Richard II (35 page)
Authors: William Shakespeare
41
state
regality, kingship
aye
ever, i.e. fully
45
Rutland
for his support of Richard, Aumerle lost his status as duke, though he retained the title Earl of Rutland
46
pledge … truth
guarantor of his loyalty
47
fealty
allegiance
48
violets
i.e. court favorites
49
spring
i.e. Bullingbrook’s kingship
51
as lief
as soon, rather
52
bear you
conduct yourself
53
cropped
cut down/beheaded
54
Hold
go ahead
triumphs
public festivities
58
seal
i.e. seal attached to the bottom of a document (which Aumerle apparently carries in his doublet or jacket)
69
bond
financial agreement (retained by the creditor)
70
against
in preparation for
84
appeach
denounce, inform against
89
answer
answer for
92
amazed
stunned, confused
93
villain
rogue/servant
96
own
i.e. own child
98
teeming date
time for child-bearing
102
fond
foolish/doting
105
interchangeably
reciprocally (so each of the conspirators has a copy of the agreement)
107
be none
not be one of them
108
that
i.e. the plot/the actions of the conspirators
111
groaned
i.e. in labor
121
his horse
i.e. grab his saddled horse and ride out first
122
post
speedily
126
the ground
i.e. kneeling
1
unthrifty
extravagant, dissolute
son
Prince Hal, later Henry V
7
loose
immoral, wasteful
9
watch
night watchmen
passengers
travelers
10
effeminate
frivolous, self-indulgent, immature
11
Takes on the
undertakes as a
15
gallant
fashionable young man/fine fellow
16
stews
brothels/part of a city occupied by houses of ill fame
17
common’st
most whorish, promiscuous
creature
prostitute
glove
with vaginal connotations
18
favour
love token (worn by knights in jousts)
with that
wearing the token
19
unhorse
plays on the sense of “deprive of a whore”
lustiest
most vigorous (plays on the sense of “most licentious”)
20
desp’rate
reckless
both
i.e. both flaws
22
happily
with favorable destiny/with a happy result
24
stares
gapes, looks horrorstruck
29
grow
i.e. be fixed
31
a pardon
i.e. I am granted a pardon
34
after-love
future loyalty
40
safe
harmless, i.e. dead
41
Stay
withhold
42
secure
overconfident
43
speak treason
i.e. by having to use such disrespectful terms
49
haste
i.e. breathlessness
50
passed
just made
52
hand
signature
58
strong
flagrant/significant, dangerous
60
sheer
pure, clear
fountain
spring
62
held his current
taken its course
65
deadly blot
fatal sin/ink signature
digressing
deviating from its course/transgressing morally
66
bawd
pimp, procurer
67
spend
waste/may play on the sense of “ejaculate”
68
scraping
money-saving
72
true
loyal
79
‘The … King’
probably refers to a ballad telling the popular tale of King Cophetua and the beggar maid he fell in love with
83
for
as a result of
84
festered
corrupt/diseased
85
let alone
left untreated
confound
destroy
87
itself
i.e. its own flesh and blood, one’s son
88
frantic
mad
89
dugs
breasts
94
happy
happy/fortunate person
98
true
loyal
100
in jest
pretend
102
would
wishes to
118
meet
fitting
119
‘
pardonnez-moi
’
French for “pardon me,” i.e. excuse me for refusing your request
124
chopping
meaning-shifting, logic-chopping/affected
127
plaints
laments
128
rehearse
pronounce/repeat
130
sue
beg
131
suit
request (puns on the sense of “suit of cards,” an image maintained in
hand
)
133
happy
joyous/fortunate
vantage
profit, gain/advantageous position
135
twain
divide in two
139
for
as for
brother-in-law
i.e. the Duke of Exeter
the
i.e. and the
140
consorted
conspiring
142
several
separate, various
147
prove
i.e. make sure you prove
8
wistly
intently, meaningfully
9
As
as one
1
studying
thinking about, dwelling on
3
for because
because
7
beget
conceive
8
still-breeding
constantly reproducing
10
humours
dispositions, moods
12
As
such as
13
scruples
doubts
faith
i.e. religious belief, as manifested through Scripture
14
‘Come, little ones’
from the Bible (Luke 18:16; also Matthew 19:14)
16
‘It … eye’
biblical (Luke 18:25; also Matthew 19:24 and Mark 10:25)
17
postern
back or side gate
21
ragged
rough, rugged
22
for
because
pride
prime/arrogance
23
content
acceptance
25
silly
simple/lowly/helpless
26
stocks
contraption for public punishment in which the arms or legs were confined
refuge
take refuge from, reduce
27
That
with the thought that
31
prison
most editions follow Quarto’s “person,” but Folio’s “prison” seems to be a purposeful alteration, not a printer’s error
33
treason
thoughts of treason
34
penury
poverty
36
by and by
soon
38
straight
straightaway
39
but man is
is merely mortal
40
nothing
anything
41
nothing
i.e. dead
43
proportion
musical time, rhythm
45
daintiness
sensitivity
46
string
individual string/musical instrument
47
concord
harmony
49
waste
decay
50
numb’ring clock
clock with hours marked on it (i.e. not an hourglass)
51
jar … on
tick on, jump forward (
jar
plays on the sense of “make discordant”)
52
watches
intervals between minutes/wakeful periods
watch
clockface (plays on the sense of “sentry/wakeful person”)
53
dial’s point
clock’s hand
54
still
continuously (plays on the sense of “motionless”)
55
tells
counts out/reveals
56
strike
beat, pound/toll
58
times
marks on the dial, i.e. quarter or half hours
time
lifetime, time on earth
59
posting
hurrying
60
Jack o’th’clock
figure of a man that strikes a bell on the outside of some types of clock
61
mads
maddens
62
holp … wits
music was thought to assist the recovery of the insane
holp
helped
65
to
for
66
strange brooch
rare jewel
68
peer
equal/nobleman
69
The … us
i.e. the imprisoned Richard
ten groats
Richard plays on the financial senses of
royal
and
noble
(types of gold coin): a royal was worth ten groats more than a noble, so the Groom has overvalued the
royal prince
by that amount (Richard identifies himself and the Groom as nobles)
groat
coin worth four old pence
71
sad
dismal, unsmiling
72
misfortune
i.e. Richard
75
ado
trouble, fuss
76
sometimes
formerly
77
yearned
grieved, moved
79
roan
horse with a coat in which the prevailing color is interspersed with some other
Barbary
the horse’s name, suggesting that it was imported from the Barbary coast of northern Africa, whose horses were noted for great speed and endurance
80
bestrid
straddled, ridden
82
gentle
noble
86
jade
worthless old horse
87
clapping
patting
91
rail on
abuse
92
awed
controlled, subdued
95
galled
made sore
jauncing
hard-riding
96
Fellow
servant
give place
move, withdraw/defer to me
99
fall to
begin eating
100
wont
accustomed
106
rude
rough, violent