Read The Two Gentlemen of Verona Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
37
circumstance
elaborate speech
38
circumstance
situation
39
Love
refers here to Cupid
39
cavil
quibble/complain
41
yok
èd
bound/controlled
42
chronicled for
recorded as being
44
eating canker
worm that feeds off and destroys plants
46
forward
early
47
blow
bloom
49
blasting
withering
50
verdure
green freshness
50
prime
spring
51
effects
outcome
52
wherefore
why
52
counsel
advise
53
votary
devoted worshipper
53
fond
foolish/doting
54
road
harbor
55
shipped
dispatched on board a ship
58
Milan
northern Italian dukedom
59
success
destiny
60
Betideth
takes place
61
mine
i.e. my letters full of news
62
bechance
happen
65
dignify
honor (by improving his own reputation in the world)
66
leave
abandon/neglect
67
Julia
possiby named after the Juliet in Arthur Brooke’s poem
Romeus and Juliet;
her name may also signify passion, being derived from the hot month of July
69
War
disagree
70
musing
pondering
70
Speed
a name suggesting quick wit; possibly ironic in places as Speed is sometimes slow to go about his errands
71
’save you
God save you
72
But
just
74
sheep
puns on “ship”
76
An if
if
80
my … horns
as he owns me my horns belong to him (Speed implies that this makes Valentine a cuckold)
85
circumstance
reasoned argument
86
It … another
it’ll be unfortunate if I can’t prove the point with a different explanation
90
fodder
food
94
baa
puns on the contemptuous “bah”
96
mutton
sheep
97
laced-mutton
a prostitute wearing either lace or a tightly laced bodice
99
store
great quantity
100
overcharged
overcrowded
100
stick
slaughter/have sex with
102
astray
wandering into error (puns on the idea of “a stray sheep”)
102
pound
confine in an animal pound/beat
103
pound
reference to money, though still punning on a beating
105
pinfold
animal pen
106
pin
insignificant amount
106
Fold
multiply (puns on
pinfold
) with additional suggestions of folding a letter
110
‘noddy
’ fool
114
take … pains
have it as a reward for the trouble you have taken
117
fain to bear
obliged to put up (with suggestions of carrying on behalf of)
119
Marry
by the Virgin Mary
119
orderly
dutifully/properly
121
Beshrew
the devil take
123
open the matter
reveal the information
128
hardly
with great difficulty
129
perceive
understand/glean
131
perceive
receive (may play on
purse
)
132
ducat
gold coin
133
brought your mind
conveyed your feelings to her
134
in … mind
when you tell her of your emotions in person
134
token
lover’s gift
135
stones
jewels
138
bounty
generosity
138
testerned me
given me sixpence (a “testern”)
139
requital whereof
return for which
140
commend
present greetings from
141
begone
go away (expression of annoyance)
143
drier death
i.e. hanging
145
deign my lines
accept my letter
146
post
messenger/idiot
Act 1 Scene 2
1.2
Lucetta
diminutive form of “Lucy”
3
so
providing that
3
stumble
trip/have sex
3
unheedfully
carelessly/recklessly
4
resort
company
5
parle
talk
9
Sir Eglamour
almost certainly a different Eglamour from the one who appears later in the play;
amor
is Latin for “love”
10
neat
elegant
12
Mercatio
his name suggests that he is a merchant
14
gentle
well-born/honorable
16
passion
outburst
17
passing
surpassing, extreme (puns on
passion
)
19
censure
pass judgment on
25
cast
bestow
26
cast away
wasted
27
moved
wooed
29
little speaking
very few words on the subject
39
being … it
happening to meet him I took the letter on your behalf
41
goodly broker
fine intermediary
42
wanton
passionate/lewd
44
office
position
48
fee
recompense
50
That … ruminate
(yes) in order to enable you to think
51
I had o’erlooked
I wish I had read
53
pray her to
beg her to commit
53
chid
rebuked
57
have …
‘
ay
’ rather the person making the offer interpreted as “yes”
58
wayward
perverse, unreasonable
59
testy
irritable
60
presently
immediately
60
kiss the rod
be obedient
60
rod
cane
61
churlishly
roughly. ungraciously
63
angerly
angrily
66
remission
forgiveness
71
kill your stomach
satisfy your appetite/calm your bad temper (
meat
was pronounced “mate” and thus puns on
maid
)
79
let … concerns
leave it there for those it is intended for
80
lie … concerns
fib about its contents
81
false interpreter
untrustworthy/untrue reader
83
That
in order that
84
set
set to music (in the next line Julia intends the sense of “set store by”)
85
toys
trifles
86
‘Light o’ love
’ a popular tune
87
heavy
serious/burdensome
87
light
frivolous/of little weight
88
burden
bass accompaniment/chorus/
heavy
load
91
reach so high
sing at such a high pitch/win someone of Proteus’ status
92
minion
minx, mischievous one
93
tune
melody/temper
93
so … out
in that way you will finish the song/rid yourself of your mood
96
sharp
shrill/cross
98
flat
tunelessly low in pitch/blunt
99
mar
spoil
99
concord
harmony
99
descant
harmonious variation on the tune
100
mean
middle point/method/tenor (a male voice—i.e. that of Proteus)
101
unruly bass
uncontrolled bass voice/unworthy. low behavior
102
bid the base
sing the male part/challenge to a chase
104
coil with protestation
fuss about declarations of love
106
fing’ring
fiddling with/stealing
107
makes it strange
pretends she doesn’t care
109
would … same
I wish that I had the letter back to be able to appear enraged by it/I wish that it really was anger that I was feeling about the letter
111
Injurious wasps
unjust/harmful wasps (i.e. fingers)
113
several paper
scrap of the torn-up letter
114
Unkind
cruel/unnatural
115
As
as if
119
my … thee
I shall keep the scrap of paper with your name on it in my breast pocket/my heart will nurture your name
120
throughly
thoroughly
121
search
clean/probe (a wound)
121
sovereign
healing
126
ragged
rugged
130
that
i.e. the part with her name on it
131
sith
since
132
He … names
he links my name to his lamenting one
133
Thus … another
Julia folds the paper so that her name is lying upon that of Proteus (the sexual nature of this is continued in the following line in which the actions described become increasingly physical)
134
contend
grapple, engage with sexually
135
stays
waits
138
respect
value
139
taken up
rebuked
140
for
lest they should
141
month’s mind to
preference for
143
judge I wink
think my eyes are shut
Act 1 Scene 3
1.3
Pantino
possibly from “pantler,” a type of servant, and the Italian diminutive
ino
1
sad
serious
2
cloister
covered arcade adjoining a building
6
suffer
allow
7
slender reputation
lesser/insignificant status/repute
8
Put forth
send out into the world
8
preferment
advancement, favor
13
meet
suitable
14
importune
urge
16
impeachment … age
discredit to him when he is older
19
hammering
thinking hard about
21
perfect
complete/fully rounded and experienced
22
tried
tested
26
ignorant
unaware
28
emperor
the Duke of Milan—he is referred to as both “emperor” and “duke” in the play
31
practise tilts
take part in jousts
32
sweet discourse
elegant conversation
33
in eye of
witness to
37
execution
carrying out
38
expedition
haste
43
commend
commit
45
in good time
just at the right moment
45
break with
reveal the plan to
47
hand
handwriting