Hamlet (44 page)

467
Takes … ear
i.e. the noise arrests him in mid-action

468
declining
descending

468
milky
white with age

470
painted
motionless as if in a painting/blood-covered

471
like … matter
suspended between his will and its effect

473
against
in anticipation of/before

474
rack
clouds

475
orb
i.e. earth

477
region
sky

479
Cyclops
one-eyed giants who worked for the blacksmith god Vulcan making armor for the gods

480
Mars his
Mars’ (Roman god of war)

480
proof eterne
eternal impenetrability

481
remorse
pity

484
synod
assembly

485
fellies
pieces of wood that form the rim of a wheel

485
wheel
the wheel of
Fortune
, according to the turns of which men rose or fell

486
nave
central part of the wheel, the hub

490
jig
a light, often bawdy, entertainment that took place after the main play and involved singing and dancing

491
Hecuba
wife of King Priam

492
who
whoever

492
mobled
muffled/veiled

496
bisson rheum
blinding tears

496
clout
cloth

497
late
recently

497
diadem
crown

498
lank
shrunken, empty

498
o’er-teemèd
exhausted with childbearing

500
Who … seen
whoever had seen this

501
state
rule, government

501
pronounced
spoken

507
milch
milk-producing, i.e. tearful

508
passion
(produced) grief

509
whe’er
whether

512
bestowed
lodged

513
used
treated

513
abstracts
summaries, epitomes

516
desert
merit, worth

517
God’s bodikins
by God’s little body

517
after
according to

520
bounty
generosity

525
ha’t
have it

525
for a need
if necessary

526
study
memorize

537
But
merely

538
conceit
imagination

539
her
i.e. conceit’s, imagination’s

539
wanned
paled

540
distraction
distress, agitation

540
aspect
expression/glance

541
his … conceit
all of his natural powers furnishing actions to match his imaginings

546
motive
provocation (modern sense of “motivation” of a dramatic character did not yet exist, though
cue
is clearly an actor’s term)

548
horrid
terrifying, horrifying

549
appal
make pale/shock

549
free
innocent

550
Confound
stun/confuse

550
the ignorant
those who know nothing of the crime

550
amaze
bewilder/terrify/stun

552
muddy-mettled
dull-spirited

552
peak
mope, languish

553
John-a-dreams
general name for a dreamy person

553
unpregnant of
sluggish toward, not prompted by

555
property
regal identity/kingdom

556
defeat
destruction

557
pate
head

558
Plucks off
pulls a tuft from

559
Gives … lungs?
Calls me an outrageous liar?

560
me this
this to me

563
pigeon-livered
pigeons were proverbially gentle birds, supposed to lack
gall
(bitterness/anger)

565
region kites
sky’s birds of prey

566
offal
intestines/remains

567
Remorseless
pitiless

567
kindless
unnatural

569
brave
fine/bold

573
drab
prostitute/slut

573
scullion
lowest domestic servant

574
About
about it, to work

576
cunning
skill

577
presently
immediately

578
malefactions
wrongdoings, crimes

583
tent
probe (as one would a wound)

583
blench
flinch/turn pale

588
spirits
i.e.
melancholy

590
relative
relevant/cogent/substantial

Act 3 Scene 1

1
drift of circumstance
course of roundabout talk

3
Grating
fretting/harping, dwelling querulously upon/wearing away

7
forward
ready, inclined

7
sounded
questioned, probed

13
disposition
inclination

14
Niggard of question
sparing in his questions/reluctant to initiate conversation

14
demands
questions

16
assay
try to tempt

18
o’erraught
overtook

28
edge
sharpness of inclination/incitement

32
closely
secretly/privately

34
Affront
come face-to-face with

35
espials
spies

48
Gracious
your grace (addressed to the king)

50
exercise
devout practice (the book is presumably of a religious nature)

50
colour Your loneliness
account for the fact that you are alone

52
visage
face, appearance

57
plast’ring art
i.e. cosmetics

58
to … it
compared to the cosmetics that improve it

64
slings
catapults, ballista, cannons or the missiles hurled by them

64
outrageous
excessively wicked/violent, cruel

68
shocks
violent blows/clashes with the enemy

69
consummation
ending

71
rub
obstacle (a bowling term)

73
shuffled off
cast off/evaded/got rid of in a perfunctory or unsatisfactory manner

73
mortal coil
bustle or turmoil of this mortal life

74
respect
consideration

75
of … life
continue for so long

76
scorns
insults, mockeries

77
contumely
insolence, contempt, insulting language or behavior

78
disprized
undervalued/dishonored

79
office
office-holders

79
spurns
kicks

80
of … takes
receives from those who are unworthy

81
quietus
discharge of debts (i.e. death)

82
bare
mere/unsheathed

82
bodkin
dagger/awl/pointed instrument

82
fardels
burdens

85
bourn
boundary

86
puzzles
bewilders, confounds

89
conscience
consciousness/introspection/awareness of right and wrong

90
native hue
natural color

91
cast
tinge, shade

92
pith and moment
substance and importance

94
Soft you
wait a moment

95
orisons
prayers

100
remembrances
keepsakes, love tokens

110
honest
chaste

112
fair
beautiful

114
your … beauty
your chastity should hold no dealings with your beauty/your chastity should not permit anyone to converse with your beauty

116
commerce
interaction (Hamlet picks up on the sense of “sexual dealings”)

120
his
its (i.e. honesty’s)

121
sometime
once

121
paradox
seemingly absurd statement/observation that contradicts commonly held beliefs

124
virtue … it
virtue cannot be so successfully grafted onto an old sinful tree without some flavor of sin being retained

127
nunnery
convent, playing on slang sense of “brothel”

128
indifferent honest
moderately virtuous

131
beck
command

142
calumny
slander

144
monsters
men with unfaithful wives were traditionally supposed to grow horns

147
paintings
use of cosmetics

149
amble
walk with an easy (or an exaggerated) motion

149
lisp
speak in an affected manner

150
make … ignorance
use innocence as an excuse for behavior that is willful/affected/promiscuous

151
on’t
of it

157
expectancy
hope

158
glass of fashion
mirror on whose image men model themselves

158
form
etiquette/ideal pattern

164
blown
blooming

165
Blasted with ecstasy
destroyed by madness

167
affections
emotions

170
on brood
brooding, like a bird sitting on eggs

171
doubt
fear

171
disclose
disclosure/hatching

174
set it down
decided

175
tribute
regular amount paid by one state to another, usually in return for peace

176
Haply
perhaps/with luck

177
objects
sights

178
something-settled matter
somewhat fixed preoccupation (perhaps with medical sense “festering pus” or, sinisterly, “stagnant blood”)

180
fashion of himself
his usual behavior, his old self

188
round
blunt/severe

190
find him not
fails to find the cause of his unhappiness

Act 3 Scene 2

2
trippingly
nimbly

2
mouth
declaim, speak pompously

3
as lief
as soon, rather

8
robustious
boisterous/unruly

8
periwig-pated
wig-wearing

10
groundlings
members of the audience standing in the yard in front of the stage, the cheapest place from which to watch

10
are capable of
can understand

11
dumb shows
mimes/unsophisticated spectacles

12
Termagant
imaginary deity believed to have been worshipped by Muslims and represented in the old mystery plays as a violent, overbearing person

13
Herod
biblical king who featured in the mystery plays as a raging tyrant

14
warrant
assure

15
discretion
judgment

18
modesty
restraints

18
from
i.e. far from

22
pressure
stamp, impression