Cymbeline (45 page)

54
mortal bugs
deadly terrors

54
o’th’field
of the battlefield

57
wonder at it
be amazed by it

59
work any
perform any (wondrous deeds)

59
upon’t
upon the subject, about it

60
vent
utter, proclaim

60
for a mock’ry
as a joke

61
twice a boy
proverbial, “old men are twice children”

62
bane
ruin

64
’Lack … end?
Alas, why should I get angry?

65
stand
stand up to, face

66
made
naturally inclined

67
fly my friendship
run from my friendship (so I won’t have to put up with him anymore)

70
going
running away

70
O noble misery
what a miserable specimen of a noble/what a miserable state for one who is supposedly noble

72
honours
reputations/titles

73
Took … do’t
ran away to do it

74
too
anyway

74
in … charmed
protected, kept safe (as if by a magical spell) by my own misery

78
ministers
agents

80
For … Briton
Because he (death) now favors the Britons, I’ll no longer be a Briton

82
part
role/side

83
veriest hind
merest timid creature

83
hind
female deer

84
touch my shoulder
i.e. arrest me

85
made
committed

85
Roman
Romans

85
answer
retribution, retaliation

85
be
will be

87
either side
i.e. dying for either the Britons or the Romans

87
spend
use up/waste

88
keep
preserve

88
bear again
bear away again

92
silly habit
simple rustic clothes (referring to Posthumus)

93
th’affront
attack

97
seconds
reinforcements

98
answered him
supported him/acted as he did

100
A … return
i.e. not even the smallest part of Rome shall return there

102
note
high rank

103
You … pasture
pastured animals had weights tied to one leg to prevent them escaping or being
stolen

105
stomach
appetite

109
Groan … perpetuity
i.e. put up with the pain forever

111
T’unbar
to unlock

112
shanks
legs

113
The … bolt
the means of penitence to release my conscience

114
Then … ever
then (I shall be) free forever, i.e. in death

115
temporal
worldly, as opposed to “heavenly”

116
Must I
if I must

117
gyves
fetters, chains

118
constrained
forced (on me)

118
satisfy
atone for my sins

119
If … part
if it (atonement) is the most important element in freeing my conscience

120
render
repayment

121
clement
merciful

121
vile men
general humanity, specifically, usurers, moneylenders

122
of
from

122
broken debtors
bankrupts, those who can no longer repay their debts

124
their abatement
i.e. the little that’s left over by the creditors for the debtors to go on living

126
coined
created, stamping it like a new coin

127
stamp
coin

128
light
underweight/morally deficient

128
pieces
coins

128
figure’s sake
the symbolic sake of the figure stamped on the coin

129
You … yours
i.e. you should accept mine since yours is the image stamped onto it

130
audit
account

131
bonds
legal/mortal/literal, i.e. his fetters

133
thou thunder-master
Jupiter, king of the gods, believed to have thunder and lightning at his command

134
flies
i.e. people, whom the gods squash like flies

136
That
who

137
rates
scolds, berates/reckons

138
aught
anything

141
Attending nature’s law
i.e. staying the full nine months in the womb, according to nature

145
earth-vexing smart
suffering that afflicts earthly, mortal men

146
Lucina
Roman goddess of childbirth

147
took
i.e. to death

147
in my throes
while I was in labor

148
That
so that

148
ripped
i.e. born by cesarean section

152
stuff
substance

155
When once
when the time came that

155
mature for man
i.e. grown to manhood

158
fruitful
gifted, promising/producing love’s fruits

160
deem his dignity
judge his worth

161
wherefore
why

163
Leonati seat
ancestral home of the Leonati (Britain)/family seat of the Leonati (family honor)

166
suffer
allow

167
Slight
worthless, contemptible

168
taint
infect

170
geck
dupe

172
stiller seats
quieter resting places, i.e. the fields of Elysium (in classical mythology, a paradise inhabited by the good after death)

176
fealty
loyalty (to a lord)

176
Tenantius’ right
duty owed to Tenantius, Cymbeline’s father

178
Like hardiment
similar deeds of valor

181
adjourned
deferred, delayed

182
graces
rewards

183
dolours
sorrows

184
crystal
transparent, like crystal

184
ope
open

186
race
breed/family

190
marble mansion
i.e. the heavens

192
synod … rest
assembly of the other gods

194
appeal
i.e. to the other assembled gods, as in a tribunal

196
region low
Elysium, which was below Jupiter’s palace on Mount Olympus

199
Sky-planted
rooted in the heavens

200
Elysium
classical equivalent of heaven

202
mortal accidents
human events

205
delighted
(the more) delighted (in)

207
well are spent
are very nearly over/have been undergone to good effect

208
jovial star
the planet Jupiter, supposed to bring good fortune, which was in the ascendant when Posthumus was born

212
tablet
a single sheet, richly bound

213
confine
enclose, contain

218
sulphurous
it is very likely that small fireworks were used to create lightning effects which would have left a sulphurous smell

219
Stooped … us
swooped down as if to seize us in its talons

220
sweet
calm/sweet-smelling

221
Prunes
preens, uses his beak to trim his feathers

221
claws his beak
scratches his beak with his talons

222
As when
because/whenever

224
marble pavement
the floor of the heavens

226
behest
command

229
O scorn
what a bitter joke

230
so
as

232
greatness’ favour
the favor of powerful men at court

233
swerve
digress/go astray

234
dream … deserve
don’t dream of finding anything, and neither do they deserve to

237
A book
i.e. the tablet

237
rare
exceptional

238
fangled
foppish, novelty-obsessed

239
effects
contents

241
As … promise
i.e. as good as they promise to be

242
Whenas
when

242
whelp
cub

243
piece
creature, individual

243
tender air
a false etymology for Latin
mulier
, meaning “woman”

245
jointed
grafted

246
stock
trunk

249
stuff
nonsense

250
Tongue … not
speak without comprehending the meaning

250
both
i.e. a dream and madness

253
which
i.e. the tablet

259
dish … shot
the meal justifies its price

260
shot
tavern bill

261
reckoning
settlement

266
paid
punished

267
heavier … light
duller/sleepier as a result of being drunk (light-headed)

268
drawn of heaviness
emptied of that which made it heavy i.e. money

268
Of
from

269
contradiction
being light and heavy i.e. drunk

269
you … quit
you shall from now on be acquitted, freed

270
penny cord
i.e. very cheap hangman’s rope

270
sums up
pays the reckoning for/disposes of

270
in a trice
instantly

271
debitor and creditor
account book (referring to the headings of the two columns in a ledger)

272
discharge
payment

272
counters
tokens used for accounting

273
acquittance
receipt

277
officer
i.e. the hangman

280
death
death’s-head—a skull

281
pictured
depicted; death’s-heads usually have empty eyesockets

282
take upon them
profess, claim

283
jump the after-inquiry
hazard the final judgment

284
speed
fare

285
on
of

286
want
lack

287
wink
shut their eyes

289
mock
jest

291
winking
i.e. closing the eyes permanently

297
bolts
manacles

300
prone
eager (to go to the gallows)

301
verier
truer

301
for all
even though

304
there were desolation
that would be the end of

305
profit
source of income

306
preferment
promotion, either because a world that didn’t need jailers and executions would afford better jobs, or there would be a reward in the afterlife

Act 5 Scene 4

3
richly
nobly, profitably

4
naked
unprotected (by armor)

5
Stepped before
stood at the front of (the British)/stood in opposition to (the Romans)

5
targes of proof
shields of proven strength

7
grace
favor