King Lear (41 page)

¹⁸⁶
Poor … Tom!
the sorts of cries the beggars would utter; several sixteenth-century accounts refer to beggars calling themselves “Poor Tom”

¹⁸⁷
That’s something yet
i.e. at least as Poor Tom I have some form of existence

¹⁸⁷
Edgar … am
as Edgar I do not exist/I renounce my identity as Edgar

^2.2
Gentleman
presumably one of Lear’s reduced retinue of knights

¹⁸⁸
they
i.e. Regan and Cornwall

¹⁹⁶
cruel
puns on “crewel” (i.e. wool used for stockings)

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over-lusty at legs
as a servant, too ready to run away (perhaps plays on the sense of “too eager for sex”)

¹⁹⁹
nether-stocks
stockings

²⁰⁰
place
position (as Lear’s messenger)

²⁰¹
To
as to

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son
son-in-law

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Juno
wife of
Jupiter
, the supreme Roman god

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upon respect
upon consideration/against the respect due to a king and his representatives

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Resolve
make clear to, inform

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modest
moderate, reasonable

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which way
why, how

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usage
treatment

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coming from us
when you were sent by me

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commend
deliver

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reeking
steaming (with sweat)

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post
messenger

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Stewed
hot and drenched in sweat

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spite of intermission
in spite of interrupting me/in spite of his halting breath

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presently
immediately

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meiny
retinue

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straight
straight away

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attend … answer
wait until they had time to answer

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Displayed … against
openly behaved so impudently toward

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man than wit
courage than sense

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drew
drew my sword

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Winter’s … way
i.e. there is more stormy weather (trouble) on the way

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blind
i.e. to their father’s needs

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bags
moneybags

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arrant
downright/notorious

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turns the key
opens the door/provides sexual favors

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dolours
griefs (puns on “dollar,” a silver coin)

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tell
relate/count

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mother
i.e. hysteria (frequently a female affliction thought to arise from the womb or, in men, the abdomen; characterized by breathlessness and agitation)

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Hysterica passio
the Latin term for hysteria

²⁴⁶
element
rightful environment

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below
i.e. in the womb

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to school to
i.e. to learn from

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ant … i’th’winter
i.e. the ant gathers food only in the summer when it is abundant; similarly, men work only when there is profit to be gained from a patron who is at the height of his fortunes

²⁵⁸
stinking
i.e. with the stench of decaying fortunes

²⁶²
again
back again

²⁶⁴
sir
man

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form
appearances, outward show

²⁶⁶
pack
pack up, be off

²⁷¹
perdy
by God (from the French
par dieu
)

²⁷⁴
Deny
refuse

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fetches
tricks, stratagems (Lear goes on to employ the sense of “bring”)

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flying off
desertion

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confusion
destruction, overthrow

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tends
attends, awaits

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Infirmity … bound
illness always makes us neglect the duties which, when healthy, we are bound to carry out

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oppressed
overwhelmed/afflicted

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fallen … will
angry with my more headstrong impulse

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sound
healthy

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my state
royal state

³⁰¹
remotion
removal

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practice
deceit, cunning

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Give … forth
release my servant

³⁰³
and’s
and his

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cockney
squeamish or affected woman/town-dweller not used to hardier country ways

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i’th’paste alive
alive into the pie (being too squeamish to kill them first)

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knapped
hit

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o’th’coxcombs
on the heads

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wantons
frisky creatures

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buttered his hay
another example of misguided kindness (horses dislike grease)

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sepulch’ring
entombing

³¹⁹
adult’ress
i.e. as you could not possibly be my daughter if you were not glad to see me

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naught
wicked/worthless

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vulture
recalls the Greek legend of Prometheus, who was punished for stealing fire from the gods by having his liver perpetually gnawed by vultures

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You … duty
you are more likely to undervalue her worth than she is to neglect her duty

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verge … confine
limit of her domain (i.e. you are near death)

³³⁸
discretion
(person of) good judgment

³³⁸
state
personal condition (imaged as a country; ironic glance at the sense of “kingship”)

³⁴³
becomes the house
befits the royal line or family

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unnecessary
superfluous, useless

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vouchsafe
permit

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raiment
clothing

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abated
deprived

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top
head

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taking
infectious

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fen-sucked … blister
noxious vapors produced by sunshine on swampy ground were considered to be infectious and so to cause blistering

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tender-hafted
delicately framed, gently disposed

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scant my sizes
reduce my allowances (of food and drink etc.)

