Authors: William Shakespeare
52
hie thee
hurry yourself
59
couch
lie, sleep
61
bode
foretell
65
abuse
deceive, wrong
66
gross kind
a great way/a coarse manner
74
price
prize
78
joint-ring
ring consisting of two joined halves
79
lawn
fine linen
80
exhibition
gift
82
venture
risk (going to)
89
to th’vantage
in addition, besides
90
store
populate
played
gambled/had sex
92
fall
succumb sexually
duties
marital and sexual duties
93
our…laps
the semen that is due to us into other women’s vaginas
94
peevish
senseless/perverse/willful
96
scant
reduce/withhold
our former having
what we had before/our former financial means
despite
spite, malice
97
have galls
are capable of feeling bitterness and resentment
grace
charm/virtue/mercy
98
revenge
desire for revenge
102
change
exchange
sport
entertainment/sex
103
affection
desire, lust
107
use
treat/employ sexually
109
uses
habits (of thought)
110
Not…mend
not to learn bad habits from the bad behavior of others, but to learn from such examples to improve myself
1
bulk
framework projecting from the front of a shop, a stall
2
bare
unsheathed put it home drive it firmly to the target
4
mars
destroys
6
miscarry
go wrong, fail
11
quat
pimple to the sense raw, to the tenderest part
12
angry
inflamed/enraged
14
Live Rodorigo
should Rodorigo live
16
bobbed
cheated
17
gifts
i.e. supposed gifts
21
unfold
reveal
25
coat
(thick) overcoat/metal-plated garment worn under outer clothing
26
proof
trial
33
brave
excellent/noble
35
Minion
whore (addressing Desdemona)
36
unblest
unholy, damned hies hastens
37
of
out of, from
39
passage
passersby
40
direful
dreadful, dismal, horrible
44
heavy
overcast, gloomy
46
come in to
approach
49
in his shirt
in his nightshirt/without a jacket
58
spoiled
badly damaged, injured undone ruined
72
prove
discover by testing, find praise appraise
85
may you suspect
do you have any suspicions about
89
garter
band worn to hold up the stocking or as a belt or sash (Iago requires it for use as a tourniquet)
92
trash
worthless stuff, whore (i.e. Bianca)
102
accidents
events/mishaps
108
said
done
111
For
as for
112
Save…labour
don’t bother to try and help Cassio, leave him alone
117
the…eye
her terrified look gastness terror, dread
118
stare
i.e. gaze fixedly in horror (suggestive of guilt and an imminent confession)
133
honest
chaste
136
Cassio dressed
i.e. Cassio’s wound bandaged
141
fordoes me quite
ruins me completely
1
cause
offense/reason for action
5
alabaster
used for the construction of funeral monuments
7
Put…light
quench the torch or candle and then extinguish Desdemona’s life
8
flaming minister
i.e. the torch or candle minister servant
11
cunning’st pattern
most skillfully made model (cunning reverberates with its sense of “deception”)
12
Promethean
in Greek mythology the Titan Prometheus created humankind, for whom he also stole fire from heaven
13
relume
relight
14
vital
living
17
Justice
traditionally depicted as a blindfolded woman carrying scales and a sword
20
fatal
deadly, destructive/ doomed
22
strikes
delivers a blow/withers (used of frost)/destroys (used of God or of malign planetary influence)
27
Ay
yes; Folio’s “I” could mean both “I” and “ay” (yes) and sound identical
30
Solicit
beg forgiveness
32
I…to
it is all I can do not to
34
forfend
forbid
39
say
say so, say that
45
They…you
apparently alludes to the sin of loving a human more than God
61
Presently
imminently
63
article
item forming part of an accusation
64
conception
belief/plan
65
do groan withal
suffer with/am in labor with (playing on sense of pregnancy: conception)
69
Offend
sin against, commit a crime against
70
warranty
authorization
73
stone
harden, turn to stone
82
used
had sex with (Desdemona responds to a more general sense of “employed”)
87
ta’en order
made arrangements
90
stomach
appetite
96
strive
struggle
98
Being done
i.e. as I am resolved to do the deed/while it is being done is no pause must be no hesitation
108
By and by
in a moment (addressed to Emilia)
109
like
likely
110
noise
i.e. following the attack on Cassio high loud
118
yawn at alteration
gape open at this great change in nature
122
Soft
wait a moment curtains bed curtains
127
error
roaming, wandering off course/mistake
128
wont
accustomed
135
harsh
jarring, discordant
136
falsely
wrongfully, unjustly
139
Out, and alas!
i.e. alas (
out
is an intensifier)
153
folly
lewdness
154
belie
slander
158
top
mount sexually
else
otherwise — i.e. if you do not believe me
160
But
were it not
167
chrysolite
precious stone, a name given to various gems including the topaz
170
on
of
171
slime
viscous substance/semen
172
filthy deeds
whorish or impure sexual acts
174
iterance
iteration, repetition
175
made mocks with
made sport of/made a mockery of
180
pernicious
destructive/villainous
182
filthy bargain
i.e. Othello
filthy
dirty, black
187
Peace…best
you’d be better off remaining silent
189
be hurt
endure pain inflicted by you
gull
dupe
191
make thee known
expose you
203
apt
likely
209
charm
put a spell on, i.e. silence
228
lift up eye
i.e. look up to heaven
229
foul
corrupt/wicked/guilty of an accusation
230
uncle
i.e. Gratiano, presumably Brabantio’s brother
232
grim
cruel, merciless
234
mortal
fatal
235
Shore…thread
an allusion to the three Fates: one spun the thread of a man’s life, another measured it, and the third cut it
236
do…turn
i.e. kill himself; “despair” or “desperation” are terms for the state of spiritual hopelessness thought to precede suicide
turn
act
238
reprobance
rejection by God (suicide is a sin)
242
works
sexual acts
243
recognizance
token
245
antique
ancient
249
peace
be silent
250
liberal…north
freely as the north wind
256
dull
stupid (plays on the sense of “dark”)
259
belonged
was appropriate
264
Filth
foul thing/whore
266
coxcomb
fool (from the headgear of a professional fool, which resembled a cock’s comb)
268
stones
thunderbolts
269
Precious
utter, out-and-out
273
notorious
obvious, evident
274
recovered
taken
275
without
from the outside
279
whipster
worthless wretch
280
honour
good reputation
honesty
integrity (for which
honour
is gained)
283
swan…music
proverbially, swans sang just before they died
283
swan…music
proverbially, swans sang just before they died
289
the ice-brook’s temper
tempered (i.e. made hard) by immersing it in the water of an ice-cold brook
292
perforce
of necessity
294
naked
unarmed
297
A…sustain
i.e. a soldier never wore a better one
sustain
maintain a fixed position
301
your stop
the obstruction presented by you
304
Here
various possibilities: “in this place”/“this sword” (i.e. don’t be
afraid
, this will be
my
rather than your death)/Othello uses the sword to indicate the part of himself he is going to stab/Othello gestures to Desdemona or indicates the sword (with emphasis on
my
)
butt
goal, target (archery term)