Cymbeline (44 page)

454
approve … same
i.e. prove yourself true to your name (
Fidele
means “the faithful one” in Latin)

460
prefer
recommend

461
an’t
if it

463
poor pickaxes
i.e. her fingers

465
century of
hundred

466
can
am able to

468
So … me
if it please you to take me into your service

474
pikes
pointed metal tips of a staff or spear

474
partisans
long-handled spears with broad blades

475
arm him
take him up in your arms

475
preferred
commended

477
can
are, have the right to be

Act 4 Scene 3

4.3
Location: Britain

1
Again
i.e. go back again

2
with
due to

3
of
as a result of

4
touch
wound, afflict

6
upon … bed
i.e. she is desperately ill

8
present
i.e. present moment

11
enforce … thee
force it out of you

15
nothing know
know nothing about

16
purposes
intends to

17
Hold
consider

21
subjection
duty as a subject

22
wants
lacks

23
will
he will

25
slip … season
let you be for a while

25
jealousy
suspicion

26
Does yet depend
still hangs in the balance/remains

30
gentlemen
i.e. officers

31
Now for
if only I now had

32
amazed with matter
overwhelmed by all these matters

34
affront
confront, face

35
Come more
if more come

36
The … but
the only thing now needed is

40
annoy
harm

41
chances
events

42
no letter
i.e. no news

46
is betid
has happened

49
find
reveal, prove

50
Even … o’th’king
even to the point where the king takes note

50
fall
die, perish

52
Fortune … steered
i.e. even some boats that are cast adrift are brought safely back to harbor by good fortune

Act 4 Scene 4

4.4
Location: Wales, outside Belarius’ cave

1
noise
i.e. of the armies preparing for battle

3
lock it
lock it away

6
This way
if we do this

7
or for
either as

7
receive … use
recruit us, thinking us rebels to make use of and then kill us

11
secure us
make ourselves safe, find a stronghold

13
not … bands
i.e. not listed among the forces

13
mustered
enlisted as soldiers

14
drive … render
force us to give an account of

15
extort from’s
extract from us

16
answer
reward, recompense

17
Drawn on with
brought about by

23
quartered fires
campfires (from their quarters in the field)

24
cloyed importantly
clogged, filled with important matters

25
upon our note
in taking notice of us

28
Of
by

29
then
was then

29
wore
effaced, removed

30
remembrance
memory

32
want of breeding
lack of education, cultivation

33
certainty
inevitability

33
aye hopeless
forever without hope

34
courtesy
respect/refined manners

34
cradle
i.e. your circumstances at birth

35
still
forever

35
tanlings
i.e. those tanned by constant exposure to the sun

36
shrinking
as

36
slaves
will recoil from and tremble at punishment, so the

36
winter
cold makes one shiver

40
out of thought
forgotten about

40
thereto so o’ergrown
in that respect your memory obscured/your face covered with hair

41
questioned
suspected

43
thing is’t
a shameful thing it is

45
hot
lecherous

45
venison
deer

47
rowel
the rotating blade at the end of the spur

47
rowel Nor iron
i.e. spurs

48
iron
the framework which attaches it

54
care
attention, caution

55
hazard therefore due
chance, danger coming to me

60
cracked
i.e. because old

61
country
country’s

63
their … out
their mettle, noble spirit/royal blood, stock despises everything until it may break out/be shed in battle

Act 5 Scene 1

5.1
Location: Wales

1
bloody cloth
sent by Pisanio to Posthumus as proof that he had murdered Innogen

3
course
i.e. of action

5
wrying
erring, going astray

6
does not
does not carry out

7
No bond but
there is no obligation except

8
Should have
had

9
put on this
instigate Innogen’s murder/take such a fault upon myself/wear these clothes

10
repent
i.e. her supposed unfaithfulness

11
worth
deserving

13
fall
i.e. sin

14
second
support/follow up

14
elder
later, next (with the implication that evils mature with time)/earlier, with the more recent evils diminishing in severity until finally repentance sets in

15
make … it
i.e. make the perpetrators fearful and repentant

15
thrift
gain, advantage (by becoming saved through repentance)

23
weeds
clothes

23
suit
dress

25
part
side

28
pitied
neither pitied

30
habits
peasant’s clothes/customary behavior

32
guise
custom, practice

33
less … within
i.e. to privilege inner qualities over outward finery

Act 5 Scene 2

1
bosom
heart

2
off
away

2
belied
slandered, lied about

3
on’t
of it

4
or could
or else could

4
carl
bondman, peasant

5
very … nature’s
natural-born slave

6
profession
i.e. as a soldier

7
but of scorn
only a mockery

8
go before
outgo, excel

9
odds
likelihood

12
routs
defeats

12
seconds
gives aid to

17
As
as though

17
hoodwinked
blindfolded

19
or … fly
let’s either reinforce our numbers or flee before it’s too late

Act 5 Scene 3

3
fliers
i.e. those who fled

6
But
had it not been

7
wings
flank of the army

8
but
only

9
strait
narrow

9
full-hearted
full of confidence

10
Lolling the tongue
i.e. slavering like dogs, their tongues hanging out

12
mortally
fatally

12
touched
wounded

13
dammed
blocked up, like a dam

15
lengthened
i.e. after spending the rest of their lives in shame

18
ancient
old/noble

19
who … to
who deserved to have lived as long a life as his white beard showed he had

22
striplings
young men

22
run … base
play the rural children’s game of “prisoner’s base,” where players run between two opposing camps or bases and try to capture players on the other team

24
masks
worn by women to protect their delicate complexions from the sun (
preservation
), or for modesty’s sake (
shame
)

26
Made good
defended

27
harts
male deer, plays on “hearts”

28
To … backwards
to hell, damnation with those swift
(fleet)
souls who flee

29
that
i.e. a fight

30
Like beasts
with beastlike ferocity

30
beastly
cowardly

31
frown
i.e. anger, resolved to fight

32
Three … many
as confident as if they were three thousand, and having the effect in their actions as if they were

33
file
entire force (from front file to rear)

35
Accommodated
aided

35
charming
spellbinding

37
distaff
spindle used in spinning wool, i.e. a housewife would have turned soldier at their example

37
gilded pale looks
restored color to
pale
, cowardly faces

38
Part
it was partly through

39
But by example
only by imitating the
first beginners
(those who first began to flee)

40
’gan … did
began to turn and face the way they (Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus) did

41
grin
i.e. bare their teeth, snarl

41
lions … o’th’hunters
cornered lions, kept at bay with (rather than skewered by) the hunters’ spears

43
stop i’th’chaser
halt on the part of the pursuer

43
retire
retreat

43
anon
at once

45
they … eagles
they flee like chickens along the same path they swooped down (
stooped
) as eagles

45
slaves … made
like slaves along the same path they strode as victors

47
Like … need
like scraps of food, gathered up as a last resort on tough voyages at sea, which become the source of
life
in a time of desperate
need

48
having … hearts
i.e. the Romans had dropped their guard, making it easy for the British
cowards
to attack them (possibly literally means stab them in the heart through their backs) as they ran away

50
Some … twenty
i.e. Britons who earlier were cut down, dying, trampled, cowardly (ten being chased by one Roman), are now all the killers of twenty Romans each

50
some … wave
some of their
friends
knocked down in the previous attack/some who their friends knocked down in the previous retreat

53
or ere resist
before they would fight back

53
are grown
have now become