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oppose the bolt
lock the door

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offices of nature
natural filial duties

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Effects
outward marks

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to th’purpose
get to the point

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approves
confirms, bears out

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easy-borrowed
easily assumed

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sickly
diseased, corrupt

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grace
favor/royalty

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on’t
of it

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sway
authority, rule

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Allow
sanctions, approves

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beard
gray beard, symbol of his age

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indiscretion
poor judgment

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sides
bodily frame, rib cage

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disorders
misconduct

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much less advancement
less favorable treatment

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entertainment
hospitable reception

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abjure
renounce

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wage … o’th’air
battle against the hostility of the open air

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Necessity’s
need’s, deprivation’s

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knee
kneel before

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squire-like
like a servant or follower

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pension
financial allowance

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afoot
going

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sumpter
packhorse, beast of burden

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groom
manservant

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embossèd carbuncle
swollen tumor

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corrupted blood
diseased lineage

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Mend
improve

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looked not for
did not expect

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mingle … passion
apply rational judgment to your impulsive behavior

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avouch
declare, affirm

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sith that
since

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charge and danger
expense and the risk of riotous behavior

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slack ye
treat you negligently

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control
discipline

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place or notice
room or acknowledgment

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in … it
it was about time you did so

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guardians, my depositaries
trustees

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kept a reservation
reserved the right

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well-favoured
good-looking

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stands … praise
is, in relative terms, worthy of some praise

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Our … superfluous
even our most wretched beggars have something, however poor, that is more than they absolutely need

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Allow not
if you do not allow

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If … gorgeous
if being sumptuously dressed simply entailed wearing sufficiently warm clothes

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what … wear’st
your magnificent clothes

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fool … much
don’t make me such a fool as

⁴⁸⁸
flaws
fragments

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Or ere
before

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and’s
and his

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bestowed
lodged, accommodated

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blame
fault (that he)

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put … rest
turned himself away from repose/deprived himself of peace of mind

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his particular
him individually

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will
will go

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give him way
let him go, give him scope

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ruffle
rage, bluster

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themselves procure
bring on themselves

⁵¹¹
desperate train
retinue of dangerous men

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have … abused
be misled by what he is told

Act 3 Scene 1

^3.1
Location: somewhere out in the open, not far from the Earl of Gloucester’s residence

³
severally
separately

²
minded … unquietly
in the same restless and disturbed mood as the storm

⁴
Contending
battling against/competing with

⁶
main
mainland

⁹
out-jest
drive out with jokes

¹⁰
heart-struck injuries
injuries that strike to the heart

¹²
warrant … note
basis of what I have observed (about you)

¹³
Commend … you
entrust you with an important matter

¹⁶
as … high
i.e. like anyone to whom fortune has given power and royal authority

¹⁷
seem no less
seem to be only servants (but are really spies)

¹⁸
France
the King of France

¹⁸
speculations
observers

¹⁹
Intelligent of
bearing information about

²⁰
snuffs
resentments

²⁰
packings
plots

²¹
hard rein
harsh curbing (equestrian metaphor; puns on “reign”)

²¹
borne
maintained

²³
furnishings
superficial trappings

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out-wall
outward appearance

³⁰
that fellow
i.e. Kent

³⁴
to effect
in importance

³⁵
in … this
to which end you employ your efforts that way while I go this way

³⁷
Holla
shout to