King Lear (45 page)

²⁵⁷
costard
head (literally, a large apple)

²⁵⁷
ballow
cudgel

²⁵⁹
pick
knock out with the cudgel

²⁵⁹
foins
sword thrusts

²⁶⁴
party
side

²⁶⁵
serviceable
eager to serve, ready to do anything

²⁷²
deathsman
executioner

²⁷³
Leave
give me leave, permit me

²⁷⁷
will
desire/lust

²⁷⁷
want not
is not lacking

²⁷⁸
done
achieved

²⁸¹
for your labour
as a reward for your efforts/as a place for sexual activity

²⁸²
servant
lover

²⁸³
undistinguished space
limitless scope

²⁸³
will
lust

²⁸⁶
Thee … up
I will bury you (Oswald)

²⁸⁶
post unsanctified
unholy messenger

²⁸⁷
in … time
when the time is ripe

²⁸⁸
ungracious
wicked, sinful

²⁸⁸
strike
blast/afflict

²⁸⁹
death-practised
whose death is plotted

²⁹¹
stiff
stubborn

²⁹²
ingenious
sensitive, intelligent

²⁹³
distract
mad

²⁹⁵
wrong imaginations
illusions

Act 4 Scene 6

^4.6
Location: the French camp, near Dover

³
every … me
all my efforts will be inadequate

⁴
o’erpaid
i.e. already more than enough

⁵
All … truth
everything I have told you is the simple truth (or possibly “may all reports of me be unexaggerated and accurate”)

⁶
Nor … clipped
neither overstated nor abbreviated

⁷
suited
dressed

⁸
weeds
clothes

¹¹
Yet … intent
to have my identity known now would spoil the plan I have devised

¹²
My … it
the favor I ask is

¹²
know me not
do not acknowledge me

¹³
meet
suitable

¹⁸
wind up
put in tune (by tightening the pegs on a stringed instrument)

¹⁹
child-changèd
changed by his children

²³
I’th’sway … will
as you see fit, under your own authority

²³
arrayed
dressed (appropriately)

²⁷
doubt of
fear for

²⁷
temperance
self-control

³¹
reverence
i.e. position deserving respect, venerable state

³³
Had you
even if you had

³³
flakes
locks of hair

³⁴
Did challenge
would have demanded

³⁴
of
from

³⁸
fain
obliged

³⁹
rogues forlorn
destitute vagabonds

⁴⁰
short
i.e. broken up (and hence less comfortable)

⁴¹
at once
at the same time

⁴²
concluded all
come entirely to an end

⁴⁶
bliss
i.e. heaven

⁴⁷
wheel of fire
i.e. one of hell’s tortures of the damned; recalls Ixion, who, in Greek mythology, was bound to a wheel of fire for attempting to seduce the queen of the gods

⁴⁷
that
so that

⁵¹
wide
wide of the mark, confused

⁵⁴
abused
wronged, ill-treated/deluded

⁵⁷
Would … condition!
I wish I could be sure of what state I am in!

⁶³
fond
silly

⁸⁴
rage
frenzy

⁸⁶
further settling
his mind is more settled

Act 5 Scene 1

^5.1
Location: the British camp, near Dover

^5.1
Drum and Colours
soldiers with military flags and a drum beating

¹
Know of
find out from

¹
last purpose
most recent intention

²
since
subsequently

²
advised
persuaded/warned

²
aught
anything, i.e. any news

⁴
self-reproving
self-reproach

⁴
constant pleasure
fixed wishes

⁵
miscarried
come to harm

⁶
doubted
feared

¹¹
honoured
honorable

¹³
forfended place
forbidden place, i.e. Goneril’s vagina

¹⁵
I … her
I cannot stand her

¹⁶
familiar
too friendly/sexually intimate

²⁰
rigour … state
harshness of our government

²¹
cry out
i.e. protest in pain

²²
Why … reasoned?
Why are we discussing this?

²³
Combine together
i.e. let us combine our two armies

²⁴
domestic … broils
private internal squabbles

²⁷
th’ancient of war
experienced senior officers

³⁰
convenient
suitable, seemly

³¹
know the riddle
understand your enigmatic request, see your trick (Regan wants to keep a suspicious eye on Goneril)

³⁴
I’ll overtake you
presumably Albany calls after those who have or are in the process of departing

³⁵
ope
open

³⁵
letter
i.e. the letter Oswald was carrying from Goneril to Edmund

³⁶
sound
i.e. sound a summons

³⁸
champion
one who fights in single combat

³⁹
avouchèd
declared, affirmed

³⁹
miscarry
lose the battle and die

⁴¹
machination
plotting

⁴⁴
cry
make the proclamation

⁴⁶
o’erlook
read over

⁴⁷
powers
troops

⁴⁹
discovery
intelligence-gathering, reconnaissance

⁵¹
greet the time
be ready when the time comes

⁵³
jealous
suspicious, mistrustful

⁵⁸
hardly
with difficulty

⁵⁸
carry … side
fulfill my side of the agreement (with Goneril)/achieve my own (power-seeking) ends

