Titus Andronicus & Timon of Athens (61 page)

71
renew
grow again (may play on a sense of “extend the repayment period for a loan”)

79
in some sort
to some extent

82
brace
pair

83
minion
favorite, darling

84
Voiced so regardfully
praised so highly, spoke of with such regard

87
use
employ sexually

89
salt
lecherous (
season
picks up on the culinary sense)

89
season
prepare/spice, salt

90
tubs and baths
sweating-tubs and hot baths used to treat venereal disease

91
tub-fast
sexual abstinence during the treatment

95
of late
lately

96
whereof
of which

97
penurious
poverty-stricken

97
band
i.e. of soldiers

98
mindless
heedless, neglectful

100
But
had it not been for

100
trod
would have trodden

108
on a heap
in ruins

116
up
away

117
planetary plague
i.e. a disaster caused by malign planetary influence

117
Jove
supreme Roman god

118
Will
resolves to

118
high-viced
very wicked, full of vice

119
sick
infected/infectious

119
skip
omit, spare

121
strike me
strike (
me
is emphatic)

121
counterfeit matron
married woman who feigns respectability

122
habit
clothing/bearing

124
trenchant
sharp, cutting

124
milk-paps
nipples

125
window-bars
open-work squares of a bodice/latticework of a window

126
leaf of pity
list of those to be shown pity

127
set
write

128
exhaust
draw forth

130
doubtfully
ambiguously

130
the … cut
will have its throat cut/will be a cutthroat

131
mince
chop it up

131
sans
remorse
without pity

131
objects
objections

133
proof
tested strength

136
confusion
ruin, destruction

139
counsel
advice

140
Dost … not
whether you do or not

142
forswear
renounce

143
make … bawd
make pimps give up making women into prostitutes

144
mountant
raised (to catch the gold in, with a suggestion of skirts lifted for sex)

144
oathable
able to keep an oath

146
agues
fevers characterized by shaking

148
conditions
characters/occupations

150
whore
(your) whoring

150
burn him up
i.e. with lust/with venereal disease

151
close fire
hidden infection/enclosed heat/hot vaginas

151
predominate
prevail over, dominate

151
smoke
i.e. pious (and insincere or insubstantial) words

152
be no turncoats
i.e. don’t turn against your true profession (prostitution)

152
your … contrary
your efforts be thwarted
six months
later/you suffer harmful venereal pains
six months
later/you suffer for six months;
six months
may refer to the maximum gestation period for secondary syphilis or to the period of imprisonment for prostitutes

153
thin roofs
balding heads (a symptom of syphilis)

154
burdens of
i.e. wigs made with hair from

156
Paint
apply makeup

156
mire upon
sink, get stuck in/defecate on

157
pox
(syphilitic) plague

159
do
plays on sense of “have sex with”

160
Consumptions
wasting diseases (specifically syphilis, which decays the
bones
)

161
sharp
starved, wasted

162
mar
ruin

162
spurring
ability to use spurs/ability to have sex

163
title
claim to possession

164
quillets
fine distinctions, quibbles

164
Hoar
decay/whiten (as well as rotting the bones, syphilis causes silvery ulcerations)

164
flamen
priest

165
scolds … flesh
preaches against sexual desire

166
Down … nose
syphilis causes the collapse of the nasal bridge

168
his … foresee
to safeguard his personal advantage

169
Smells … weal
loses the scent of the common good (hunting imagery)

169
curled-pate
curly-haired

170
braggarts
boastful cowards

172
activity
sexual activity

173
erection
personal advancement/penile erection

175
grave
bury, serve as a grave for

177
earnest
advance payment, a deposit

184
it
i.e. to be so

185
beagles
hunting dogs/whores

186
Strike!
Sound the drum!

187
sick of
made ill by

188
Common mother
i.e. the earth

190
Teems
gives birth to/is fertile, flourishes

190
mettle
spirit, essence (given the buried gold, probably puns on “metal”)

