Cymbeline (37 page)

83
load
reward

84
constant
loyal, devoted, firm

85
shaked
shaken (in his loyalty)

86
remembrancer
officer responsible for the collection of debts/reminder

87
handfast
marriage contract

88
unpeople … sweet
i.e. it will kill Pisanio if he takes it;
sweet
sweetheart

89
liegers
ambassadors, servants

90
Except … humour
unless she changes her attitude

93
closet
private room

Act 1 Scene 6

1
stepdame
stepmother

3
husband banished
i.e. whose husband is banished

5
thief-stol’n
stolen by a thief

7
glorious
lofty, ambitious

8
mean
lowly, humble, poor

8
wills
wishes, plays on sense of “sexual desires”

9
seasons
adds spice to/matures with time/seasons of the year

9
Fie!
exclamation of reproach

12
Change you
i.e. your color, but the phrase plays upon an ambiguous sense—“have your affections changed?”

17
out of door
external/visible

18
furnished
equipped, endowed

18
rare
exceptional

19
th’Arabian bird
the phoenix, a mythical bird, of which, according to legend, only one could exist at any time, therefore a symbol of true uniqueness

21
boldness
arm me with audacity

21
Arm me audacity
may audacity arm me/may

22
Parthian … fight
fight as I retreat like the Parthians: ancient inhabitants of what is now Iraq known for their battle tactic of retreating on horseback while firing arrows at their pursuing enemies

23
Rather, directly fly
or retreat outright

24
note
reputation, distinction

25
Reflect
bestow attention

26
as … trust
to the same degree as you value the quality of trust in yourself/as you value your trust in me/as you value your duty as a wife

27
So far
thus much

35
vaulted arch
i.e. the sky

36
which
i.e. men’s eyes

37
fiery orbs
stars/planets

37
twinned
identical

38
th’unnumbered
the uncountable

39
Partition
distinction

39
spectacles so precious
miraculous organs of sight/such wondrous sights, i.e. Innogen

41
makes your admiration
causes your amazement, wonder

43
shes
women

43
chatter this way
signal approval by their chattering

44
Contemn
scorn, slight

44
mows
grimaces

45
idiots … definite
even an idiot presiding over this case of beauty (
favour
) would be resolute as would a wise judge

46
appetite
sexual desire

47
Sluttery
sluttishness

47
neat
elegant

48
vomit emptiness
i.e. retch

49
allured
offered, tempted

49
feed
plays on sense of “have sex with her”

50
trow
in truth

51
cloyèd
sated, surfeited

51
will
sexual desire; plays on sense of “genitals,” usually “penis”

53
running
emptying, running over

53
ravening
ravenously devouring

54
garbage
offal, intestines

56
raps
possesses, transports

58
Desire … abode
ask my manservant to remain

59
strange
a stranger

59
peevish
temperamental, irritable

66
gamesome
lively, sportive/lusty, i.e. with sexual implication

69
sadness
gravity, seriousness

72
one an
one (who is) an

74
Gallian
French

74
furnaces … sighs
sighing frequently like a furnace

76
from’s free lungs
openly, without restraint;
free
has connotations of licentiousness

78
proof
experience

88
but … thankfully
although he could be more appreciative of the gifts heaven has bestowed upon him, especially of Innogen

89
’tis
i.e. heaven’s bounty is

90
account
reckon

90
talents
personal qualities/monetary account

99
hide me
hide myself

100
snuff
candle end

105
enjoy
take pleasure in, with sexual innuendo

106
office
duty

106
venge
avenge

110
doubting … ill
suspecting things are going badly

112
timely knowing
learning in time

113
born
found

113
discover … stop
reveal to me what makes your speech start and
stop
(the image is from horse riding)

115
Had I
if I had

117
feeler’s
i.e. the person who felt the touch (of Innogen’s hand)