⁶⁰
countenance
authority

⁶²
taking off
murder

⁶⁵
shall
i.e. they shall

⁶⁵
my … debate
my position relies on action not discussion

Act 5 Scene 2

^5.2
Location: not far from the battlefield, near Dover

^5.2
Alarum
trumpet call to arms

¹
father
form of address for an old man

²
host
i.e. shelter

^5.2
retreat
trumpet call signaling retreat

⁷
ta’en
(are) captured

¹²
Ripeness
readiness/the right time

Act 5 Scene 3

^5.3
Location: the British camp, near Dover

¹
good guard
guard them carefully

²
greater pleasures
the wishes of more important people (i.e. Goneril, Regan, Albany)

³
censure
judge, sentence

⁵
meaning
intentions

⁶
cast down
humbled by fortune/defeated in battle/dejected

¹⁴
gilded butterflies
actual butterflies/lavishly dressed courtiers

¹⁴
poor rogues
wretched fellows

¹⁷
take … things
understand the secret inner workings of the world

¹⁸
God’s spies
spying on the world on God’s behalf/looking at the world from a lofty vantage point, like God

¹⁸
wear out
outlive

¹⁹
packs and sects
cliques and factions

²⁰
That … th’moon
i.e. whose fortunes ebb and flow like the tides

²²
sacrifices
refers to either Cordelia’s sacrifice for Lear or their joint loss of freedom

²³
throw incense
i.e. like priests performing the sacrifice

²⁴
brand … foxes
alludes to the practice of smoking foxes out of their holes

²⁶
flesh and fell
flesh and skin (i.e. entirely)

²⁷
starved
dead

³³
tender-minded
sensitive, soft-hearted

³⁴
become
befit, suit

³⁵
bear question
permit discussion

³⁸
write happy
count yourself fortunate

³⁹
carry
manage

⁴¹
strain
lineage

⁴³
opposites
opponents

⁴⁴
use
treat

⁴⁸
retention
detention, confinement

⁴⁹
Whose
refers to the
king

⁴⁹
charms
bewitching spells

⁴⁹
title
name of king/legal entitlement (to land and power)

⁵⁰
pluck … bosom
draw the sympathies of the common people

⁵¹
turn … them
i.e. turn our conscripted soldiers’ weapons against ourselves

⁵²
queen
i.e. Cordelia

⁵⁵
session
hearing in a court of justice

⁵⁶
by your patience
if you’ll excuse me

⁵⁷
subject of
subordinate in

⁵⁹
list
please

⁶⁰
pleasure … demanded
wishes might have been asked

⁶²
commission
authority

⁶³
immediacy
closeness, connection

⁶⁶
grace
merit

⁶⁷
your addition
the honors or titles you bestow on him

⁶⁹
compeers
equals

⁷⁰
That … most
i.e. he would be most fully invested with your rights

⁷²
Holla
whoa, stop

⁷³
asquint
crookedly, distortedly

⁷⁵
full-flowing stomach
a stomach full of anger (where stomach is used like “heart” for the seat of the passions)

⁷⁶
patrimony
inheritance

⁷⁷
Dispose of
use, deal with

⁷⁷
walls
Regan images herself as a fortress surrendering

⁷⁸
Witness the world
let the world witness

⁸⁰
enjoy
i.e. have sex with him as your husband

⁸¹
let-alone
permission or refusal to give it

⁸³
Half-blooded
illegitimate (fellow is contemptuous)

⁸⁶
in
i.e. along with

⁸⁷
gilded serpent
i.e. Goneril

⁸⁷
For
as for

⁸⁸
bar it
prevent its advancement (legal term)

⁸⁹
subcontracted
engaged for a second time, entered into a contract that is subsidiary to her marriage contract with Albany

⁹⁰
banns
proclamation of marriage (spelled “banes” in Folio, perhaps playing on “evil-doings”)

⁹¹
make … to
woo, make advances to

⁹²
bespoke
spoken for

⁹³
interlude
brief comic play (i.e. “What a farce!”)

