Authors: William Shakespeare
Act 3 Scene 5
3.5
Location: the Earl of Gloucester’s residence
1
his
i.e. Gloucester’s
2
nature
natural familial affection
3
something fears
somewhat frightens
5
his
i.e. Gloucester’s
5
provoking … himself
Edgar’s sense of his own worth, provoked into action by Gloucester’s reprehensible badness/a provoking quality in Gloucester, which incited Edgar’s reprehensible wickedness
8
to be
of being
9
approves
proves
9
an intelligent party
a spy, an informer
17
apprehension
arrest
19
his suspicion
suspicion of Gloucester
Act 3 Scene 6
3.6
Location: unspecified; presumably an outbuilding on the Earl of Gloucester’s estate
2
piece out
supplement
5
impatience
anger/inability to bear suffering
6
Frateretto
the name of a devil; in Harsnett he is associated with a “fiddler,” which perhaps suggests Nero, the first-century Roman emperor who famously played the fiddle while Rome burned
6
angler
fisherman/thief
7
lake of darkness
presumably the Stygian lake of the classical underworld, but a phallic fishing rod and vaginal dark lake may also be implied; perhaps Nero’s murder of his own mother is glanced at—she reportedly asked to be stabbed in the womb as this was where her son had grown
10
yeoman
land owner below the rank of gentleman
12
to
as
13
mad
sense now shifts to “angry”
15
a thousand
i.e. a thousand devils
16
hizzing
hissing
16
’em
them i.e. Goneril and Regan; the Quarto text continues at this point with an imaginary “arraignment” of Goneril (see “Quarto Passages That Do Not Appear in the Folio,” p. 132)
21
mar my counterfeiting
spoil my pretense
23
Trey … Sweetheart
names for bitches—even his female dogs, he imagines, have turned against him; their names may suggest Lear’s daughters (“tray” can mean “pain, affliction,” “blanch” can mean “to deceive,” “to flatter”)
24
throw his head
unclear; presumably a threatening gesture of some sort
24
Avaunt
begone
25
or black or
either black or
26
poisons
i.e. with rabies
27
grim
fierce
28
brach
bitch
28
him
male
29
bobtail tyke
small dog with a tail that has been bobbed (cut short)
29
trundle-tail
dog with a long, curling tail
32
hatch
lower half of a divided door
33
Do … de
apparently the sound of chattering teeth again
33
Sessa!
cry of encouragement used in hunting or may derive from the French
cessez
(“stop”)
33
wakes
annual parish fairs (frequented by beggars)
34
horn
beggars carried drinking horns on strings round their necks
35
anatomize
dissect
37
entertain
employ
39
Persian
i.e. gorgeous, luxurious
41
curtains
Lear imagines that he is in a curtained bed
48
litter
vehicle containing a bed, here apparently drawn by horses
49
Dover
port on the south coast
54
to … conduct
i.e. hastily guide you to the necessary supplies for your journey
Act 3 Scene 7
3.7
Location: the Earl of Gloucester’s residence
1
Post
travel swiftly
7
sister
sister-in-law, i.e. Goneril
8
Advise
counsel, urge
9
duke
i.e. the Duke of Albany
9
festinate preparation
hasty preparation of troops
10
posts
messengers
11
intelligent
possessed of information
12
lord of Gloucester
Edmund’s new title (though when Oswald uses it, he refers to Edmund’s father)
17
questrists
seekers
18
the lord’s
i.e. Gloucester’s
25
Pinion him
bind his arms
26
pass … justice
issue a death sentence without a formal trial
28
do a court’sy
bow, yield
31
corky
withered, dry
3.7
plucks his beard
a highly insulting gesture
41
white
i.e. old, dignified
42
Naughty
wicked
43
ravish
seize forcibly, pluck
44
quicken
come to life
45
hospitable favours
welcoming (facial) features
46
ruffle
treat roughly/snatch
48
Be simple answered
answer straightforwardly
50
Late footed
recently landed
52
guessingly
without certain knowledge
54
opposed
i.e. to the dukes
59
charged at peril
commanded on peril of your life
61
tied to th’stake
like a bear in the popular sport of bear-baiting
61
stand
endure
61
course
designated bout, during which the bear was attacked by dogs
65
anointed
i.e. holy (having been anointed with holy oil at the coronation)
67
buoyed
swelled, risen
68
stellèd
starry
69
holp
helped
69
holp … rain
i.e. by weeping
70
stern
cruel, unyielding
71
turn the key
i.e. to let them in
72
All … subscribe
i.e. in such circumstances, all other cruel people would sanction a kind action
73
wingèd vengeance
i.e. vengeance of the gods
74
Fellows
servants
86
shake … quarrel
i.e. defy you (or “challenge you to a fight”) over this cause
86
What … mean?
