Titus Andronicus & Timon of Athens (58 page)

133
leisures
unoccupied moments

133
proposed
brought it up for consideration

134
Go to
exclamation of dismissive impatience

135
Perchance
perhaps

135
single
isolated/slight, trivial

135
vantages
opportunities

136
indisposition
unwillingness

136
back
off

137
that … minister
my disinclination became your reason

142
found … honesty
i.e. trusted me to calculate them

145
gainst … manners
contrary to what good manners require

146
close
closed/close to your chest

147
checks
rebukes

148
in
i.e. about

150
now’s a time
at least you can listen now/you must listen now

151
greatest … half
the highest estimate of your wealth is not even half enough

154
engaged
mortgaged

155
stop
feed/silence

156
present dues
immediate debts

156
apace
quickly

157
interim
the short-term, immediate future

157
at length
in the long run

158
reck’ning
settlement of accounts

159
Lacedaemon
Sparta (city in southern Greece)

164
husbandry
household economy

164
falsehood
dishonesty

165
auditors
checkers of accounts

166
proof
test

167
offices
parts of the house used by servants (kitchen etc.)

167
oppressed
overstretched/overcrowded

168
feeders
guests/servants to guests (who must also be fed)

168
vaults
wine cellars

169
spilth
spillage

170
minstrelsy
music and singing

171
wasteful cock
wastefully flowing tap of a wine barrel

172
set … flow
i.e. cried

175
bits
excessive tidbits, wasteful morsels

175
slaves
servants/rogues

176
englutted
swallowed

176
Timon’s
Timon’s friend, kept at Timon’s expense

182
fast-lost
lost quickly/lost due to the absence of food

183
couched
hidden

184
sermon
preach at

185
villainous
proceeding from unworthy motives/extended to villains

187
conscience
understanding

189
broach
tap (a barrel)

190
try
test

190
argument of hearts
protestations of love

191
frankly
as freely

193
Assurance … thoughts
may your thoughts be blessed by proving true

194
sort
way, sense

194
crowned
given dignity/made wealthy

195
account
consider (may play on the financial sense)

200
severally
separately

204
occasions
needs

204
time
occasion, opportunity

204
toward
for/to contribute toward

207
Hum!
exclamation of doubt or displeasure

209
even … health
for my services to the welfare of the state

213
For that
because

213
general
usual

214
signet
ring used as a seal, proof of authority

218
corporate
collective

219
fall
a low ebb (financially)

219
want
lack

223
catch a wrench
be accidentally twisted from its natural course

224
intending
pretending/occupying themselves with

225
hard fractions
harsh fragmentary sentences

226
half-caps
semicourteous greetings, half-doffed hats

226
cold-moving
stiff/indicative of cold feelings

229
cheerly
cheerful

230
hereditary
i.e. inherited with old age

231
caked
congealed

232
’Tis
it is due to

232
kindly
natural

233
grows … earth
approaches the grave

234
dull
unresponsive, sluggish

236
ingeniously
honestly

238
stepped Into
has inherited

242
good necessity
genuine need

247
that … foe
i.e. the belief that friends will remain loyal during times of hardship is the undoing of the generous person

249
free
generous (plays on the notion that “thought is free”)

Act 3 Scene 1

3.1
Location: Lucullus’ house, Athens

5
warrant
am sure

6
hits right
fits in perfectly

6
ewer
pitcher used to contain water for handwashing

7
tonight
i.e. last night

8
respectively
respectfully

9
complete
accomplished

9
free-hearted
generous

14
pretty
excellent, fine

15
in
on

16
supply
fill

18
furnish
provide

18
nothing
in no way

19
present
immediate

20
La … la!
either an exclamation of disdain or equivalent to “Indeed!”

21
so … house
i.e. one in which hospitality is so lavish

23
on’t
of it

24
have him
persuade him to

24
embrace
accept

26
honesty
generosity

31
speaks your pleasure
is kind to say so

32
towardly
promising/helpful, friendly

32
prompt
ready and willing

33
give
to give

34
use … well
i.e. make the most of opportunities that arise

35
parts
qualities

36
sirrah
sir (used to a social inferior)

40
bare
mere

41
security
deposit or pledge that guarantees a loan

41
solidares
invented term for a coin of low value, perhaps from the Roman
solidus
or Italian
soldo

41
wink
close your eyes

43
differ … lived
change in the course of a single lifetime

47
these
i.e. the coins

47
scald
burn (in hell)

48
molten … damnation
being boiled in molten metal was the traditional punishment of usurers in hell

49
himself
i.e. a true friend

50
milky
i.e. weak, cowardly

51
turns
curdles

52
passion
suffering/extreme emotion

53
my … him
been fed by Timon

54
nutriment
nourishment

59
hour
suffering as he dies

Act 3 Scene 2

3.2
Location: a public place in Athens

3
for
to be

12
necessity belonged to’t
how urgent it was

13
How?
What?

20
his
i.e. the gifts Lucullus received from Timon

20
mistook him
made a mistake

21
occasion
need

22
hap
chance

23
sweat
sweated (through hurrying)

26
exquisite
excellent/accomplished

28
endeared
obliged/affectionate

31
present occasion
urgent needs
(present
plays ironically on the sense of “gift”)

32
use
need

34
merry
joking

37
virtuous
i.e. incurred through virtuous generosity

41
disfurnish myself against
leave myself unprepared for

44
purchase … part
yesterday have spent a sum of money/made a small investment

44
undo … honour
i.e. ruin my chance of helping Timon

46
use
borrow from

47
would
wish

50
conceive the fairest
think the best

51
kind
generous, helpful

52
pleasure
oblige

53
befriend … far
i.e. be so kind

56
look … turn
find something to do for you in return

57
shrunk
i.e. diminished in fortune

58
hardly speed
prosper with great difficulty

61
world’s soul
i.e. the essence of the world

61
piece
kind, type (cut from the same cloth)

63
dips … dish
“he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he shall betray me” (Matthew 26:23)

63
in my knowing
to my knowledge

64
been … father
i.e. behaved as a father to him

65
kept his
maintained Lucius’

65
credit
finances/reputation

65
his
i.e. Timon’s

68
treads
presses

69
monstrousness
unnatural behavior (from proverbial “ingratitude is monstrous”)

70
looks out
shows himself

71
in … his
considering, relative to Lucius’ entire fortune

75
tasted Timon
had experience of Timon’s generosity

76
over
upon

79
carriage
conduct

81
put … donation
made a gift of my wealth/considered all my wealth a gift from Timon

84
with … dispense
to do away with compassion

85
policy
strategy, self-interested calculation

Act 3 Scene 3

3.3
Location: Sempronius’ house, Athens

7
touched
tested (for quality—a touchstone is used to tell pure metals from
base
ones)

14
Thrive … over
prosper on his money but give up on him

16
That
he who

16
my place
i.e. at the top of his list of friends

16
sense … first
no reason why, in his need, he should not have turned to me first

18
in my conscience
to my mind

20
backwardly
poorly/slowly/in reverse order of priority

21
requite
repay

22
argument of
topic for

25
Had
he had

25
but … sake
on account of my good will toward him

26
courage
desire

27
faint
weak

28
bates
diminishes

29
goodly
fine