Authors: William Shakespeare
129
his … forwardness
whatever danger results is due to his reckless confidence
132
looks successfully
seems likely to succeed
133
cousin
term used for any relative beyond the immediate family
135
leave
permission
137
odds
advantage
137
man
i.e. Charles
138
fain
gladly
148
come but in
merely enter the field
148
try
test
153
adventure
venture
154
equal
evenly matched
157
misprized
undervalued/scorned
157
suit
request, petition
162
foiled
thrown/defeated
163
gracious
favored
164
friends
relatives/supporters
170
eke out
supplement
171
deceived
mistaken
174
lie … earth
be thrown on the ground/have sex with
his mother earth
/die and be buried (may anticipate the implied reference to Antaeus, son of Earth who renewed his strength by lying on the ground and whom
Hercules
defeated in wrestling)
175
will
wish/lust/penis
176
working
aim/sexual activity
177
fall
conclusive throw
178
warrant
assure
181
come your ways
come on
182
Hercules
demigod who wrestled with and defeated the mighty giant Antaeus
182
speed
protector
187
down
fall
190
breathed
exercised/out of breath
199
still
always
206
calling
name/position in life
211
unto
in addition to
212
Ere
before
215
envious
malicious
216
Sticks
pierces
218
justly
exactly
218
promise
expectation
219
mistress
sweetheart
221
suits
favor
225
parts
qualities/spirits
227
quintain
post used as a target when practicing jousting or darts
229
would
wants
233
Have with you
I’m coming
235
conference
conversation
237
Or
either
241
condition
disposition
243
humorous
temperamental
243
indeed
in reality
244
conceive
understand/imagine
249
taller
more elegant/more attractive (some editors assume a reference to height and emend to “smaller” or “shorter,” since Celia is less tall than Rosalind)
255
gentle
wellborn/kind
256
argument
reason
260
suddenly
at any time
262
knowledge
acquaintance
263
rest
remain
263
bounden
indebted
264
from … smother
i.e. from bad to worse
264
smother
dense, suffocating smoke/smoldering fire
Act 1 Scene 3
1
Cupid
god of love
5
curs
dogs/worthless fellows
6
reasons
remarks/explanations
7
Then there were
if I did, then there would be
11
child’s father
i.e. one who might become the father of my children (Orlando)
12
briars
i.e. obstacles
12
working-day
ordinary, everyday
13
burs
prickly seed heads that stick easily to clothing
15
petticoats
skirts
16
coat
petticoat/skirt
18
Hem
cough (as if to dislodge something stuck in the throat or to clear the chest; pun on “sew a hem”)
19
‘hem’
puns on “him”
19
have
win, possess (plays on the sense of “have sex with”)
20
wrestle
plays on the sense of “grapple sexually”
21
take … of
support (
part
plays on the sense of “penis”)
22
a … you
bless you/good luck to you (
upon
may play on the sense of “mount sexually”)
22
try
fight/have sex
23
fall
throw in wrestling/bout of sex/moral lapse
23
turning … service
to finish with this joking (
turning, jests
and
service
all play on the sense of “copulation”)
29
dearly
deeply (possible pun on “deer” is generated by
chase
)
29
chase
pursuit/hunt
32
Why … not?
i.e. Why should I hate him?
36
your safest haste
sufficient haste to ensure your safety
45
intelligence
communication
47
frantic
mad
48
dear
noble
52
purgation
acquittal
53
grace
salvation, divine grace
56
whereon
on what
61
friends
relatives
66
stayed
kept
67
Else
otherwise
67
ranged
wandered
69
pleasure
will
69
remorse
compassion
70
young
immature
72
still
always
73
an instant
the same time
73
eat
eaten
74
like Juno’s swans
i.e. yoked together to pull the chariot of the Roman queen of the gods
76
subtle
crafty
76
smoothness
plausibility/friendliness
79
name
reputation
82
doom
judgment
86
provide
prepare
88
greatness
authority
90
change
exchange
99
sundered
separated
103
change
i.e. of circumstances
105
at … pale
depending on whether
pale
is an adjective or a noun, either “the sky is pale in shock and grief,” or “our
sorrows
have reached their utmost limit”
112
mean
lowly
113
umber
brown pigment (to conceal aristocratically pale complexions)
118
suit … points
dress myself in every respect
119
gallant curtle-axe
fine cutlass
120
boar-spear
weapon used for boar hunting
122
swashing
swaggering/dashing
124
outface … semblances
brazen it out with appearances
126
Jove
in Roman mythology, king of the gods
127
Ganymede
a beautiful youth, carried off by
Jove
to be his cupbearer; the name was also used by Elizabethans to refer to a youth who was the subject of an older man’s homosexual desire
129
state
status
130
Aliena
from the Latin for “stranger”
131
assayed
attempted
133
travel
journey/hardship
135
Leave me alone
leave it to me
135
woo
persuade
139
content
contentment
Act 2 Scene 1
2.1
Location: the Forest of Arden Amiens
name of a northern French town; may suggest “friendliness” (from the Latin)
2.1
foresters
forest dwellers
2
old custom
established practice/experience
3
painted pomp
artificial show
4
envious
malicious
5
penalty of Adam
i.e. the harsher seasons and greater toil that followed loss of Eden
6
difference
change
6
as
such as
7
churlish chiding
harsh brawling/rebuking
11
feelingly
tangibly/intensely
12
uses
benefits
13
toad … head
supposedly, venomous toads had precious stones in their heads that were antidotes to poisons
15
exempt … haunt
not visited by people
16
tongues
speech
18
change
alter/exchange
19
translate
transform/re-express (one thing in terms of another)
20
style
mode of expression/way of life
22
fools
poor creatures
23
burghers
citizens
23
desert
lonely, uninhabited
24
confines
territories
24
forkèd heads
i.e. barbed arrowheads
28
kind
manner
31
along
stretched out
32
antique
ancient/antic (i.e. grotesquely gnarled)
33
brawls
rushes noisily
34
sequestered
separated (from his herd)
40
Coursed
flowed/chased (plays on the sense of “hunted”)
42
markèd of
noticed by
43
extremest verge
very edge
46
moralize
draw a moral from, interpret
48
needless
having no need (for more water)
49
testament
will
50
worldlings
materially minded mortals
50
sum of more
store/additional amount
52
velvet friend
deer with smooth coat/richly clothed per son/syphilitic lover
53
part
depart from/separate
54
flux
continuous stream
54
Anon
instantly/soon
54
careless
carefree
56
stays
stops
57
greasy
plump and fit for killing/wealthy
58
wherefore
why
60
invectively
in violent terms
63
mere
absolute
64
up
off
67
commenting
pondering
70
cope
encounter
71
matter
ideas/material for discussion
72
straight
straight away
Act 2 Scene 2
2.2
Location: the court
2
villains
servants/wrongdoers
3
sufferance
acquiescence
7
untreasured
robbed/emptied of a treasure
8
roynish
coarse
9
wont
accustomed
13
parts
qualities
17
gallant
fine fellow/daring young man/ladies’ man (i.e. Orlando)
19
suddenly
immediately
20
quail
fail
21
again
back
Act 2 Scene 3
2.3
Location: Oliver’s household