King Lear (46 page)

³²⁷
sir
it is unclear whom Lear addresses here

³³³
ghost
spirit

³³⁴
rack
torture instrument that stretched the limbs

³³⁵
longer
for a longer period of time/to longer physical dimensions

³³⁸
usurped
stole, made illegal use of (beyond its rightful length)

³⁴²
gored
wounded, bleeding

³⁴²
sustain
support/keep alive

³⁴³
journey
i.e. to death

Quarto Passages That Do Not Appear in the Folio

¹
Nor … sure
and I am sure he is not

⁴
unnaturalness
lack of natural family feeling

⁵
dearth
famine

⁵
ancient amities
long-standing friendships

⁵
divisions
breaches, disagreements

⁶
maledictions
curses

⁷
diffidences
doubts, mistrust

⁷
dissipation of cohorts
dispersal of troops

⁸
nuptial breaches
breaking of marriage vows

⁹
sectary astronomical
devotee of astrology (in the period, astronomy and astrology were often indistinguishable from one another)

¹¹
Not
i.e. we are not

¹¹
Idle
foolish/useless

¹⁴
used
handled, dealt with

¹⁵
checks as flatteries
rebukes instead of flattery

¹⁵
seen abused
seen to be misguided

¹⁷
stand
i.e. stand in

¹⁸
presently
immediately

¹⁹
motley
the traditional multicolored costume of the fool

²³
altogether fool
entirely foolish (the Fool replies to the sense of “the only fool”)

²⁵
on’t
of it

²⁷
snatching
may imply snatching at the Fool’s genitals or phallic baton (picking up on and shifting the sense of
part;
fools were proverbially well-endowed)

²⁸
marks
outward signs

²⁹
false
falsely

³³
check
rebuke

³³
low correction
base punishment

³⁴
’temnest
most despised (contemnest)

³⁵
pilf’rings
petty thefts

³⁵
trespasses
crimes

³⁸
eyeless
blind

³⁹
Catch
seize

⁴²
cubdrawn
drained of milk by her cubs, ravenous

⁴²
couch
take cover, lie in its lair

⁴³
belly-pinchèd
starving

⁴⁴
unbonneted
bare-headed

⁴⁵
bids … all
invites anyone who wishes to do so to take everything

⁴⁶
power
army

⁴⁷
scattered
divided

⁴⁸
Wise in
aware of/taking advantage of

⁴⁸
feet
footholds

⁴⁹
at … show
on the point of displaying

⁵²
on … far
i.e. if you trust me so far as

⁵²
credit
trustworthiness

⁵⁴
making just report
for making an accurate report

⁵⁵
bemadding
madness-provoking

⁵⁶
’plain
complain, lament

⁵⁷
blood
noble family

⁵⁸
assurance
certainty

⁵⁹
office
task

⁶³
arraign
indict, put on trial

⁶³
straight
straight away

⁶⁴
justice
judge

⁶⁵
sapient
wise

⁶⁷
Want’st thou
do you lack

⁶⁷
eyes
may signify “spectators”

⁶⁹
Come … me
a snatch of popular song

⁶⁹
bourn
stream

⁷⁰
Her … leak
i.e. she is menstruating (or possibly “she has gonorrhea”)

⁷¹
speak
say

⁷²
come over
i.e. for sex

⁷³
foul
possible pun on “fool”

⁷⁴
Hopdance
a devil associated with music (like all of the fiends Edgar mentions, taken from Samuel Harsnett’s 1603
Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures)

⁷⁶
black angel
i.e. the fiend in Tom’s belly, which is causing it to rumble

⁷⁷
do
are

⁷⁷
amazed
stunned, overwhelmed

⁷⁸
cushings
cushions

⁸¹
yoke-fellow of equity
partner in fairness

⁸²
Bench
sit on the bench

⁸²
o’th’commission
of the panel of judges

⁸⁷
for … mouth
i.e. if the shepherd summons his sheep back by playing his pipe

⁸⁷
minikin
dainty/shrill

⁸⁹
Purr
Harsnett mentions a devil called Purr, though devils were popularly thought to assume the shape of cats

