Authors: William Shakespeare
239
Bereft
forcibly deprived, robbed
gelded
deprived of wealth/castrated
246
prosecute
perform/pursue
248
piled
most editors emend to “pilled” (stripped bare, plundered)
250
ancient
long-standing
251
exactions
means of enforcing payment
252
blanks
blank charters
benevolences
forced loans
wot
know
253
this
i.e. all the money that has been collected
255
basely … compromise
made concessions in a cowardly way
258
in farm
for rent, on lease
259
broken
financially ruined
267
sore
sorely, threateningly
268
strike
draw in the sails/strike blows in opposition
securely
overconfidently, heedlessly
271
suffering
enduring, permitting
274
tidings
news
281
Rainold … Exeter
in fact, it was the young Earl of Arundel who escaped from Exeter’s custody; it seems likely that a line is missing here and many editors insert a line based on Shakespeare’s source, Holinshed’s
Chronicles
: “Thomas, son and heir to th’Earl of Arundel”
282
broke
escaped
283
His
i.e. the Earl of Arundel’s
286
furnished
equipped
287
tall
large, grand
288
expedience
haste
290
had ere this
would have done already
stay
await
293
Imp out
repair by inserting new feathers (falconry term)
294
broking pawn
being pledged to a pawnbroker
295
gilt
gold (puns on “guilt”)
297
post
haste
Ravenspurgh
a former Yorkshire port on the River Humber
298
faint
lose heart, are nervous
301
Hold … horse
as long as my horse holds out
3
heaviness
sorrow
4
entertain
maintain/receive
14
shadows
mirrored reflections, insubstantial things
16
glazèd
glassed over/covered with a film
17
thing entire to
complete thing into
18
perspectives
optical devices incorporating mirrors that produce distorted images/seemingly distorted paintings that only become clear when viewed from a particular angle
rightly
directly, from the front
19
awry
obliquely, from the side
20
Distinguish form
make their shape clear, reveal order
22
himself
the original grief/Richard’s departure
wail
bewail, lament
25
More
for more
27
for
in place of/because of
30
heavy
weightily/sorrowfully
31
on … think
dwelling anxiously on nothing, on the absence of thought
33
conceit
imagination (the queen shifts the sense to “thought, understanding”)
34
nothing less
i.e. far from it
still
always
36
begot
conceived, created
something
substantial, actual
37
grieve
grieve for, feel sorrow over
38
in reversion
i.e. as a legacy, not yet inherited
40
wot
know, believe
45
wherefore
why
46
retired
pulled back (from Ireland)
48
strongly
with a powerful military force
49
repeals himself
recalls himself from exile/revokes his sentence of banishment
50
uplifted arms
arms raised in prayer/brandished weapons
60
staff
i.e. the symbol of his role as Steward of the king’s household
61
household
i.e. royal establishment
64
heir
child, offspring
65
prodigy
portent/monster
71
cozening
deceitful (may play on “cousin”)
73
bands
bonds
74
lingers
draws out, causes to linger
in extremity
to the very end/the final moments of life
77
careful
anxious, care-filled
78
comfortable
comforting
80
crosses
obstacles
81
save
protect (his rule in Ireland)
83
underprop
support, prop up
85
surfeit
excess, overindulgence
86
try
put to the test
87
son
i.e. the Duke of Aumerle
89
cold
unenthusiastic/unmoved
91
Sirrah
sir (used to an inferior)
sister
sister-in-law
92
presently
immediately
93
take my ring
i.e. as a sign that the message is genuinely from York
99
Heav’n
i.e. I pray heaven (God)
101
would
wish
102
So
provided that
untruth
disloyalty
103
brother’s
i.e. the murdered Gloucester’s
104
posts
messengers
105
do
manage, provide
109
muster
assemble in readiness for action
113
oath
i.e. of allegiance
116
kindred
kinship, family bond
117
somewhat
something
118
Dispose of
make arrangements for
120
Berkeley Castle
a castle in Gloucestershire, near Bristol
123
at … seven
in chaos
124
sits
i.e. blows
125
power
troops
129
those
those who
133
generally
universally/by the people
134
judgement … we
they are to be judges, then our fate lies in their hands
136
straight
(go) straightaway
138
office
service
139
hateful
hate-filled
140
curs
dogs
143
presages
forebodings
vain
wrong, in vain
145
as
depends on how
9
Cottshold
the Cotswolds, rural area covering part of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire
10
In
by
wanting
lacking
11
beguiled
whiled away
12
tediousness and process
tedious course
16
By this
in this way/with this hope
22
whencesoever
wherever he may be
26
forsook
abandoned, rejected
35
levied
raised
36
repair
go
42
tender
offer (sense then shifts to “youthful, inexperienced”)
45
approvèd
proven
46
gentle
noble/courteous/kind
49
fortune
success, luck/wealth
50
still
always
52
stir
events, activity
54
yond
yonder, that
tuft
clump
57
estimate
repute
59
spurring
i.e. the blood of the horses they have spurred on so hard
60
wot
know
62
unfelt
i.e. not yet expressed through material reward
which
i.e. which
treasury
66
thanks … poor
i.e. gratitude is the only wealth the poor have
67
comes to years
reaches the age of maturity
71
my … Lancaster
Bullingbrook will respond only to his proper title (Duke of Lancaster), inherited from his father, John of Gaunt
74
aught
anything
76
raze
erase/scrape
title
puns on “tittle,” i.e. tiniest part
77
what … will
whatever the title you wish me to use
78
glorious
illustrious, important
79
pricks
spurs
80
absent time
i.e. time during which the king is absent
81
native
natural, inherent (with connotations of birth)
self-born
originating with you, brandished for your own cause (also “self-borne”—carried by yourself)
85
deceivable
deceptive
87
Grace … grace
don’t speak to me of “grace” (since your behavior is so
ungracious
)
89
ungracious
unmannerly/wicked/lacking in spiritual grace
91
dust
particle of dust
95
ostentation of despisèd
display of despicable (because traitorous)
101
Black Prince
Edward, Richard’s father and son of Edward III
104
palsy
weakness of the body, accompanied at times with tremor
107
On … wherein?
What point of law have I contravened and how?/What personal flaw am I deemed to have and how has it manifested itself?
condition
legal stipulation/personal quality; York shifts the sense to “circumstances”
112
braving
defiant, boastfully flaunted
114
for
as/to claim the title of
116
indifferent
impartial
121
perforce
forcibly
122
unthrifts
spendthrifts, wasteful people (with moral connotations)
128
rouse
expose, chase from hiding (hunting term)
bay
last stand (where the cornered animal turns on its hunters)
129
denied … liv’ry
refused the right to legally claim my inheritance
130
letters patents
documents signed by the king granting land or titles (Bullingbrook’s have been revoked by Richard)
131
distrained
confiscated by law
132
amiss
wrongly
134
challenge law
claim my legal rights
136
of free descent
through legal succession