the bargain

31
fatherly
as a father, i.e. approve of me as a husband for Innogen

33
Attend you here
are you waiting here (at)

35
vouchsafes
grants, confers

37
minion
favorite

39
wear
bear/wear out

41
bound
indebted

42
vantages
advantageous opportunities

43
Prefer
recommend

43
frame … solicits
adjust your conduct to well-mannered solicitations

44
be … season
i.e. behaving as the situation demands will work to your advantage

45
denials
(Innogen’s) rejections

49
dismission
dismissal

50
senseless
insensible, i.e. deaf, which Cloten shifts in next line to meaning “stupid”

52
So like you
if you please

55
Albeit
although

56
receive
welcome

57
his sender
Augustus Caesar, the Roman emperor

58
forspent
exhausted

59
notice
attention

66
line
i.e. with money

68
Diana’s rangers
attendants on Diana, goddess of chastity and hunting

68
false
betray

69
th’stand o’th’stealer
the poacher’s hidden shooting position

70
true
honest

73
lawyer to me
i.e. plead on my behalf

74
I yet not
I still don’t

74
understand the case
comprehend the situation; plays on sexual meanings of
stand
, “erection,” and
case
, “vagina”

80
That’s … of
i.e. expensive clothes are all that distinguish his noble birth

85
keep
remain in, stay inside

87
Sell … report
i.e. let me bribe you to speak well of me to Innogen

90
sister
stepsister

90
your
(give me) your

91
lay out
expend

92
but
only

96
deep
moving, effective

97
still
forever

100
But … silent
i.e. to prevent you taking my silence as consent

102
unfold
display, offer

103
knowing
knowledge

112
put me
cause me

113
verbal
talkative

114
which
who

118
boast
overt exclamation

121
pretend
claim

121
base wretch
i.e. Posthumus

122
bred of alms
brought up on (Cymbeline’s) charity

124
meaner parties
persons of lower social rank

127
self-figured knot
bond made by themselves

128
curbed … enlargement
restrained from that freedom of choice

129
consequence o’th’crown
importance of the crown (and the fact that you are its heir)

129
foil
dishonor

130
note
renown, distinction

131
hilding
good-for-nothing

131
livery
uniform worn by servants, bearing their master’s insignia

131
squire’s cloth
servant’s outfit

132
pantler
servant in the pantry

135
thou wert
you would (still) be

136
groom
servant

136
thou … envy
you would be elevated enough to make others envy you

138
comparative … virtues
i.e. if your personal merits were compared (you and Posthumus)

138
styled
given the title, position of

139
under-hangman
assistant hangman

140
For … well
for being promoted even that highly

141
south-fog
damp fog brought by the south wind, thought to carry diseases

143
named of thee
named, mentioned by you

143
meanest garment
lowliest item of clothing

144
clipped
encompassed, embraced

146
made such men
turned into men such as you

150
sprited
tormented, haunted (as if by a spirit)

150
with
by

153
’Shrew
beshrew, may evil befall

159
aught
any, i.e. anyone

165
action
lawsuit

168
conceive … me
think, I hope, only the worst of me

Act 2 Scene 4

2.4
Location: Rome

2
win
win over, persuade

2
bold
confident

4
means
approaches

6
winter’s state
i.e. his relationship with Cymbeline

7
seared
withered

8
gratify
repay

8
they failing
if they fail altogether, i.e. his hopes

11
By this
by this time

12
Hath heard of
will have heard from

13
throughly
thoroughly

14
He’ll
i.e. Cymbeline will

14
th’arrearages
the arrears (overdue payments of tribute)

15
look upon
face

15
whose remembrance
the memory of whom