⁹⁵
Cry you mercy
I beg your pardon

⁹⁵
joint-stool
a well-made stool

⁹⁶
another
i.e. Regan

⁹⁶
warped looks
contorted facial expression/warped wood

⁹⁷
store
material/tradesman’s stock

⁹⁷
on
of

⁹⁹
False justicer
corrupt judge

⁹⁹
scape
escape

¹⁰⁰
Oppressed
overwhelmed/afflicted

¹⁰¹
balmed … sinews
soothed your shattered nerves

¹⁰²
convenience
opportunity

¹⁰³
Stand … cure
will be hard to heal

¹⁰⁵
bearing our woes
enduring the same suffering as us

¹⁰⁷
Who … i’th’mind
mental anguish is worst for those who suffer alone

¹⁰⁸
free
carefree

¹⁰⁸
happy shows
displays of happiness/visions of good fortune

¹⁰⁹
sufferance
suffering

¹⁰⁹
o’erskip
pass over, not notice

¹¹⁰
bearing
endurance (of affliction)

¹¹¹
portable
bearable

¹¹²
bow
i.e. bow down under a truly heavy weight (with suggestion of servile bowing, inappropriate to a king)

¹¹³
He … fathered
his children have treated him as my father has treated me

¹¹⁴
high noises
important rumors/what is being said among the powerful

¹¹⁴
bewray
reveal

¹¹⁶
In … proof
in proving you to be just

¹¹⁷
What … king
whatever else happens tonight, may the king escape safely

¹¹⁸
Lurk
i.e. stay out of sight

¹²²
old … death
i.e. die naturally, in old age

¹²⁴
Bedlam
Bedlam beggar, i.e. Poor Tom

¹²⁵
where he would
wherever he wants to go

¹²⁶
Allows itself to
enables him to do

¹²⁷
flax … eggs
both were conventionally used to soothe damaged eyes

¹³⁰
Obidicut … Flibbertigibbet
more fiends mentioned by Samuel Harsnett; “flibbertigibbet” can also mean “a gossip” or “a flighty, frivolous woman”

¹³¹
mopping and mowing
grimacing, making faces

¹³⁵
contemns i’th’origin
despises its originator (father)

¹³⁶
bordered certain
safely contained

¹³⁷
sliver and disbranch
split and break off (like a branch from a tree)

¹³⁸
material
essential, substantial

¹³⁸
perforce
necessarily

¹³⁹
come … use
be destroyed (like firewood)

¹⁴⁰
text
sermon

¹⁴²
savour but
only enjoy, appreciate

¹⁴⁴
gracious
generous/good/(as a king) possessed of divine grace

¹⁴⁵
reverence
position deserving respect, venerable condition

¹⁴⁵
head-lugged
that has been pulled about by its head, i.e. enraged

¹⁴⁶
madded
sent mad

¹⁴⁷
brother
brother-in-law, i.e. Cornwall

¹⁴⁷
suffer
allow

¹⁴⁹
visible spirits
spirits in visible form, avenging angels

¹⁵⁰
tame
crush

¹⁵⁴
Fools … mischief
i.e. only fools pity villains (like Lear) who are punished as a preventative measure before they have done wrong

¹⁵⁶
France
the King of France

¹⁵⁶
noiseless
silent, inactive

¹⁵⁷
plumèd helm
(soldiers’) helmets adorned with feathers

¹⁵⁷
thy … threat
begins to threaten the state

¹⁵⁸
moral
moralizing

¹⁶⁰
self-covered
self-concealing

¹⁶¹
Bemonster … feature
do not make your beauty hideous by revealing your true fiend’s face

¹⁶¹
Were’t my fitness
if it were proper for me

¹⁶²
blood
anger

¹⁶⁴
howe’er
however much, although

¹⁶⁶
Marry
by the Virgin Mary

¹⁶⁶
mew
a contemptuous and belittling cat’s meow

¹⁶⁸
back
i.e. to France

¹⁷⁰
imperfect
unfinished

¹⁷¹
imports
signifies, brings with it

¹⁷⁹
trilled
trickled

¹⁸¹
passion
strong emotion/grief

¹⁸⁵
goodliest
best, most effectively

¹⁸⁷
smilets
little smiles, half-smiles

¹⁹²
so become it
grace it so well, make it seem so attractive

¹⁹⁸
Let … believed!
Put no trust in pity!

²⁰⁰
clamour moistened her
the expression of her grief moistened her with tears

²⁰⁰
started
hastened, went abruptly

²⁰⁴
mate and make
husband and wife

²⁰⁵
issues
children

²¹⁰
sometime
sometimes

²¹⁰
tune
i.e. frame of mind

²¹⁴
sovereign
overpowering (plays on the related literal sense of “kingly”)

²¹⁴
elbows
pushes, jostles

²¹⁶
casualties
chance, uncertainties

²²²
afoot
on the move

²²⁴
attend
wait on, look after

²²⁴
dear cause
important reason

²²⁶
aright
rightly, as myself

²²⁶
grieve
regret

²³¹
deep
rumbling, deep-voiced