Authors: William Shakespeare
3
memory
reminder
4
make you
are you doing
7
fond
foolish
8
bonny priser
robust prizefighter
8
humorous
temperamental
12
more
better
13
sanctified
sanctimonious, hypocritical
14
comely
fair
15
Envenoms
poisons
23
your praises
people’s praises of you
24
use
are accustomed
25
of
to do
26
cut you off
kill you
27
practices
schemes
28
place
i.e. safe place
28
butchery
slaughterhouse
31
so
so long as
33
boist’rous
massive/savage
33
enforce
gain by force
34
common
public
38
diverted blood
kinship drawn away from its natural course
40
thrifty hire
wages thriftily saved
41
foster-nurse
nurse who brings up another’s child as her own
42
service … lame
i.e. when I am too weak to work
43
unregarded
uncared for, ignored
48
lusty
vigorous
51
unbashful forehead
shameless audacity
54
Frosty
i.e. white-haired
54
kindly
pleasant/thriving
58
constant
faithful
59
sweat
i.e. worked
59
meed
reward
62
choke … having
i.e. stop working once they have gained their reward/promotion
66
In lieu of
in return for
66
husbandry
cultivation/domestic management
67
come thy ways
come on
69
low content
humble contentment
72
fourscore
eighty (four times twenty)
75
too … week
i.e. far too late
Act 2 Scene 4
2.4
Location: the Forest of Arden; except for one brief scene
(
Act 3 Scene 1
)
the remainder of the action takes place in various parts of the forest
2.4
for
i.e
. disguised as
2.4
alias
may indicate a change of costume (see Introduction)
1
Jupiter
Roman king of the gods (Jove)
5
weaker vessel
i.e. woman
5
doublet and hose
man’s close-fitting jacket and breeches
9
cross
burden/coin (with cross stamped on it)
14.1
Silvius
from Latin for “woods”
16
solemn
serious
26
fantasy
amorous imaginings/desire
28
heartily
sincerely, from the heart
29
folly
foolishness/lewdness
33
Wearing
wearing out, wearying
35
broke from
escaped
38
Phoebe
a name for Diana/Artemis, goddess of the moon, chastity, and hunting
39
Searching of
probing
39
wound
Touchstone will shift the sense to “vagina”
40
adventure
fortune
42
sword
weapon/penis
42
him
the
stone
/his
sword
43
coming
visiting/ejaculating
43
a-night
at night
44
batler
wooden club (for beating wet laundry)
44
dugs
teats
44
chopt
chapped
45
milked
plays on the sense of “caused to ejaculate”
45
peascod
pea pod (with genital connotations; a reversal of “codpiece”)
46
cods
pods/testicles
47
Wear
plays on the sense of “have sex with, exhaust”
48
capers
frolicsome leaps/fornications
49
mortal
subject to decay (sense then shifts to “only human”)
50
ware
aware (puns on
wear
; Touchstone shifts the sense to “wary”)
51
wit
possible play on “penis”
54
upon my fashion
like mine
55
something
somewhat
55
stale
may play on the sense of “prostitute”
56
yond
yonder, that
59
clown
rustic (Rosalind picks up on the sense of “jester”)
64
even
evening (i.e. afternoon)
67
desert
deserted
67
entertainment
hospitality, provisions
70
succour
help
75
shear … graze
i.e. make any profit from the sheep I tend
77
recks
cares
79
cote
cottage
79
bounds of feed
range of pasture land
80
sheepcote
building sheltering sheep (perhaps here a shepherd’s cottage)
83
in my voice
as far as I am concerned
85
swain
low-ranking man/rustic
85
but erewhile
only a while ago
87
stand
is consistent
89
to pay
i.e. money
90
mend
improve
91
waste
spend
95
feeder
servant
96
suddenly
at once
Act 2 Scene 5
1
greenwood
leafy
2
Who
anyone who
3
turn
adapt, tune
3
note
melody
4
throat
voice
13
ragged
hoarse/harsh
16
stanzo
stanza, verse
18
I … nothing
Jaques refers to the
names
on a loan document of those who
owe
money
22
that
that which
22
compliment
etiquette
22
th’encounter
the meeting/sexual encounter
23
dog-apes
dog-faced baboons
24
beggarly
i.e. effusive
27
end
complete
27
cover the while
in the meantime lay the cloth for a meal
29
look
look for
31
disputable
argumentative
32
matters
topics
36
i’th’sun
i.e. free from care
40
etc
. indicates repeat of “no enemy / But winter and rough weather”
42
in … invention
in spite of my poor imagination
48
Ducdame
meaning unclear; probably a nonsense word
49
gross
great/dull/coarse
50
An if
if
52
Greek
i.e. gibberish
52
circle
magic circle/circle of gaping idiots (i.e. the others, gathered around Amiens)
53
rail
rant
53
all … Egypt
in punishment for Pharaoh’s ill-treatment of the Jews, God slaughtered all first-born children and animals in Egypt, which resulted in a great lament being raised in the night
55
banquet
light meal/course of fruit, sweetmeats, and wine
Act 2 Scene 6
5
comfort
take comfort
6
uncouth
unknown
7
conceit
imagination
8
comfortable
cheerful
9
presently
immediately/soon
12
said
done
12
cheerly
cheerful
Act 2 Scene 7
5
compact of jars
made up of discords
6
spheres
stars and planets were thought to be contained by crystalline spheres, which produced beautiful music as they rotated
13
motley
in a professional fool’s multicolored clothing
17
set terms
roundly/in an articulate manner
19
Call … fortune
“Fortune favors fools” (proverbial)
20
dial
watch
20
poke
pocket
23
wags
goes (may pun on the sense of “moves sexually”)
24
hour
may pun on “whore”
24
nine … eleven
possibly suggestive of growing erection
26
ripe
mature/grow erect/search
27
rot
decay/detumesce/become infected with venereal disease (possibly puns on “rut”)
28
tale
puns on “tail” (i.e. “penis”)
29
moral
moralize
30
chanticleer
a cockerel
31
deep contemplative
thoughtful/familiar with sexual matters
32
sans
without
34
wear
thing worth wearing
39
dry
according to Elizabethan physiology, one with a dry brain was slow to grasp matters but sure to remember them
39
remainder
remaining
40
places
nooks and corners/topics
41
vents
expresses
45
suit
request/outfit
46
weed
puns on the sense of “clothing”
47
rank
luxuriantly, wild
49
Withal
as well
49
charter
privilege
51
gallèd
vexed, irritated
53
way
puns on
why
53
church
attendance was required by law
54
that … hit
who is the target of a fool’s taunts
55
smart
feels pain
56
senseless … bob
insensible to the jest; the line is a foot short, suggesting that words may have been omitted, so some editors emend (e.g. “Not to seem senseless” or “If he seem senseless”)
57
anatomized
dissected
58
squandering glances
random jibes
59
Invest
clothe
61
Cleanse
purge medically
64
counter
worthless token used to represent a coin
66
libertine
wild, lecherous, dissolute person
67
brutish sting
animal urging of lust
68
th’embossèd … evils
swellings and sores caused by venereal disease
70
disgorge
vomit
71
pride
sexual desire/arrogance
72
tax … party
censure any particular individual
74
weary … ebb
the very stuff it feeds on is exhausted and used up
77
cost of princes
i.e. excessively costly garments
78
come in
come forward in the law court/intervene
80
function
occupation
81
bravery
fine clothes
81
not … cost
none of my business as I did not pay for it
82
suits
fits/dresses
83
mettle
spirit/substance