The Comedy of Errors (29 page)

55
spoon-meat
soft food served on a spoon, baby food

56
bespeak
request

58
he … devil
proverbial

60
what
why

61
you are all
i.e. all Ephesians

64
for
in exchange for

66
ask
i.e. in return for leaving people alone

66
parings
clippings

67
rush
straw

69
an if
if

73
Avaunt
go

74
peacock
traditionally an emblem of pride so hardly in a position to tell others to avoid it; Dromio makes a sarcastic reference to the courtesan’s request for Antipholus to be faithful

76
demean
conduct

81
rage
anger/insanity

84
Belike
probably

86
home
directly

88
perforce
by force

89
fittest choose
consider the most appropriate

Act 4 Scene 4

3
warrant … for
i.e. as much as the sum for which I have been arrested

4
wayward
perverse, willful

5
lightly
readily, easily

6
attached
arrested

10
pay
i.e. with a beating

14
serve … rate
provide you with five hundred ropes for that price

15
end
purpose

16
To
for

18
to … you
in that way shall I receive you (i.e. with a beating;
end
puns on sense of “backside”)

22
hold his hands
restrain his fists

23
whoreson
son of a whore

26
sensible in
responsive to

27
ass
may pun on “arse”

29
long ears
plays on the similar pronunciation of “ears” and “years”

35
wont her brat
habitually carries her child

39
respice finem
“think on your end,” i.e. death (Latin)

40
prophecy … parrot
parrots might be taught to say
“respice funem”
— i.e. “consider the hangman’s rope,” a sinister
prophecy

42
still
incessantly

45
Doctor
his academic title, not indicative of medical qualifications

45
conjurer
i.e. versed in Latin and therefore capable of exorcising devils (traditionally addressed in Latin)

46
true sense
right mind

47
please
satisfy, reward

48
sharp
angry

49
ecstasy
frenzy

56
doting
foolish

58
customers
(whore’s) clients

59
companion
rogue

59
saffron
yellow

67
sooth
truth

69
Perdie
by God (from French,
par Dieu)

71
Sans fable
without a lie

73
Certes
certainly

73
kitchen-vestal
kitchen maid (ironic; the Vestal Virgins were in charge of the sacred fire in the Roman temple of Vesta)

75
verity
truth

77
soothe
humor

77
contraries
fabrications

78
fellow
i.e. Dromio

78
finds his vein
knows his master’s mood

79
yielding to
pretending to agree with

80
suborned
bribed

83
Heart … might
you might have sent good wishes

84
rag
farthing, scrap

91
deadly
deathly

93
forth
out

98
Dissembling
deceitful

100
confederate
conspiring

100
pack
group

101
abject scorn
contemptible mockery

103.1
strives
struggles

105
More company
get more help

109
make a rescue
i.e. take me forcibly out of legal custody

112
frantic
deranged

113
peevish
idiotic/spiteful

115
displeasure
wrong

118
discharge
settle with

120
knowing … grows
when I know what the total of the debt amounts to

124
entered in bond
tied up (plays on legal sense of “pledged as a guarantor”)

125
mad
incite

126
cry ‘The devil!’
cry out on/invoke the devil (that is supposed to have possessed you)

135
bespeak
commission

142
hereof
of this

142
at large
in full

144
naked
unsheathed

148
would be
claimed/tried to be

149
stuff
belongings

152
us fair
to us courteously

154
claims
demands

155
still
always

Act 5 Scene 1

2
of
from

5
reverend
respected

8
His … time
I would let him borrow against my name anytime/I would lend him my wealth with only his word as guarantee

10
self
same

11
forswore
denied

16
circumstance
detailed argument

18
Beside
besides

18
charge
cost/public accusation

20
staying on
delaying because of our dispute

27
Fie
shame

28
resort
dwell/walk

29
impeach
accuse

31
presently
immediately

31
stand
defend yourself

34
within him
close to him, within his guard

36
take
take refuge in

37
spoiled
ruined/beaten

43
draw
i.e. a sword

45
heavy
gloomy

45
sour
sullen

45
sad
serious

51
Strayed
led astray

51
unlawful
illicit, unfaithful

57
reprehended
rebuked

61
Haply
perhaps

62
assemblies
public

64
copy … conference
theme of our conversation

66
board
table

67
Alone … theme
it was my only topic of conversation

68
glancèd
touched on

69
Still
continually

70
thereof … mad
and as a result the man became mad

71
venom clamours
venomous protests

73
railing
complaining

74
light
wild/lecherous

79
sports
entertainments

83
her
i.e. despair’s

84
distemperatures
disorders

85
life-preserving rest
sleep

86
mad or
make mad either

88
of
of his

90
demeaned
behaved

90
rude
harshly

92
betray … reproof
expose me to my own rebuke/disgrace

96
sanctuary
criminals were immune from legal prosecution while they were in churches

97
privilege
protect

99
lose my labour
exhaust myself/waste my efforts

99
assaying
attempting

101
Diet
attend to, feed

101
office
duty

102
attorney
representative

105
approvèd
proven, tested

107
formal
complete

108
branch
part

119
perforce
forcibly

120
this
this time

120
dial
sundial, timepiece

121
Anon
soon

123
sorry
pitiable/vile

127
put
arrived, docked

131.1
bareheaded
i.e. ready for execution

131.1
Headsman
executioner

134
tender
value, pity

140
important
urgent

140
letters
formal requests, instructions (perhaps Adriana is a former ward of the duke’s)

141
outrageous
fierce

142
desp’rately
recklessly/madly

143
bondman
servant

144
displeasure
wrong

145
bearing thence
taking away

148
take order
make reparations, deal with

150
wot
know

154
bent
intent/turned

159
suffer
permit

162
borne … help
taken away for treatment

164
engaged
pledged

166
grace
favor

169
determine
settle

169
stir
move on

170
shift
flee

172
a-row
one after the other

173
brands
torches

175
puddle mire
murky water

177
nicks … fool
cuts his hair so that he resembles a fool

178
sure
certainly

184
take
take hold of

187
halberds
long-handled weapon with an ax-like head

189
is borne about
moves around/is transported

191
past … reason
inconceivably

194
bestrid thee
stood over you (when you were threatened)

197
dote
deranged

202
strength … injury
most harmful and offensive way possible

205
Discover
reveal

207
harlots
the term could be applied to men and women

210
So … withal
may my soul be punished if what he accuses me of is not false

212
on
at

214
forsworn
perjured, lying

215
chargeth
accuses

216
advisèd
rational in

218
heady-rash
irrational, reckless

219
Albeit … mad
although the wrongs inflicted on me are enough to make someone wiser mad

221
packed
complicit

222
witness
bear witness to

229
swear me down
reduce me to silence by swearing/refute me in swearing

233
peasant
servant

234
certain
a certain amount of

235
bespoke
asked

237
By
on

237
rabble more
further mob

239
hungry
emaciated

240
anatomy
skeleton

240
mountebank
quack doctor