Richard III (44 page)

44
holp’st
helped

48
teeth … eyes
i.e. could bite before he could see properly; Richard was born with teeth

49
worry
seize by the throat

50
defacer … handiwork
i.e. murderer (perhaps also alludes to Richard’s own deformed physique)

51
galled
irritated, swollen (from weeping)

52
excellent
supreme

54
upright
righteous, just

54
true-disposing
arranging all justly

55
carnal cur
flesh-eating dog

56
issue
offspring, children

57
pew-fellow
fellow mourner

57
moan
lamentations, grief

58
triumph
glory, exult

61
cloy me
gorge myself

62
Thy Edward
Edward IV

62
my Edward
Margaret’s son with Henry VI

63
other Edward
Elizabeth’s eldest son with Edward IV

64
Young York
Elizabeth’s second son, the young Duke of York

64
but boot
merely added to make up the total

64
both they
Edward IV and his eldest son

65
perfection … loss
completeness, extent of the loss I experience/excellence of the people I have lost

67
frantic
mad, frenzied

68
Th’adulterate
the adulterous (Hastings; refers to his affair with Jane Shore)

70
intelligencer
spy, secret agent

71
Only reserved
solely kept alive (to be)/exclusively selected (as)

71
factor
agent, representative

80
bottled
swollen (with venom), rounded, bottle-shaped

80
bunch-backed
hunchbacked

81
vain flourish
meaningless, frivolous adornment

82
shadow
illusory, fragile image/actor

82
painted
artificial/made-up with cosmetics

83
presentation
imitation

84
flattering index
deceptively attractive prologue

84
pageant
play

86
mocked
taunted/imitated, play-acted

87
dream
mere image

87
flag
army’s identifying banner, highly visible in battle/type of flower belonging to the iris family

89
sign
mere symbol/military banner

89
dignity
monarchy

90
in jest
for entertainment/pretend

90
fill the
fulfill the requirements of/make up numbers in

93
sues
pays court, entreats

94
bending
bowing/yielding

95
troops
retinues

96
Decline
go through in order (grammatical term)

97
For
instead of

98
mother

98
name
i.e. of

100
caitiff
wretch

100
care
troubles, grief

101
of
by

104
course … about
an image that recalls the popular conception of fortune as a wheel that raised humans up and cast them down as it came full circle

105
very
absolute

106
thought
i.e. memory

113
mischance
misfortune

117
Forbear
refrain, refuse

121
Bett’ring
amplifying

121
bad causer
person responsible for the evil

122
Revolving
considering, reflecting on

123
dull
lifeless, sluggish/blunt

123
quicken
enliven/sharpen

126
Windy … woes
(words are) empty, wind-blown representatives of the grief of the speakers

127
intestine
internal (both in the sense of “experienced within” and in the sense of “digestive,” the latter making words into farts)

129
scope
range, room

134
exclaims
outcries, exclamations

135
expedition
military enterprise/haste

136
might
i.e. should

138
From
i.e. to prevent

140
branded
i.e. branded with

141
owed
owned

143
villain
wicked one/servant

148
flourish
trumpet fanfare (usually signaling the arrival or departure of a person in authority)

148
alarum
call to arms

149
tell-tale
prattling

150
Rail
rant

150
lord’s anointed
i.e. the king, supposedly chosen by God and anointed with holy oil at the coronation to signify this

151
entreat me fair
plead with me courteously

152
report
loud noise, specifically the explosion of a gun or cannon

156
impatience
anger

157
condition
temperament

158
brook … reproof
bear the language of rebuke

163
stayed
waited

166
rood
cross

169
Tetchy
fretful

169
wayward
willful, obstinate

170
frightful
frightening

170
desp’rate
reckless

171
prime
early years

172
age confirmed
maturity

173
kind in hatred
concealing hatred in kindness (kind may play on the sense of “natural”)

174
comfortable
cheerful, comforting

176
Humphrey Hour
unclear: possibly a reference to “dining with Duke Humphrey.” which meant going hungry, or perhaps an actual person is meant

176
grace
puns on
graced

177
forth
out

186
ordinance
law (plays on the sense of “artillery”)

187
turn
return

191
tire
may it weigh heavy on, exhaust

192
complete
full, well-equipped

195
Whisper
whisper to

198
serves
supplies/accompanies

198
doth
i.e. will

205
level
aim, set your target sights

209
manners
morals/courteous habits

210
false
unfaithful

211
veil
shroud (usually associated with either modesty or mourning)

212
So
provided

212
of
by

216
safest … birth
only safeguarded by her high birth

218
opposite
hostile, antagonistic

219
friends
also “relatives”

219
contrary
opposed

220
unavoided
unavoidable

220
doom
decree/destined judgment/condemnation

221
avoided grace
an absence of God’s grace (i.e. Richard)

222
fairer
better/nobler/more just

225
cozened
cheated

227
Whose hand soever
whoever’s hand

227
lanched
pierced

228
head
brain/instigation/command

228
all indirectly
through indirect means (plays on the sense of “wrongly”)

232
But … use
did not the constant experience

235
bay
cove, inlet/point at which the cornered deer turns to face the hounds pursuing it

236
poor bark
shabby, ill-equipped ship

236
tackling
rigging

236
reft
deprived

237
Rush
am dashed

238
thrive
I may I thrive

238
enterprise
military undertaking

239
dangerous success
risky outcome

240
As
only as far as

242
covered … heaven
i.e. concealed by God

243
discovered
revealed

244
Th’advancement
the promotion, favoring (Elizabeth responds to the literal sense)

245
scaffold
raised platform on which executions took place

246
dignity
honor, high rank

247
type
symbol, emblem

248
Flatter
increase, pander to/alleviate, mollify

249
state
high rank

250
demise
convey, transfer (legal term)

251
Even
exactly

252
endow
bestow upon/give as a dowry

253
So
if

253
Lethe
in Greek mythology, the river in the underworld that induced forgetfulness in any who drank from or were immersed in it

254
remembrance
memory

256
process
story, narrative

257
telling
in the telling

257
date
duration, end

259
thinks
i.e. believes

261
from
Elizabeth now shifts the sense to “away from, at variance with”

264
confound
overturn, destroy

270
How
what

273
humour
temperament

277
engrave
inscribe (plays on the sense of “place in the grave”)

278
haply
probably/perhaps

279
sometime
once, formerly

282
purple
blood-red

283
withal
with it

286
mad’st away
disposed of, killed

288
conveyance
removal, dispatch (playing on the senses of “stealing” and “deceit, trickery”)

292
shape
appearance/role/disguise

296
spoil
booty gained from plunder

297
Look what
whatever

298
deal
act, behave (plays on the sense of “kill”)

299
after-hours
later moments

302
issue
offspring, children

303
quicken
give life to

303
increase
descendants, children

303
beget
conceive

304
upon
by

308
mettle
substance, spirit, temperament

309
Of all one
causing the same amount of

310
of her
by the younger Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth’s daughter)

310
bid like sorrow
endured similar pain

315
would
would like to

316
can
am able (to offer)

322
Familiarly
as a family member

328
orient
shining

329
Advantaging
adding to the value of

329
their love
the love that caused the tears to be shed

331
mother
mother-in-law

332
bold
confident, prepared (with connotations of “sexually ready”)

341
retail
relate, re-tell

342
victoress
female victor

342
Caesar’s Caesar
i.e. the conqueror of the victor