Richard III (37 page)

22
Prodigious
unnatural/ill-omened

23
aspect
appearance

25
that
may that (child)

25
unhappiness
ill fortune/misery

29
Chertsey
on the River Thames, in Surrey; site of a famous monastery

30
Paul’s
St. Paul’s Cathedral in London

31
still as
whenever

35
devoted
holy, devout

40
Advance
raise

42
spurn upon
kick

46
Avaunt
be gone

49
curst
ill-tempered/cursed, damnable

50
hence
get hence, go away

52
exclaims
outcries, exclamations

54
pattern
example, model

58
thy … blood
it was popularly believed that the wounds of a murder victim would bleed in the presence of the murderer

58
exhales
draws forth

71
so
is so

73
wonderful
extraordinary, astonishing

73
devils … truth
Anne interprets Richard’s am no beast to mean that, as neither man nor beast, he must be a devil

75
Vouchsafe
permit, consent

76
leave
permission

77
circumstance
detailed explanation

78
defused
dispersed, spreading

82
leisure
time, opportunity

84
current
genuine, valid

85
despair
spiritual hopelessness (thought to precede suicide)

87
worthy … thyself
i.e. committing suicide (a highly sinful act)

88
unworthy
dishonorable, contemptible/causeless, unjustified

91
slave
villain, wretch

95
In … liest
i.e. you lie outrageously

96
falchion
curved sword

97
once
at once

102
aught
anything

105
hedgehog
a contemptuous reference to Richard’s crest, which featured a wild boar

110
holp
helped

115
bedchamber
like hell, “chamber” could also be euphemistic for the vagina

118
I hope so
i.e. I certainly hope it will, as I shall never lie with you (in an ironic anticipation of future events, however, the phrase may also be construed as “I hope to lie with you”)

120
keen
sharp/eager

120
encounter … wits
plays on the sense of “sexual encounter of our genitals”

122
timeless
untimely, premature

125
effect
agent, perpetrator (Richard then shifts the sense to “outcome”)

130
homicide
murderer

137
thou art both
i.e. day and life

138
would
wish

146
He lives
i.e. there is a man

148
Plantagenet
the name was used by Richard Duke of York, Richard’s father

157
infected mine
both disease and love were thought to enter through the eyes

158
basilisks
mythical reptiles whose gaze could kill

159
die
plays on the sense of “achieve sexual orgasm”

162
aspects
appearance/looks, gazes

164
No, when
not even when

165
Rutland
Richard’s younger brother; his death is depicted in 3
Henry VI
, Act 1 Scene 3

166
black-faced
evil, threatening, devilish

167
father
i.e. the Earl of Warwick (originally a Yorkist, although he later changed sides)

170
That
so that

171
bedashed
splattered

172
humble
lowly

173
exhale
draw out

175
sued
entreated, begged (for favor)

176
smoothing
flattering

177
fee
payment, reward

186.1
lays … open
bares his chest

186.2
offers
aims, makes to thrust

190
set me on
this probably has connotations of sexual arousal like
provokèd

190.1
falls
lets fall

191
take up me
accept me (perhaps with connotations of “possess me sexually/make my penis erect”; Anne interprets “raise me from my kneeling position”)

192
dissembler
deceiver

199
truer love
i.e. Richard himself (supposedly a truer lover than the murdered Edward)

202
figured in
represented by

212
Even so
in just such a way

220
presently
immediately

220
Crosby House
Richard’s London house, in Bishopsgate Street; later referred to as Crosby Place

224
expedient duty
dutiful haste

225
divers
various, several

225
unknown
private, that cannot be divulged

226
boon
request, favor

229
Tressell and Berkeley
minor characters, not mentioned again in the play

235
Whitefriars
a priory in London

236
humour
manner, style, way

242
bleeding witness
i.e. Henry’s body

242
by
nearby

243
bars
obstacles

244
suit
courtship/formal supplication

244
withal
with

246
all … nothing
i.e. against huge odds, with everything stacked against me

248
brave
splendid, noble

250
mood
fit of fury

250
Tewkesbury
site of the Gloucestershire battle where the Lancastrians were defeated; Edward’s murder took place after the battle and is dramatized in
3 Henry VI
, Act 5 Scene 5

