Read The Merry Wives of Windsor Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
The Merry Wives of Windsor (37 page)
27
Sometime
at one point/formerly
29
ragged
rough, jagged
30
blasts
withers
30
takes
bewitches
31
milch-kine
dairy cows
34
eld
people from the past
37
want
lack
43
shape
disguise/appearance
47
growth
size
48
urchins
goblins/elves
48
oafs
goblin or elf children/changelings
49
tapers
candles
52
sawpit
pit over which wood was laid to be sawn
53
diffusèd
confused, disordered
61
sound
soundly
70
vizards
masks
75
Eton
village over the river from Windsor
79
properties
theatrical props
80
tricking
adornments
87
well landed
in possession of a good amount of land
88
he … affects
my husband favors him most
1
boor
peasant, ill-bred fellow
1
thick-skin
idiot
2
discuss
declare
6
standing-bed and truckle-bed
the
truckle-bed
was a smaller bed on casters kept beneath the main (
standing
) bed
7
Prodigal
the Prodigal (extravagant) Son, who appears in the biblical parable (Luke 15)
8
Anthropophaginian
cannibal
13
lungs military
military lungs
14
Ephesian
boon companion/fellow degenerate
16
Bohemian-Tartar
i.e. savage, dissolute person
18
Privacy
seclusion, concealment (implying that Falstaff has been having sex with the “woman”)
21
wise woman
woman skilled in magic
22
mussel-shell
perhaps Simple is gaping open-mouthed or is being imaged as something worthless and insignificant
26
beguiled
deceived
35
conceal
malapropism for “reveal”
43
like … bold
as bold as the boldest
46
clerkly
learned
51
mere
absolute
52
varletto
i.e. varlet, loosely Italianized by the Host
55
slough of mire
muddy bog
56
Doctor Faustuses
In Christopher Marlowe’s play of the same name, Doctor Faustus, a German, sold his soul to the devil; this passage seems to allude to a scene in which three characters are thrown in a mire
61
entertainments
the hospitality you provide for your guests
62
cozen-germans
cheating Germans/men pretending to be Germans (plays on “cousin german”—i.e. first cousin)
63
Readings … Colebrook
small towns not far from Windsor (
Readings
is Caius’ Welsh plural for Reading;
Colebrook
is now Colnbrook)
65
vlouting-stocks
flouts (i.e. mockery); literally flouting-stocks (i.e. laughingstocks)
66
convenient
appropriate
71
Jamany
i.e. Germany
72
that … come
i.e. who is known to have arrived or is due to arrive at court
74
Hue … villain
a cry used to call for the pursuit of a criminal (addressed to Bardolph)
81
liquor
smear with oil or grease (to render waterproof)
84
forswore … primero
cheated in a card game but swore that I had not
84
wind
breath
88
dam
mother
89
bestowed
got rid of
93
speciously
malapropism for “specially”
96
like
likely/about
97
But
were it not for the fact that
105
crossed
thwarted
2
over
up (my efforts in support of your pursuit of Anne Page)
7
counsel
secret
11
So far forth
insofar
12
to
in accordance with
14
mirth
i.e. the humorous account of the humiliation of Falstaff
14
larded … matter
intermingled with my current concerns
17
scene
i.e. role in the drama
17
image
idea
18
at large
in full (Fenton may be showing the Host Anne’s letter)
22
rank on foot
abundantly afoot
28
shuffle
smuggle
29
tasking of
occupying
30
dean’ry
house belonging to the dean of a church
33
it rests
the matter stands
35
habit
clothing
38
denote
mark out
40
quaint
prettily/fashionably
40
loose enrobed
loosely dressed/gowned with an outer garment
41
pendent
hanging
41
flaring
spread out/waving in the wind
42
vantage
opportunity
43
token
sign
48
stay
wait
51
husband
manage (with an obvious pun)
51
device
plan
54
present
immediate
1
hold
keep the appointment
3
divinity
divine power
7
wears
wears away/is running out
8
mince
i.e. get moving (literally, walk daintily/trippingly)
20
Goliath … beam
according to the Bible, the giant Goliath had a spear like a weaver’s beam (i.e. wooden roller in a loom)
21
shuttle
another quotation adapted from the Bible; a
shuttle
was an instrument used in weaving for passing thread to and fro
23
whipped top
made a top (child’s toy) spin by lashing it
26
in hand
are happening
1
couch
lie/hide
5
nay-word
code word
6
“mum” … “budget”
“mumbudget” was a phrase meaning “keep silent”
9
decipher
reveal
11
become
suit
3
dispatch
get on with it/conclude it
8
chafe
be vexed/inflamed
14
obscured
concealed
17
choose but amaze
fail to terrify/astound
1
Trib
trip (i.e. come on/move nimbly)
3
watch-’ords
watchwords (i.e. password/signal)
3
Jove … Europa
Europa, daughter of the king of Phoenicia, was carried away by Jove, king of the gods; disguised as a bull, he swam to Crete with her on his back
6
Leda
in the guise of a swan,
Jupiter
(or
Jove
) seduced Leda, wife of the king of Sparta
8
fault
sin, with particular application to fornication and possible play on “vagina”
10
backs
loins
12
rut-time
mating season
12
piss my tallow
piss away my fat; stags were thought to urinate more frequently during the mating season, by the end of which their energetic behavior had caused them to lose weight
13
doe
female deer/mate/whore
14
deer
puns on “dear”
15
scut
tail/vulva
15
potatoes
sweet or Spanish potatoes were considered aphrodisiacs
16
kissing-comfits
confectionary for sweetening the breath
17
eryngoes
candied roots of the sea holly; a type of sweetmeat viewed as an aphrodisiac
17
provocation
sexual stimulation
19
sweetheart
puns on “sweet hart” (i.e. male deer)
20
Divide … buck
in order to conceal the theft, stolen (
bribed
) deer were cut up and divided rapidly among the poachers
21
fellow … walk
gamekeeper of this part of the wood
23
woodman
hunter/womanizer/lunatic
24
Cupid … restitution
i.e. Cupid is conscientiously making amends to me
31
oil
i.e. grease/fat
32
cross
thwart
32
Hobgoblin
another name for Puck or Robin Goodfellow
34
shades
spirits
35
orphan
parentless/neglected/friendless
35
heirs … destiny
offspring who have set roles to carry out/inheritors of destiny (perhaps with the power to influence it)
36
Attend … quality
attend to your duties and particular occupations
37
Crier
town crier, maker of public announcements
37
oyez
i.e. “hear ye”
38
list
listen for
38
toys
insubstantial creatures
40
unraked
without coals and ashes heaped together to maintain burning through the night
41
bilberry
small blue-black fruit
44
wink
shut my eyes
44
eye
observe
47
Raise … fantasy
stimulate her imagination, give her delightful dreams
48
Sleep she
may she sleep
48
careless
free from anxiety
49
as
who
51
About
about it/to action
53
oafs
elves
54
perpetual doom
judgment day
55
as … fit
as sound in condition as it is deserving of dignity
56
Worthy
worthy of
57
several … order
individual seats assigned to the Knights of the Garter (in the castle chapel)
58
balm
fragrant herbs
59
instalment
stall (i.e. place or seat assigned to a knight)
59
coat
coat of arms
59
crest
heraldic device originally worn on a helmet