What do you think you are doing?
87
villain
servant
88
chance of anger
risk of what anger may bring (in a fight)
91
mischief on him
injury done to him
95
sparks of nature
warmth of natural filial affection
96
quit
requite, avenge
97
Out
expression of impatience and disgust
99
overture
disclosure
101
abused
wronged, maligned
105
How look you?
How are you?
108
apace
rapidly
109
Untimely
at the wrong time (with war imminent)
3.7
Exeunt
here the Quarto text has an additional sequence in which loyal servants apply a palliative to Gloucester’s eye sockets (see “Quarto Passages That Do Not Appear in the Folio,” p. 134)
Act 4 Scene 1
4.1
Location: somewhere out in the open, not far from the Earl of Gloucester’s residence
1
thus
i.e. a beggar
1
contemned
despised
2
contemned and flattered
despised secretly though flattered to your face
4
esperance
hope
5
The … laughter
the most miserable kind of change is a decline in fortunes; when things are at their worst they can only get better
10
poorly led
led by a poor man/led in a way unsuitable to his status
12
But
were it not
12
mutations
changes/fickleness
13
Life … age
we would not accept old age
15
fourscore
eighty
18
Thee … hurt
i.e. you may be punished for helping me
22
means secure us
wealth gives us false security, overconfidence
22
mere defects
sheer deficiencies
23
Prove our commodities
turn out to be benefits
24
abusèd
deceived
31
is not
has not yet arrived
36
reason
rationality, sanity
41
wanton
unruly/cruelly mischievous
44
trade
course of action/practice
50
ancient love
old affection
54
plague
affliction
56
the rest
all
57
’pparel
apparel, clothing
58
Come … will
whatever may come of it
60
daub it
put on a false face, pretend
68
strokes
blows, afflictions
69
happier
more fortunate
70
superfluous
immoderate, extravagant, overindulgent
70
lust-dieted
fed solely by pleasure
71
slaves your ordinance
subjects your laws to his desires
72
feel
empathize, feel compassion (sense then shifts to “experience”)
72
quickly
soon/while he is alive/sharply
76
bending
overhanging
77
confinèd
channeled (between England and France)
78
brim
edge
80
about me
that I have on my person
Act 4 Scene 2
4.2
Location: outside Goneril and the Duke of Albany’s residence
1
my lord
i.e. Edmund
4
army
i.e. French army
8
‘sot’
fool
9
turned … out
turned inside out, got things the wrong way round (clothing metaphor)
13
cowish
cowardly
14
undertake
take action
15
tie … answer
oblige him to respond
15
on the way
i.e. that we expressed during the journey here
16
prove effects
be fulfilled
16
brother
brother-in-law, i.e. Cornwall
17
musters
gathering of troops
17
conduct his powers
escort his forces
18
change
exchange
18
distaff
spindle for weaving, common symbol of womanhood or wifeliness
20
like
likely
4.2
favor
love token
22
mistress
ruler/lover
24
thy
Goneril starts to use the more intimate pronoun to Edmund
24
spirits
plays on sense of “penis”
25
conceive
understand/imagine (with procreative connotations)
26
death
plays on sense of “orgasm”
29
services
sexual services
30
fool
i.e. Albany
30
usurps
wrongfully possesses
32
worth the whistle
worth looking for (from the proverb “it is a poor dog that is not worth the whistling”)
33
Goneril … face
the Quarto text has a longer dialogue in which Albany berates Goneril (see “Quarto Passages That Do Not Appear in the Folio,” p. 135)
34
rude
rough
36
Milk-livered
pale-livered, cowardly (cowardice was associated with lack of blood in the liver and milk with women)
38
discerning … suffering
that can distinguish between what may be honorably tolerated from what must not be endured
41
Proper … woman
deformity does not seem as abhorrent in a devil (to whom it is appropriate) as it does in a woman
43
vain
stupid/worthless
48
bred
brought up in his household
48
thrilled
pierced, moved
48
remorse
pity (for Gloucester)
49
Opposed
opposed himself
49
bending
aiming, directing
50
threat-enraged
enraged by the threat
53
after
i.e. to death
55
justices
(divine) judges
55
nether
earthly
56
venge
avenge, punish
63
all … life
demolish the dream (of having Edmund) that I have constructed, leaving me with the life I hate
65
tart
sour
69
back
going back
4.3
Location: the French camp, near Dover. The Quarto text precedes this scene with another one in which Kent and a Gentleman discuss the French king’s return to France and Cordelia’s concern for her father (see “Quarto Passages That Do Not Appear in the Folio,” pp. 137–39)