The Two Gentlemen of Verona (30 page)

32
descent
social status

35
deliver
speak

36
circumstance
detailed evidence

39
loath
very reluctant

41
very
true

45
friend
i.e. the duke

47
aught … dispraise
anything that I can say to damage his character

49
weed
root out

52
ravel
get tangled up

53
provide
prepare

53
bottom
wind into a ball (Silvia’s love is being imaged as thread being unwound from Valentine and wound around Turio)

56
kind
business

60
warrant
authorization

62
lumpish
dull/despondent

62
heavy
gloomy

64
temper
mold

67
sharp
ardent, keen

68
lime
birdlime, a sticky substance spread on branches to catch birds

68
tangle
entangle, trap

69
wailful sonnets
lamenting, wistful love poems

69
composèd
carefully constructed

70
full-fraught … vows
entirely filled with vows of service

71
heaven-bred poesy
poetry inspired by heaven

75
frame
compose

76
discover
reveal

76
integrity
absolute devotion/total sincerity

77
Orpheus
in Greek legend, a musician so skillful that his music could even charm animals, rocks, and trees

77
sinews
tendons

79
leviathans
sea monsters

80
Forsake unsounded deeps
abandon the unfathomed parts of the sea

81
dire-lamenting
deeply sorrowing

81
elegies
mournful love poems

83
consort
group of musicians

84
Tune
sing

84
deploring
doleful

84
dump
sorrowful melody

86
inherit
gain possession of

87
discipline
learning/teaching

91
sort
select

93
give … to
bring about the initiation of

94
About it
on with the business

97
pardon you
i.e. from having to
wait upon
me

Act 4 Scene 1

4.1
Location: wilderness/forest

1
passenger
traveler

3
Stand
stop (
sit
in the following line plays on the sense of “remain standing”)

4
rifle
rob

10
proper
fine-looking

12
crossed with
thwarted by

13
habiliments
clothes

14
disfurnish
deprive

15
sum and substance
everything

20
sojourned
stayed

22
crookèd
malign, devious

29
false vantage
unfair advantage

32
held … doom
was pleased to get such a (reasonable) sentence

33
Have … tongues?
Can you speak any foreign languages?

34
happy
fortunate/accomplished

36
fat friar
i.e. Friar Tuck, a member of Robin Hood’s band of outlaws

37
were
would be (a good)

37
faction
group

42
anything … to
any resources

45
ungoverned
uncontrolled, reckless, violent

46
awful
worthy of respect (or possibly a printer’s error for “lawful”)

48
practising
plotting

49
niece
kinswoman (phrase sometimes emended to “An heir, and near allied”)

50
Mantua
northern Italian dukedom

51
mood
rage

53
cite
acknowledge/mention

54
hold excused
explain/justify

56
shape
appearance/figure

58
quality
profession

60
above the rest
for this reason above all

60
parley
talk/negotiate

64
consort
company/group

66
do thee homage
perform acts of allegiance/acknowledge your superiority

71
outrages
acts of violence

72
silly
defenseless

74
crews
gang

76
dispose
disposal

Act 4 Scene 2

4.2
Location: Milan

3
colour
pretext

3
commending
praising

7
protest
swear

8
twits
taunts/reproaches

9
commend
offer/declare

12
quips
sharp retorts

18
crept
moved quietly, stealthily

20
creep
crawl

20
go
walk upright

21
love not here
i.e. do not love Silvia

25
I … own
i.e. it’s a good thing for your sake that you made your meaning clear

26
lustily
heartily

26
Host
innkeeper

27
allicholly
the Host means “melancholy”

40
swains
youths/lovers

42
grace
virtue/favor/elegance

43
admir
èd
marveled at

46
repair
hasten

47
of
with

55
do
are

55
likes
pleases

56
likes me not
does not please me/does not love me

58
plays false
plays out of tune/is unfaithful

58
father
respectful term for an old man

62
quick
sharp (in the following line Julia plays on the sense of “lively, rapid” when she contrasts quick with
slow
)

63
slow
heavy/not rapid

66
jars
sounds discordant

67
change
modulation (in the following line Julia plays on the sense of “fickle/unfaithful”)

68
spite
vexation

69
but one thing
only the same melody

70
one … thing
a lover play only one role (
play
is sexually suggestive and
thing
puns on “vagina”)

74
out … nick
beyond reckoning

82
Saint Gregory’s well
has been identified as an actual well near Milan

91
will
intent/desire

92
compass yours
fulfill your wishes/win your approval/gain your sexual desire

94
hie
hurry

95
subtle
cunning, treacherous

96
conceitless
witless

99
thy love
i.e. Julia

100
pale … night
i.e. the moon (associated with chastity)

102
wrongful suit
dishonorable/insulting courtship

103
by and by
and for that reason/presently

107
if
even if

112
importunacy
persistent entreaties

114
And … I
in that case, you may assume that I am too

117
hers
i.e. her (Julia’s) love

118
sepulchre
bury

120
obdurate
unyielding

121
Vouchsafe
permit

125
else
elsewhere

126
shadow
image/portrait (playing on the usual sense in the previous line)

127
If … am
if the image in Silvia’s picture was real, you would be false to it and reduce it to mere shadowy unreality, just as you have done to me (Julia is changed from her real self through both heartbreak and disguise)

130
since … well
as it will suit your fickle nature well

137
halidom
all I consider holy

138
lies
lodges

139
house
i.e. inn

142
heaviest
sorrowful/darkest

Act 4 Scene 3

4.3
Eglamour
amour
(French for “love”) suggests a lover; his own lady having died, Eglamour remains devoted to the cause of true love by functioning as a knightly escort to Silvia

10
impose
command

15
remorseful
compassionate

19
Vain
foolish

24
would
want to go

26
for
because

28
repose
rely

33
still
always

39
grievances
distress/sorrowful affections

42
Recking
caring

42
betideth
befalls

43
befortune
happen to

47
cell
simple dwelling

Act 4 Scene 4

1
play the cur
play up/be knavish/behave like a dog

2
goes hard
is tough

2
of
from

7
steps me
steps (
me
is emphatic)

8
trencher
plate

8
capon’s
chicken’s

9
keep
control

10
takes upon him
undertakes

11
a dog at
adept at (puns on the literal meaning of
dog
)

12
take … did
plead guilty to his wrongdoing

13
verily
truly

13
had
would have

14
thrusts me
thrusts

16
bless the mark
i.e. pardon the phrase I am about to use

17
pissing while
short time (literally, the time it takes to urinate)

24
wot of
have learned about

24
makes … ado
makes no more fuss

26
stocks
contraption for public punishment in which a person had their wrists and ankles confined

26
puddings
sausages

28
pillory
instrument of punishment in which a person had their head and wrists confined

31
still mark
always pay attention to

32
heave up
raise

32
make water
urinate

42
jewel
i.e. the pretty dog Proteus thinks Lance delivered to Silvia

43
cur
dog/ill-bred fellow

44
currish
mean-spirited/snarling

49
squirrel
i.e. small dog (contemptuous)

50
hangman boys
rascally boys fit for the hangman

56
still an end
continuously (possible printer’s error for “on end”)

57
entertained
taken into service

60
yond
yonder, the one over there, i.e. Lance

61
behaviour
bearing/manners

62
augury
discernment/prediction

63
Witness
are evidence of

67
delivered
who gave