Read Antony and Cleopatra Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
85
So Antony loves
Antony loves in just such a changeable manner/depending on whether or not Antony loves me
86
forbear
be patient/control yourself
87
give true evidence
bear witness
stands
will sustain
92
Belong to Egypt
are shed for the Queen of Egypt
93
dissembling
playacting
95
heat my blood
make me angry/passionate
96
meetly
fairly good
98
target
small shield; Cleopatra completes Antony’s phrase and makes it into a blustering theatrical oath
mends
improves (in his act)
100
Herculean
heroic, prodigiously strong; Antony’s family claimed descent from the Greek hero Hercules
become … chafe
carry off his anger convincingly
107
oblivion
forgetfulness/loss, abandonment
108
all forgotten
forgetful/completely forgotten
109
But
were it not
idleness
foolishness/frivolity/triviality/worthlessness
110
holds … subject
considers frivolity beneath you/means that you are in control of frivolity
112
sweating labour
the language of childbirth, continued with
bear
115
becomings
attractive qualities
116
Eye
look, seem
119
laurel … feet
on his return to Rome, a victorious general wore a laurel wreath, and had flowers and rushes strewn in his path
122
Our … thee
i.e. although separated physically they will still be together since they are joined spiritually
3
competitor
associate, partner (plays on the sense of “rival”)
5
Is
he is
6
Queen of Ptolemy
i.e. Cleopatra; in keeping with Egyptian royal tradition she was married first to her brother Ptolemy XIII and, after he was accidentally drowned, to a younger brother, Ptolemy XIV, whom she was subsequently thought to have poisoned
7
gave audience
received messengers
8
Vouchsafed
condescended
9
abstract
epitome, summary
13
spots of heaven
stars; his faults stand out against his virtues as the stars do against the dark
15
purchased
acquired otherwise than by inheritance (legal term)
18
tumble
have sex
19
mirth
joke
20
keep … tippling
take turns in drinking toasts
21
reel
stagger drunkenly around
stand the buffet
exchange or endure blows
23
As
though
composure
constitution, disposition
25
foils
disgraces
when … lightness
since we have to bear an extra burden because of his frivolity (or “promiscuity”)
27
vacancy
spare time
voluptuousness
sensual pleasures
28
surfeits
digestive disorders resulting from too much food and drink
dryness … bones
corrosion of the bones is a symptom of syphilis
29
confound
waste
30
drums
summons with a (military) drum
31
his … ours
i.e. our positions as triumvirs
’tis … chid
deserves reprimand
32
rate
berate, scold
mature in knowledge
old enough to know what’s right
34
to
against
36
biddings
commands
38
How ’tis
what the situation is
40
only have feared
have obeyed (Caesar) through fear, not love
41
discontents
discontented
42
Give him
claim he is
44
primal state
beginning of the world/first organized government
45
he … were
he who is in power was only deemed desirable until he gained power
46
ebbed
declining in fortunes, on his way out
ne’er … love
no longer powerful/unable to reward his followers
47
Comes deared
becomes loved/becomes valued
lacked
absent, missed
This common body
the people
48
vagabond
drifting
flag
water iris/reed, rush
49
lackeying
following like a servant
52
famous
notorious
53
ear
plow
54
hot inroads
violent raids
55
borders maritime
coastal regions
56
Lack blood
turn pale
flush
vigorous, lively/flushed, ruddy (i.e. unafraid)
58
Taken
captured
strikes … resisted
causes more loss than resisting him in battle
61
wassails
revels
62
Modena
city in northern Italy
64
whom
i.e. famine
65
daintily
with fine food/in a refined way
67
stale
urine
gilded
tinged with gold glint of scum
68
deign
not refuse
69
rudest
wildest
70
sheets
covers
71
browsèd
fed on
76
So … not
did not so much as grow thin
77
pity of
a shame for/about
79
twain
two
80
i’th’field
on the battlefield
85
can be able
am capable of mustering
86
front
confront
90
stirs
events/uprisings
93
bond
duty/obligation
4
mandragora
juice of the mandrake, a plant with strong narcotic properties
13
Not … sing
an anachronism: castrated singers were employed in Renaissance courts
15
unseminared
castrated, deprived of virility
freer
looser, less restrained
16
affections
desires
19
in deed
in terms of the sexual act (punning on
indeed
)
do
perform/have sex
20
honest
chaste
22
Venus … Mars
the Roman goddess of love and the god of war had a passionate adulterous love affair
27
bravely
splendidly
wot’st thou
do you know
28
demi-Atlas
in classical mythology, Atlas carried the world on his shoulders; Cleopatra, ignoring Lepidus, describes Antony bearing responsibility for half the world
arm
weapon
arm And burgonet
i.e. complete soldier/defender
29
burgonet
light steel infantryman’s helmet/helmet with a visor
33
Phoebus
Greek and Roman sun god
black
i.e. deeply tanned
34
Broad-fronted
with a broad forehead/with a wide or open face
Caesar
Julius Caesar, with whom Cleopatra had an affair
36
morsel
beautiful woman/sexual mouthful
great Pompey
Cleopatra was actually supposed to have had an affair with Gneius (or Gnaeus) Pompey, the son of Pompey the Great (though
great
here may simply be a descriptive “noble” applied to Gneius)
37
make … brow
fix his eyes on my face (but
stand
and
grow
are suggestive of penile erection)
38
aspect
gaze
die
be consumed with desire/orgasm
39
his life
what he lived for
42
great med’cine
alchemical term for the supposed elixir that turned base metal into gold
43
tinct
dye, color/transmuting elixir
44
brave
valiant/splendid
47
orient
lustrous
49
quoth
said
50
firm
constant, resolute
Egypt
the Queen of Egypt
52
mend
make amends for
piece
enrich, augment
55
arm-gaunt steed
slender-limbed horse/horse that is battle-hardened or eager for battle
56
high
loud
57
beastly dumbed
drowned out by the horse’s noise/rendered inarticulate like the sounds of a beast
60
nor sad nor
neither sad nor
62
’tis the man
that’s him exactly
64
make … his
model themselves on him
68
violence
extremity
69
posts
messengers
70
several
separate
71
so thick
such a throng
72
Who’s
whoever is
82
paragon
compare
87
green
young, inexperienced
blood
passion/sexual desire
4
what … deny
delay does not signify denial
5
Whiles … for
while we’re praying to the gods, the thing we ask for is decaying
12
the sea
i.e. control of the sea
13
powers
military forces
crescent
growing, like the new moon
auguring
prophetic
15
dinner
often euphemistic for sex
16
without
out of
18
Of
by
neither loves
loves neither
21
strength
military force
25
Looking for
expecting
charms
spells
26
Salt
lecherous
waned
faded, aging
29
fuming
fuddled with alcohol
epicurean
gourmet