Authors: William Shakespeare
167
it
i.e. the
globe
168
pageant
spectacle/scene
169
rack
shred of cloud, fragment of mist (perhaps with play on “wrack”—i.e. wreck)
171
rounded
completed/surrounded (perhaps with play on “crowned”)
174
cell
humble dwelling
178
with a thought
quickly, as swiftly as I think of you
179
cleave to
adhere to, respond rapidly to
184
varlets
rogues
185
red-hot
fired up/red in the face
186
smote
struck
188
bending
turning, proceeding
190
unbacked colts
untrained, unbroken young horses
191
Advanced
opened
192
As
as if
193
lowing
mooing
194
Toothed
prickly
194
briars … thorns
all types of thorny, coarse shrubs
196
filthy-mantled
covered with scum or rotting weeds
197
that
so that
197
lake … feet
i.e. being stirred up, the lake stank even more foully than their feet
200
Thy … still
i.e. remain invisible
201
trumpery
fancy garments, worthless finery
202
stale
bait
206
Humanely
as a human/benevolently
206
lost
wasted on him/corrupted by him
208
cankers
decays, becomes malignant
209
roaring
moaning, wailing
209
line
clothesline/lind (i.e. lime tree)
209.1
glistering
glittering
210
that
so that even
213
fairy
i.e. Ariel
214
played … with
tricked/played the knave
219
lost
ruined, destitute
222
hoodwink this mischance
cover up this misfortune
229
fetch off
retrieve
229
o’er ears
up to my ears (in the stinking lake)
233
mischief
evil, wrongdoing
235
aye
ever
238
King … peer
allusion to a popular ballad (“King Stephen was a worthy peer”) about kings and their clothing
241
frippery
second-hand clothes shop
246
dropsy
disease in which the body accumulates fluid
247
luggage
trappings, encumbrances
250
Make … stuff
transform us into extraordinary material
251
Mistress line
i.e. the clothesline/tree
252
jerkin
close-fitting jacket
252
under the line
off the clothesline or tree/at the equator, or metaphorically, genitals, and thus
bald
from either a sailor’s fever or syphilis
253
hair
many jerkins were made from animal fur and cured (i.e. “hairless”) leather
254
line and level
methodically
254
an’t like
if it please
258
pass of pate
witty thrust
260
lime
birdlime, a sticky substance spread on branches to snare birds
263
barnacles
sea creatures/type of goose (hence connotations of stupidity, as with
apes
)
264
villainous
villainously/vilely (playing on “villain,” a servant or lowly person)
265
lay to your
use
266
hogshead
large cask
269.1
diverse
various
270
Mountain … Tyrant
the names of the spirits as hounds, all of which imply their powerful personalities
273
grind
torment/crush
274
dry convulsions
painful cramps
274
shorten up
contract
275
agèd cramps
pains of old age
275
pinch-spotted
bruised from pinches
276
pard
leopard/panther
276
cat o’mountain
wild cat
281
air at freedom
freedom of the air (i.e. be released)
281
a little
short time
Act 5 Scene 1
1
project
plan (with associations of “alchemical experiment”)
1
gather … head
come to fruition/begin to boil (a vital stage in alchemy)
2
crack not
do not fail/do not overboil
2
Time … carriage
Time walks more easily with his burden
3
How’s the day?
What time is it?
10
gave in charge
instructed
12
line-grove
grove of lime trees
12
weather-fends
shelters
14
abide
remain
14
distracted
distressed/maddened
17
termed
called
18
winter’s … reeds
winter rain from thatched roofs
20
affections
feelings
27
relish … Passion
feel the force of emotion/suffering as acutely
28
kindlier moved
affected with more compassion
29
high
extreme
29
th’quick
most tender part
31
take part
join forces
31
rarer
more unusual/profound
32
than
rather than
33
drift
aim
38
standing
still/stagnant
39
with printless foot
leaving no trace
40
fly
flee
41
demi-puppets
tiny creatures
42
sour ringlets
fairy rings, darker circles of grass supposedly caused by fairies dancing
43
ewe not bites
sheep will not eat the grass because it is sour
44
midnight mushrooms
mushrooms that grow overnight; toadstools were particularly associated with fairies
45
solemn curfew
nine o’clock bell; after the evening curfew, the spirits were free until dawn
46
masters
ministers/magicians
46
bedimmed
eclipsed/clouded over
48
azured vault
blue sky
49
roaring war
i.e. caused a storm
50
fire
i.e. lightning
50
rifted
split
50
oak
a tree particularly associated with the king of the gods
51
strong-based promontory
sturdy headland
52
spurs
i.e. roots
54
oped
opened
55
rough
violent/imperfect
56
abjure
solemnly reject
56
required
summoned
58
end
purpose
60
certain
a certain number of
60
fathoms
a fathom was about six feet
61
plummet
instrument used to measure the depth of water
61
sound
penetrate
62.1
frantic
mad
63
air
melody
64
fancy
imagination
65
boil
that boil
66
spell-stopped
motionless, arrested by the spell
68
sociable
sympathetic
68
show
sight (Gonzalo is weeping)
69
Fall fellowly
let fall compassionate
69
apace
swiftly
71
rising
awakening
72
ignorant
dull/befuddled
72
mantle
cloak
74
true
honest
75
follow’st
serve
75
pay … Home
repay the debt in full
78
furtherer
enabler
80
entertain
court/welcome
81
remorse and nature
pity and kinship
82
inward pinches
inner turmoil/tortures of conscience
85
the … shore
i.e. their awakening senses begin to move them toward understanding
89
hat and rapier
signs of a gentleman
89
rapier
sword
90
discase
undress/change costume
91
As … Milan
as I looked when I was Duke of Milan
94
cowslip’s bell
the bell-shaped petals that form the flower
95
couch
rest/conceal myself
105
enforce
urge/drive
106
presently
immediately
107
drink the air
i.e. devour the way, travel quickly
108
Or ere
before
111
fearful
terrifying/awe-inspiring
119
trifle
illusion, trick
119
abuse
deceive/harm
122
amends
improves
124
be at all
is even real
125
Thy … resign
Alonso gives up his claims over Milan, a tributary state to Naples
131
be … not
is or is not real
134
subtleties
illusions, magical contrivances (plays on sense of “sugar confections”)
136
brace
pair
138
you
you as
144
rankest
most grievous
145
perforce
of necessity
153
woe
sorry
158
the like
a similar
158
sovereign
excellent/healing
159
content
satisfied/resigned
161
as late
recent
161
supportable … weaker
I have far fewer means at my disposal with which to make my grief bearable
167
That
i.e. were it necessary in order for that to be the case
171
do … admire
are so astonished
172
devour their reason
their reason is consumed
172
think … truth
believe their eyes
173
their … breath
they are speechless
175
justled
jostled
179
on’t
of it
180
chronicle … day
a narrative to be told over many days/one day at a time
181
relation
report
184
abroad
elsewhere
186
requite
repay/respond to
187
wonder
puns on Miranda’s name
189
play me false
are cheating
192
a score
twenty
192
wrangle
wage war
197
miracle
continues wordplay on Miranda’s name
201
compass
encircle
204
goodly
splendid, worthy
209
eld’st
oldest, longest
215
one
i.e. a living father
217
renown
report/honor
221
hers
i.e. her father (in-law)
226
heaviness
grief/weight
227
inly
inwardly
230
chalked forth
marked out