Cymbeline (42 page)

173
tender
offer, present

176
to my loss
i.e. to lose my honor

178
him … true
i.e. Posthumus

181
crossed
hindered, thwarted

181
meed
reward

Act 3 Scene 6

3.6
Location: Wales, outside Belarius’ cave

2
tired
exhausted/dressed (attired)

6
ken
sight

7
Foundations … wretched
things recede as the poor or desperate approach/ charitable organizations fail those who need them most

11
trial
test of their moral character/endurance

12
scarce
hardly ever

12
lapse in fullness
do wrong when in a state of prosperity

13
sorer
worse

15
on
of, about

16
even before
only a moment ago

17
At point
ready, just about

18
hold
stronghold, lair

19
were best
had better

20
Ere … nature
i.e. before it kills me
it
nature

21
hardness … mother
hardship always gives rise to (is the mother of) endurance

24
Take or lend
take my life/money, or give me food, help me

25
Best
I had better

27
Such … heavens!
i.e. she begs the heavens to let it be a foe of that sort

28
woodman
hunter

30
match
bargain, agreement

31
The … to
i.e. no one would work if it weren’t for some purpose

33
homely
plain

34
flint
hard, stony ground

34
resty sloth
well-rested laziness

35
down
feather

36
keep’st thyself
i.e. looks after itself, is uninhabited

37
throughly
thoroughly, utterly

39
browse
nibble

42
But that
if it weren’t for the fact that

42
victuals
food

46
paragon
outstanding example

50
good troth
in good truth

51
nought
nothing

52
i’th’floor
on the floor/in among the rushes on the floor

53
board
table

53
so
as

54
parted
departed

58
reckoned
valued, esteemed

58
but of
except by

61
should
would

62
made
committed

63
Whither bound?
Where are you going?

66
Fidele
means “the faithful one” (Latin)

68
spent
exhausted

69
in
into

71
churls
impolite, mean-spirited people/peasants

72
rude
uncivilized

73
cheer
food/entertainment

74
thanks
our approval

77
hard
vigorously, boldly

77
but be
but to be/if I could not otherwise be

77
in honesty
your honest, loyal husband/by honorable means

78
Ay … buy
i.e. woo you in the same way as I would love you as your husband

83
sprightly
cheerful

84
’Mongst … brothers
I must be among friends if I am among brothers

86
prize … ballasting
value would be less since she would no longer be next in line to the throne and thus more equal to Posthumus; puns on
prize
as “cargo, booty in a captured ship”

89
wrings
writhes/wrings his hands

90
free’t
remove the trouble

96
attend themselves
i.e. had no servants

97
sealed them
confirmed in them

97
laying by
setting aside

98
nothing-gift
worthless gift (flattery, adulation)

98
differing multitudes
fickle crowds

99
out-peer
surpass

99
twain
two

101
Leonatus’
Leonatus is

103
dress our hunt
i.e. prepare what we have caught for cooking

104
Discourse … fasting
speech is tedious while hungry

105
mannerly
politely

105
demand
ask

108
The … welcome
i.e. not even the night to the owl or the morning to the lark are as welcome to us

Act 3 Scene 7

3.7
Location: Rome

1
tenor
substance

1
writ
order

2
men
soldiers

3
Pannonians and Dalmatians
ancient inhabitants of what are now Hungary and the Balkans

5
Full
very

6
fall’n off
rebellious/defaulting

6
incite
summon/stir up

9
commands
appoints

10
absolute commission
complete authority

16
supplyant
ready to supply troops/supplementary

Act 4 Scene 1

4.1
Location: Wales

2
fit
fittingly, perfectly

4
fit
inclined, plays on sense of “sexually compatible”

4
saving … word
standard apology for coarse language; in this case
fitness
, meaning “sexual inclination”

5
fits
fits and starts

6
play the workman
use my skill like a craftsman

7
vainglory
idle boasting

7
glass
mirror

10
advantage … time
i.e. current favorable circumstances

11
alike conversant
equally experienced

11
general services
military operations serving alongside others, probably with bawdy connotations

12
single oppositions
individual combats

12
imperceiverant
imperceptive

13
in my despite
in spite of my qualities/to spite me

13
mortality
mankind/existence/death

15
enforced
forced, constrained/raped

16
spurn
kick

17
haply
perhaps

18
usage
treatment

18
power of
control over

18
testiness
short temper/rashness

19
commendations
credit, renown

20
sore
grievous, violent; bawdy quibble on
sword
(penis) and
sore
(wound/vagina)

20
Fortune
may Fortune

Act 4 Scene 2

10
citizen
city-bred

10
wanton
weakling/spoiled child/unchaste, lewd person

11
ere
before

12
journal
daily, usual routine

12
breach of custom
disruption of usual habit

14
amend me
make me better

14
Society
company

16
reason of
talk (lucidly) about

17
none
no one

18
Stealing so poorly
i.e. if I steal from those who have so little

20
weight
intensity

23
yoke me
am joined, associated

26
bier at door
if the coffin were at the door

29
strain
offspring, stock/inherited character/disposition

30
breed
lineage, ancestry

32
meal and bran
grain and husks

33
yet … me
it is a miracle that they should love this boy, whoever he is, more than me

38
so … sir
at your service, sir (to Belarius)

41
but
except

44
tributary
subsidiary

47
stir
move, persuade

48
gentle
wellborn

49
Dishonestly afflicted
unjustly oppressed/troubled by others’ dishonesty

52
To th’field
i.e. let’s go hunting

58
bound
tied, allied/indebted

60
distressed
troubled, afflicted

63
roots
vegetables

63
characters
shapes, especially letters

64
as
as though

64
Juno
wife of Jupiter and queen of the gods

65
dieter
one who regulates the diet/feeder

66
yokes
ties together, attaches

68
that
what

70
commix
mingle

71
rail
utter abusive language

74
spurs
tree roots

75
Grow … vine
the wish is that
grief
, like a
stinking elder
(which had an evil reputation because of its pungent smell), will disentangle its deadly roots from those of the growing vine (
patience
)

77
with
from

78
great morning
broad daylight

79
runagates
runaways/rogues

80
mocked
tricked, fooled

85
held
regarded

86
but
only

87
companies
followers, others

89
soft
not so fast

90
fly
run away, flee from

94
A … knock
I never did anything more slavelike than responding to an insulting slave/someone calling me a slave without beating, hitting them

99
I … mouth
i.e. I am not all talk when it comes to fighting

103
clothes
i.e. courtly clothes, showing rank

107
varlet
scoundrel

111
loath
reluctant

112
injurious
insulting

120
mere confusion
absolute destruction/agitation of the mind

122
not seeming
since you don’t seem

123
So
as

128
proper
own

130
on … heads
the heads of traitors were fixed on poles at the gateway to London Bridge

132
abroad
around, about

133
sure
clearly

135
lines of favour
facial lines, lineaments

136
snatches
catches, hesitancy

137
absolute
certain

138
very
indeed

140
make … with
to do well against

141
fell
fierce

142
Being … man
being intellectually defective/barely come to manhood

143
apprehension
perception, understanding

144
judgement
reason, i.e. the rational mind

148
Hercules
classical hero, who wielded a club, and performed a series of impossible tasks

150
I … this
if I hadn’t done this

153
perfect
well aware