⁹⁷
pledge
challenge/pledge to fight

⁹⁷
make it
i.e. make it good

⁹⁸
nothing
no way

¹⁰¹
medicine
drugs (i.e. poison)

¹⁰²
what
whoever

¹⁰⁸
single virtue
unaided courage or strength

¹¹⁵
quality or degree
noble birth or high rank

¹¹⁶
lists
catalog of soldiers

¹²⁷
canker-bit
eaten away by canker-worms (grubs that feed on plants)

¹²⁹
cope
encounter, fight with

¹³⁷
honours … profession
i.e. as a knight

¹³⁸
protest
declare

¹³⁹
Maugre
despite

¹³⁹
place
position, rank

¹⁴⁰
fire-new
i.e. brand new, freshly minted

¹⁴³
Conspirant
a conspirator

¹⁴⁴
upward
top, crown

¹⁴⁵
descent
lowest part, sole

¹⁴⁶
toad-spotted
toads’ spots were believed to contain venom

¹⁴⁷
bent
resolved/tensed for action

¹⁵²
say
assay, evidence

¹⁵³
nicely
in strict keeping with the rules

¹⁵⁶
hell-hated lie
the lie I hate as much as hell

¹⁵⁷
for they
since they (the
treasons
)

¹⁵⁷
by
off

¹⁵⁸
instant way
an immediate passage (to your heart)

¹⁶⁰
him
probably a call to Edgar to spare Edmund’s life so that a confession can be obtained from him

¹⁶¹
practice
trickery

¹⁶⁴
cozened and beguiled
cheated and deceived

¹⁶⁵
dame
woman

¹⁶⁸
know
recognize

¹⁷⁰
arraign
indict, bring to trial

¹⁷³
govern
restrain

¹⁷⁷
fortune on
good fortune to defeat

¹⁷⁹
charity
forgiveness

¹⁸¹
th’hast
thou hast (i.e. you have)

¹⁸³
pleasant
pleasurable (sexually so in this case)

¹⁸⁵
dark
literally and metaphorically

¹⁸⁵
vicious
immoral

¹⁸⁵
got
begot, conceived

¹⁸⁸
wheel
wheel of fortune

¹⁸⁹
prophesy
suggest, foretell

¹⁹⁶
List
listen (to)

¹⁹⁸
bloody proclamation
i.e. the sentence of death pronounced on him

²⁰⁰
the … die
would repeatedly suffer pain as bad as death

²⁰²
semblance
outward appearance

²⁰³
habit
clothing/guise, appearance

²⁰⁴
rings
i.e. eye sockets

²⁰⁶
despair
the spiritual hopelessness that precedes suicide

²⁰⁹
success
outcome (in the duel with Edmund)

²¹¹
pilgrimage
course of events/period of exile/spiritual journey

²¹¹
flawed
cracked

²¹⁹
dissolve
i.e. in tears

²²⁵
smokes
i.e. steams with
hot
blood

²³⁶
compliment
etiquette (of greeting)

²³⁹
aye
forever (Kent is aware he is dying)

²⁴¹
Great thing
vital matter

²⁴³
object
sight

²⁴⁸
Even
exactly

²⁵¹
writ
written order (for execution; a legal term)

²⁵⁵
office
task, responsibility

²⁶³
fordid
killed

²⁷⁰
stone
specular stone, a crystalline substance used to make mirrors

²⁷²
promised end
the death Lear expected (when he divided the kingdom)/Judgment Day, the end of the world (the sense that Edgar understands)

²⁷⁴
Fall and cease!
either Albany calls for the end of the world, or he wishes for Lear to die and be put out of his anguish

²⁸⁶
slave
villain/wretched servant

²⁸⁹
falchion
curved sword

²⁹¹
crosses
troubles, frustrations

²⁹²
Mine … o’th’best
failing sight was believed to be a sign of approaching death

²⁹²
straight
in a moment

²⁹³
two … hated
perhaps “two people she first loved and then hated”; it is not entirely clear who the
one
Kent refers to is

²⁹⁵
dull sight
refers either to Lear’s dim eyesight or to the motionless Cordelia

²⁹⁷
caius
the only mention of the name Kent assumed when he was in disguise

³⁰¹
I’ll … straight
I’ll attend to that in a moment

³⁰²
your … decay
the beginning of the change and decline in your fortunes (may also suggest mental decay)

³⁰⁵
Nor … else
completes Kent’s previous, unfinished sentence with “and no one else” as well as beginning his current one with “neither I nor anyone else (is welcome)”

³⁰⁶
fordone
killed

³⁰⁷
desperately
as a result of the spiritual despair that precedes suicide

³⁰⁹
vain … him
it is useless for us to tell him who we are

³¹¹
bootless
pointless

³¹⁵
this great decay
noble ruin, i.e. Lear

³¹⁶
For
as for

³¹⁶
resign
hand over

³¹⁹
boot
advantage, additions

³¹⁹
addition
titles, honors

³²²
cup
painful experience (plays on the related sense of “drinking vessel”)

³²²
see, see
something attracts Albany’s attention, presumably to Lear

³²³
fool
i.e. Cordelia (fool was a term of endearment), but recalls Lear’s Fool as well

³²⁷
this button
may refer to Cordelia’s (hoping to help her breathe) or Lear’s own (if he is once again afflicted by “the mother,” the hysteria that causes one to struggle for breath)