Authors: William Shakespeare
Act 1 Scene 3
1.3
Location: Goneril and the Duke of Albany’s residence
1
gentleman
man of gentle (i.e. noble) birth attached to a royal household
1
chiding
rebuking
5
flashes
breaks out
10
come slack
fall short
11
answer
be answerable for
14
fellows
fellow servants
14
question
conflict, a dispute
15
distaste
dislike
21
straight
straight away
21
to
i.e. and tell her to
Act 1 Scene 4
1
as will I
perhaps “as I intend” (but most editors opt for the Quarto “well”- i.e. “as well as being disguised”)
2
defuse
confuse, disorder
3
full issue
complete outcome
4
razed my likeness
erased my true appearance
8
stay
wait
11
What … profess?
What is your occupation? (Kent shifts the sense of profess to “claim, declare”)
11
wouldst thou
do you want
12
us
Lear continues to use the royal plural pronoun
16
judgement
i.e. God’s judgment/the judgment of fellow men
16
cannot choose
have no other option
16
to eat … fish
i.e. only to eat a hearty diet of meat/not to eat fish on Fridays like a Roman Catholic/not to have sex with prostitutes
31
keep honest counsel
keep secrets like an honorable man/keep secrets that are honorable
31
mar … tale
spoil an elaborate story
37
anything
“thing” plays on the sense of “vagina”
41
knave
rogue/servant
44
So
if it
45
clotpoll
idiot
49
slave
servant/villain
51
roundest
bluntest
55
entertained
received, treated hospitably
56
wont
accustomed (to receive)
57
general dependants
servants as a whole
63
rememb’rest
remind
63
conception
notion, thought
64
faint
slight/lazy, half-hearted
65
jealous curiosity
mistrustful fastidiousness
65
very pretence
real intention
77
cur
dog
79
bandy
exchange looks as an equal (literally, “bat to and fro” as in tennis)
80
strucken
struck, beaten
81
football
played by the lower classes (unlike tennis)
84
differences
class distinctions
85
measure … length
be knocked flat to the floor
85
lubber
clumsy lout
86
tarry
stay
86
go to
an expression of impatient dismissal
88
earnest
part-payment in advance
90
coxcomb
fool’s headgear with a crest like a cock’s comb
91
pretty
fine-looking/clever
95
an … sits
i.e. if you cannot please those in power
97
on’s
of his
98
needs
necessarily
99
nuncle
contraction of “mine uncle”
99
Would
I wish
102
living
property, possessions
106
Brach
bitch
107
pestilent gall
troublesome irritation
110
Mark
pay attention to
113
owest
own
114
goest
walk
115
trowest
believe
116
Set … throwest
don’t stake everything on the throw of the dice
119
have … score
i.e. make a profit
120
score
twenty
122
unfee’d
unpaid
123
use
employment/profit
134
crowns
coins (the sense then shifts to “eggshells,” “royal headgear,” and “head”)
136
meat
edible contents
136
clovest
split
140
like myself
i.e. foolishly
141
grace
favor, patronage
142
foppish
foolish
144
apish
silly
146
used it
made it my custom
147
rod
punishment cane
151
bo-peep
a child’s game (in which an adult alternately conceals and reveals his or her face)
152
the fool among
among fools
154
fain
gladly
155
An
if
156
marvel
wonder
160
pared
trimmed
163
frontlet
ornamental headband/band worn round forehead at night to smooth wrinkles
166
figure
accompanying digit (to make it a number higher than zero)
168
forsooth
in truth
171
nor … crumb
i.e. no part of the loaf
172
want some
need something/experience need
173
peascod
peapod
174
all-licensed
licensed to speak entirely freely
176
carp
complain
177
rank
excessive, uncontrolled
179
safe
certain
180
too late
all too recently
181
course
behavior
181
put it on
encourage it
183
scape
escape
183
redresses sleep
punishments be neglected
184
in … proceeding
might offend and shame you but which, in the interests of maintaining a healthy state, must be deemed a prudent course of action
189
cuckoo
young cuckoo, hatched from an egg its mother had laid in another bird’s nest
190
it’s had it
it had its
190
it young
the young cuckoo
191
darkling
in darkness
194
fraught
equipped (literally “freighted”)
195
dispositions
moods
198
Jug
a form of “Joan,” often used as a generic name for a prostitute
201
notion
understanding
201
discernings Are lethargied
power of discernment is asleep
202
Waking?
Am I awake?
204
shadow
reflection/ghost/shadow cast by the sun/imitator, actor
206
admiration
air of wonder
206
o’th’savour
of the flavor
209
should
i.e. you should
211
bold
presumptuous, audacious
213
epicurism
gluttony/pleasure-seeking
215
graced
honorable
215
speak
call
216
desired
requested, entreated
218
disquantity your train
reduce your retinue
219
depend
be your dependants, serve you
220
besort
befit, suit
221
know … you
i.e. know their place, and yours
224
Degenerate
having lost the qualities proper to a family member
228
that
to he who
234
kite
bird of prey, scavenger
235
rarest parts
splendid qualities
237
in … name
uphold the honor of their names with the most careful consideration (or “… in every respect”)
240
engine
piece of machinery
242
gall
bitterness
246
moved
provoked, angered
252
increase
procreation
253
derogate
degenerate, debased
254
teem
be fertile, have children
255
spleen
malice
256
thwart
perverse, obstinate
256
disnatured
unnatural
258
cadent
falling
258
fret
erode, wear
259
pains
efforts (also suggests labor pains)
259
benefits
kindnesses
266
dotage
foolish old age
267
at a clap
with one blow
272
perforce
by force, uncontrollably
273
Blasts
violent gusts of winds
274
Th’untented
the festering (literally, not probed and cleaned surgically)
275
fond
foolish/doting
277
waters … loose
i.e. tears
278
temper
moisten
278
clay
i.e. earth, the ground
280
kind
benevolent/possessed of natural familial love
280
comfortable
comforting
282
visage
face
286
partial
biased
288
content
content yourself, i.e. be quiet
295
halter
hangman’s noose
298
politic
prudent, shrewd
299
At point
armed and ready
299
that
so that
300
buzz
rumor
300
fancy
whim
301
enguard
protect, defend
302
in
at (his)
305
still
always
306
taken
defeated, captured
315
compact
confirm, consolidate
318
under pardon
if you’ll pardon my saying so
319
at task
taken to task, blamed
324
th’event
the outcome (will tell)