252
Framed … nature
created when nature was most generous, lavish

253
royal
majestic, noble

256
prime
youthful manhood/springtime

258
whose … moiety
the entirety of whom is not worth half of Edward

259
halts
limps

259
misshapen
deformed

260
denier
small coin worth one tenth of a penny

263
proper
handsome, fine

264
be … for
buy, spend money on

265
entertain
employ

265
score … of
twenty or forty

269
in
into

271
glass
mirror, looking-glass

272
shadow
also means “reflection”; the shadow cast by the sun will substitute for the mirror’s image

Act 1 Scene 3

1.3
Location: the royal court, London

3
brook it ill
endure it with difficulty, take it badly

4
entertain good comfort
take comfort, be cheerful

6
betide on
happen to, befall

8
includes
incorporates, is the sum of

9
goodly
splendid, fine

14
concluded
legally finalized

14
Protector
guardian, who ruled on behalf of a king who was too young to do so

16
miscarry
die

20
Countess Richmond
Margaret Beaufort, Derby’s wife; by her first husband, Edmund Tudor, she was mother to Henry, Earl of Richmond (later Henry VII)

20
good my
my good

26
envious
malicious

29
wayward
obstinate, willful

36
atonement
reconciliation

37
brothers
only one brother, Anthony Woodville (Earl Rivers), appears in the play, but Shakespeare may have thought of him as two characters: Rivers and Woodville are listed separately in the opening stage directions at Act 2 Scene 1, and are addressed separately later in that scene

39
warn
summon

41
happiness
good fortune

44
forsooth
indeed, in truth

44
stern
harsh, unfriendly

45
lightly
little

46
dissentious
inflammatory, quarrelsome

47
fair
pleasing, charming

48
smooth
flatter

48
cog
fawn, flatter, deceive

49
Duck … nods
i.e. bow in an affected, courtly manner

49
apish
idiotic/imitative

51
plain
unaffected, simple, honest

53
silken
smooth-tongued, ingratiating/elaborately dressed

53
jacks
knaves, low-born men; plays on
Jack
, a common name

54
presence
company/royal presence

55
nor
neither

55
grace
virtue/propriety/nobility (picking up on
grace
as a form of address in the previous line)

60
breathing-while
time to draw breath

61
lewd
wicked/ignorant/lowly

65
belike
probably/perhaps

68
to send
summon (you)

70
wrens
small, gentle birds (unlike large, predatory
eagles
)

74
friends
relatives

77
brother
i.e. George, Duke of Clarence

81
noble
gold coin worth about a third of a pound (puns on ennoble)

82
careful
full of cares

83
hap
fortune

88
draw me
implicate me/represent me

88
suspects
suspicions

90
late
recent

94
preferments
promotions, advancements

96
desert
deserving, merit

97
marry
by the Virgin Mary (Richard goes on to shift the sense to “wed”)

100
stripling
young man

101
Iwis
indeed, certainly

101
grandam
grandmother

105
gross
base/wicked/excessive

108.1
Queen Margaret
historically, the widow of Henry VI was imprisoned after the battle of Tewkesbury, and later exiled to her native France

111
state
rank

111
seat
throne

112
Threat
threaten

113
avouch’t
affirm, declare it

114
adventure
risk

115
pains
efforts (made on behalf of the king)

116
Out
exclamation of outrage and impatience

119
Ere
before

120
packhorse
workhorse

121
proud
ambitious, arrogant

126
factious for
on the side of, promoting dissent in the interests of

127
husband … slain
historically, Elizabeth’s first husband, Sir John Grey, was killed fighting for the Lancastrians, although in
3 Henry VI
(Act 3 Scene 2) he is depicted as having fought for the Yorkists

128
battle
army

130
ere this
before now

131
Withal
moreover