191
puffed
inflated (with pride)

192
Engenders
produces, breeds

192
toad
thought to be poisonous

193
gilded
gold-colored

193
eyeless venomed worm
blindworm (legless lizard)/adder

194
crisp
shining, clear (just possibly “marbled with clouds”)

195
Whereon
on which

195
Hyperion’s
belonging to the father of the sun, sometimes the sun god himself in Greek mythology

195
quickening
life-giving

198
Ensear
dry up

198
conceptious
fertile

200
Go great
be pregnant

202
marbled … above
i.e. the heavens

204
marrows
vitality, nourishing richness, figurative bone marrow

204
leas
fields

205
liquorish
sweet, tempting (plays on “lickerous,” i.e. lecherous)

205
draughts
drinks/potions

206
unctuous
oily

207
That
so that

207
consideration
reflection, reason

210
affect
favor/imitate

212
would
would rather

212
catch
seize

213
but infected
i.e. temporary, not inherent

216
slave-like habit
lowly, servile clothing

216
care
anxiety

217
yet
still

217
soft
in comfort

218
perfumes
i.e. perfumed mistresses

220
putting on
assuming/exhibiting

220
cunning
skill, practices

220
carper
cynic, fault-finder

222
hinge thy knee
i.e. kneel

223
observe
follow, pay homage to

224
vicious strain
immoral characteristic

225
Thou … thus
this is how you were spoken to (i.e. flattered) previously

226
gav’st thine ears
i.e. listened

226
tapsters
barmen (who would greet all customers indiscriminately)

228
rascal
a lowly commoner/a camp follower (in the following line the sense shifts to “rogues”)

233
boisterous
rough

233
chamberlain
servant responsible for the bedroom

234
put … warm
i.e. warm your clothes by the fire

235
page thy heels
wait on you like your page

236
skip … out
i.e. jump to do your bidding

237
Candied
encrusted, as if with sugar

237
caudle … taste
i.e. revive you in the morning with a caudle (a warm, strengthening drink)

238
o’ernight’s
previous night’s

238
surfeit
excess, overindulgence

240
wreakful
vengeful

240
trunks
bodies

242
Answer
face

242
mere
absolute, unmitigated

248
caitiff
wretch

250
vex
torment

251
office
task, role

252
Dost … in’t?
Are you enjoying it?

255
habit
outfit, i.e. manner

256
well
good, well done

257
enforcèdly
out of necessity

257
Thou’dst
you would like (to be)

258
Willing misery
voluntary poverty

259
incertain
changeable, unreliable

259
crowned before
sooner satisfied

260
The one
i.e.
pomp

260
filling still
i.e. never satisfied, always seeking more

261
high wish
the height of its wishes

261
Best … content
it is more miserable to be at the height of prosperity without contentment than to be contented and at the bottom of one’s fortunes

262
distracted
agitated, mentally disturbed

265
breath
i.e. advice

268
swath
swaddling clothes, i.e. infancy

268
proceeded
climbed/attained/graduated to

269
degrees
steps/social ranks/university degrees

270
drugs
drudges (menial servants; or possibly “medicinal drugs” that a qualified doctor might dispense)

272
riot
debauchery

272
melted down
wasted/exhausted sexually (with connotations of detumescence)

274
precepts of respect
commands of those in authority/principles of respect/rules a respected person must live by

275
sugared game
sweet (sexual) prey/delicious amusements

278
at duty
at my command, available for service

278
frame
devise

280
brush
violent gust of wind

281
Fell
fallen

284
sufferance
hardship

285
hard in’t
hardened to it

287
rag
worthless scrap

288
put stuff To
sexually penetrated/ejaculated in

288
stuff
penis/semen (picks up on
rag
to play on the sense of “fabric”)

289
compounded
conceived

290
hereditary
by inheritance

291
worst
socially lowest