118
this object
Innogen herself/her eye

119
Takes … motion
transfixes the restless gaze

120
Firing
setting it aflame (with desire)

121
Slaver
flatter/wet with saliva

121
common … Capitol
i.e. used by everyone

122
Capitol
the national temple of Rome dedicated to Jupiter

123
falsehood … labour
i.e. just as manual labor hardens the hands, habitual falsehood hardens the heart

124
by-peeping
glancing sideways

125
illustrous
lackluster, dull

126
fed with
produced by

126
tallow
animal fat, used to make candles

126
fit
right, appropriate

128
Encounter such revolt
punish such a transgression

131
Not … pronounce
it gives me no pleasure to reveal this news

139
empery
empire

140
Would … double
which would double the power of even the greatest king

140
partnered
equated, considered alongside

141
tomboys
prostitutes

141
self-exhibition
same allowance of money

142
ventures
hazards/prostitutes

143
play
gamble

143
infirmities
diseases

144
boiled stuff
women who have been made to sweat in steam rooms: a treatment for venereal disease

147
Recoil … stock
degenerate from your royal lineage

154
Diana’s priest
Diana was the goddess of chastity, whose female priests were virgins

154
cold
chaste, sexless

155
vaulting
to mount sexually

155
variable ramps
various prostitutes

155
ramp
a bold, vulgar woman

156
In your despite
in contempt, scorn of you

156
upon your purse
at your expense

158
runagate
runaway, vagabond

159
fast
constant, firm

162
Let … lips
allow me to kiss you

164
attended
listened, paid attention to

164
thee
less polite than
you
as a term of address, used to inferiors but also to intimates

173
saucy
impudent, insolent

173
mart
do business; literally “marketplace”

174
Romish stew
Roman brothel

175
us
the royal plural pronoun

179
credit
trust, belief, good reputation, plays on economic sense

185
affiance
trothplight, marriage promise

187
new o’er
all over again

188
truest mannered
most honestly given, most faithful

188
holy witch
i.e. good wizard who uses holy magic

196
try your taking
test how you would take

198
In … rare
in choosing such an exceptional husband

200
fan
winnow; blow air through grain to separate the wheat from the chaff or husks

201
chaffless
without chaff or refuse

204
but
only

205
moment
importance, significance

210
best … wing
best among our group of friends

210
mingled sums
all contributed money

212
factor
agent

213
plate
gold or silver utensils/tableware

213
rare device
exceptional craftwork, carving

215
something curious
somewhat anxious

215
strange
a stranger, foreigner

219
pawn
lay down

220
interest
a stake, a share

227
short
fall short of, not live up to

228
Gallia
France

236
outstood
outstayed

236
material
crucial

237
tender
giving

Act 2 Scene 1

1
kissed the jack
bowling term, i.e. Cloten’s bowl touched the small target ball

2
upon an upcast
meaning uncertain: by accident/tossing a throw up/on the last shot (as in upshot)

3
jackanapes
upstart/impertinent fellow

3
take me up
rebuke me

4
oaths
swearwords

4
of
from

5
spend … pleasure
utter them when I please

6
pate
head

8
If … out
i.e. Cloten’s brain is thin, poor stuff

10
gentleman
i.e. a nobleman

11
curtail
cut short

15
rank
status, plays on secondary sense of “smell”

17
a pox on’t
expression of anger

17
pox
any disease characterized by pustules/venereal disease

18
so
as

19
jack-slave
lowborn person

21
cock
cockerel, plays on sense of “penis”

22
capon
castrated cockerel/idiot

23
comb
i.e. like a fool;
cock
and
comb
together make “cockscomb,” a jester’s cap/fool

24
Sayest thou?
What did you say?

25
undertake
take on, fight

26
companion
fellow

27
commit offence
take on in fight/be offensive to

29
fit … only
i.e. only you would show such ill breeding (although on the surface the First Lord means “it is your right alone”)

39
whatsoever
whoever

42
derogation
disgrace, loss of dignity

43
You cannot derogate
i.e. because you have no dignity to lose in the first place