Richard III (45 page)

344
lord
husband

349
Infer
allege, give as a reason

350
purchase … war
pay for with everlasting (personal) strife

352
That
i.e. a relationship (uncle/niece) considered by the Church as incestuous

352
king’s king
i.e. God

354
vail
lower (in submission), yield

356
title
claim (plays on the sense of “queen’s title”)

357
in force
in place, active (perhaps with sinister play on “enforce”)

358
fairly
justly/in safety

362
loathes
puns on low

363
in
on

364
speeds
succeeds

364
plainly
honestly/in simple terms, without adornment

367
quick
hasty (Elizabeth plays on the sense of “alive” when she responds with its opposite:
dead
)

368
too
puns on “two”

368
deep
profound, learned (sense then shifts to “deep down, buried”)

371
heart-strings
tendons or nerves supposed to brace the heart, hence intense feelings (puns on “harp strings”)

372
my George
the image of Saint George, patron saint of England, that formed part of the insignia of the Order of the Garter, the highest order of knighthood in England

372
garter
band tied around the leg to keep up hosiery: Knights of the Garter wore a blue and gold one below the left knee

376
his
its

382
self-misused
disgraced, abused by yourself

389
him
i.e. God

390
unity
i.e. reconciliation between court factions in Act 2 Scene 1

391
hadst
would have

400
o’erpast
past

402
Hereafter time
the future

404
Ungoverned
parentless, without a father’s control

404
wail … age
lament it in their maturity/throughout their lifetime

406
with
along with

410
So thrive
I to the same extent may I thrive

411
Myself myself confound
may I destroy myself

414
opposite
hostile, adversarial

415
proceeding
course of action

417
tender not
do not love, hold dear

417
princely
royal

425
attorney
representative, pleader of a cause

426
Plead
offer as a plea in court

427
my deserts
what I deserve

428
times
affairs/the present time

429
great designs
important affairs, the business of state (plays on the sense of “schemes aimed at attaining power”)

430
of
by

432
forget … myself
forget my anguish and the wrongs done to me in order to be mother of a monarch

433
if … yourself
if remembering yourself (i.e. collecting your wits/remembering your wrongs) compromises your future

436
spicery
spices

437
recomforture
new comfort

441
mind
opinion, intention

446
puissant
mighty, powerful

447
doubtful
fearful/unreliable

447
hollow-hearted
false, insincere

449
their
i.e. the attacking navy’s

450
hull
float with sails furled

452
light-foot
swift-footed

452
post
hurry

458
unmindful
inattentive

463
strength and power
army

464
suddenly
immediately

464
Salisbury
town in Wiltshire, southwest England

472
well
easily, readily

473
Hoyday
exclamation of contemptuous impatience

475
nearest
most direct

479
White-livered runagate
cowardly renegade, runaway

484
chair
throne

484
sword
official sword of office

484
unswayed
not wielded

485
empire
kingdom

485
unpossessed
not inherited/not ruled

488
makes he
is he doing

489
that
i.e. the crown

490
for that
because

491
the Welshman
i.e. Richmond, grandson of the Welsh Owen Tudor and Katherine of Valois (widow of Henry V)

494
power
army

495
tenants
who would have been required to undertake military service for their lord

499
Cold
unfriendly, distant (plays on the fact that the north of England often undergoes cold weather)

502
Pleaseth
if it please

508
hold
consider, deem

511
Look
make sure

512
assurance
safety

515
advertisèd
informed

520
competitors
associates, allies

523
owls
thought to be birds of ill omen, whose cry portended death

526
fall of waters
i.e. heavy rain, storms

530
cry thee mercy
beg your pardon

532
well-advisèd
prudent

541
assistants
supporters

543
his party
Richmond’s faction

544
Hoised
hoisted

548
taken
captured

550
Milford
Milford Haven, on the coast of southwest Wales

551
colder
less welcome

552
reason
talk

Act 4 Scene 5

4.5
Location: unspecified; possibly Stanley’s home in the north of England, to which Richard sent him to muster troops, or his London residence

2
sty
pen

2
boar
i.e.Richard

3
franked
penned

3
hold
custody

8
espouse
marry

10
Pembroke
town in southwest Wales, just south of Milford Haven

10
Ha’rfordwest
Haverfordwest, a town north of Milford Haven

11
name
rank/reputation

11
resort
gather

14
redoubted
revered/feared

14
Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke (Richmond’s uncle)

15
Rice
i.e. Rhys

17
bend
direct

18
by
on

20
resolve … mind
explain my intentions

Act 5 Scene 1

5.1
Location: Salisbury

5
miscarried
come to harm, died

7
moody
angry

10
All Souls’ day
November 2, the day in the Church calendar devoted to prayer for the souls of the dead

13
This … allies
Buckingham refers to his speech in Act 2 Scene 1, in which, following the formal reconciliation of court factions, he wished to be punished with treacherous friends if he was ever disloyal to Elizabeth and her allies

19
determined respite of
ordained end to the postponement in punishing

20
all-seer
i.e. God

20
dallied with
trifled with, mocked

21
feignèd
insincere, pretend

22
in jest
in pretense

28
block
execution block

Act 5 Scene 2

5.2
Location: Tamworth, in the East Midlands

3
bowels
center, inmost part

5
father
stepfather

8
spoiled
stripped, despoiled

9
Swills
gulps

9
wash
pig food

10
embowelled
disemboweled

12
Leicester
chief town of Leicestershire, east of Tamworth

14
cheerly
cheerfully, hopefully

16
sharp
harsh, merciless

18
homicide
murderer

22
vantage
advantage

24
meaner
humbler

Act 5 Scene 3

5.3
Location: Bosworth Field, to the east of Leicester

2
sad
solemn, grave

6
knocks
hard blows

9
all’s … that
it doesn’t matter, it makes no difference

10
descried
discovered, seen

12
battalia
army

12
account
number

14
want
lack

16
vantage … ground
best position for military action

17
sound direction
good tactical judgment

21
tract
traces, streaks

21
car
chariot (which in classical mythology was driven by the sun god)

23
standard
flag, military banner

25
form and model
arrangement and ground-plan

26
Limit
appoint, designate

26
several
separate, respective

26
charge
duty

27
part … proportion
distribute evenly

30
keeps
stays with

35
quartered
encamped

36
colours
identifying battle flags

42
needful
urgent

52
beaver
helmet’s visor

52
easier
looser, moving more efficiently

53
into
in

55
hie
hasten

55
charge
duty post

59
warrant
assure, guarantee

62
pursuivant at arms
officer attendant on a herald, i.e. messenger

66
watch
watch light, a slow-burning candle or one maeked regular divisions to measure the passing of time/guard, watchman

67
Surrey
the name of a horse

68
staves
staffs used as weapons

68
sound
in good condition

73
cockshut time
dusk, twilight (when poultry are cooped up)

74
cheering up
encouraging, rallying

76
alacrity
readiness, sharpness

77
wont
used, accustomed

78
it
presumably the wine

82
arm me
put on my armor

83
helm
helmet

85
father-in-law
stepfather

87
attorney
proxy

90
flaky
streaked with light

91
season
time of day

93
th’arbitrement
the decision, final judgment

94
mortal-staring
deathly-faced, with fatal gaze

95
that … would
what I would like to do (i.e. fight openly on your side)

96
With … time
with every opportunity I get, I will be strategically duplicitous (toward Richard)

97
doubtful shock
clash of forces, the outcome of which is uncertain/frightening military encounter