Authors: William Shakespeare
45
issues
deeds, puns on “children”
52
Bears all down
crushes everything that stands in her way
53
for his heart
for the life of him
56
Betwixt
between
57
mother
i.e. stepmother
57
coining
devising, creating
58
expulsion
banishment
60
he’d make
i.e. which he would make happen, in order to marry her himself
Act 2 Scene 2
5
weak
tired
6
leaf
page
6
left
left off
7
taper
candle
11
fairies
believed to be malign in folklore
11
tempters … night
presumably evil spirits, perhaps incubi, male demons believed to have sex with sleeping women
13
crickets sing
indicates that it is night and very quiet
13
o’er-laboured sense
overworked capacity for feeling
14
Our Tarquin
Sextus Tarquinius raped Lucrece after which the Tarquins were driven from Rome and the republic was born (events narrated by Shakespeare in
The Rape of Lucrece
); Iachimo’s use of
our
, i.e. a fellow Roman suggests a more sinister affinity
15
rushes
reeds strewn on the floor as a covering
15
ere
before
16
Cytherea
Venus, goddess of love
17
bravely thou becom’st
how finely, admirably you adorn your bed
17
lily
an emblem of purity and chastity
19
Rubies
i.e. Innogen’s red lips
19
unparagoned
unequaled, matchless
20
dearly
exquisitely
20
do’t
i.e. kiss; possibly confirms that he does kiss her on the previous line
22
underpeep her lids
peep under her eyelids
23
lights
i.e. her eyes
23
canopied
covered
24
windows
shutters, i.e. her eyelids
24
azure
bright blue
24
laced
ornamented
25
tinct
color
25
But my design
but back to my purpose
28
Th’adornment
the decoration
28
arras
tapestry wall hanging
28
figures
either sewn into the tapestry or carved into the mantelpiece
29
contents
subject matter
30
notes
distinctive marks
30
about
upon
31
Above
more than
31
meaner
less important/convincing as evidence
31
movables
items of furniture, property
32
testify … inventory
give credibility to my list of evidence
33
ape
mimic
33
dull
heavy
34
sense
senses
34
monument
carved statue of a figure lying on a tomb
36
Gordian knot
which was tied by the Phrygian king Gordius and was so
36
hard
that no one could untie it; a prophecy said that whoever did so would conquer Asia, which Alexander the Great fulfilled by cutting through the knot with his sword
37
witness outwardly
serve as proof
39
th’madding
the maddening
40
cinque-spotted
having five spots
40
drops
spots
41
cowslip
wild spring flower, yellow in color (which does indeed have five spots inside)
41
voucher
piece of evidence; in legal terms offering a warranty of title
42
secret
intimate fact, detail
43
picked
i.e. a delicate and skillful operation, implying he seduced her into giving up her honor to him as opposed to taking it by force
47
Tereus
another famous rapist: King of Thrace, he ravished Philomel, his sister-in-law, and cut out her tongue to stop her revealing the crime
48
gave up
was forced to yield/succumbed, surrendered
49
spring
lock, catch
50
dragons … night
night was imagined as a chariot drawn by dragons
50
dawning … eye
ravens, considered birds of ill omen, were believed to wake at dawn
52
this
i.e. Innogen
Act 2 Scene 3
2
most coldest
least passionate
2
ace
the lowest score in dice
3
cold
gloomy, dispirited
4
after
according to, following the example of
4
temper
temperament
11
penetrate
i.e. move her emotionally, plays on sexual sense
12
fingering
i.e. your playing, with obvious secondary image of penetrating the vagina with fingers
13
so
so much the better
13
with tongue
i.e. with voices, with the secondary image of “cunnilingus”
13
remain
stay as she is
14
good-conceited thing
well devised, fanciful piece
15
air
solo song
18
Phoebus
Apollo, the sun god
18
’gins
begins to
19
springs … lies
water from the dew that collects in flowers
20
chaliced
cuplike
21
winking
sleeping
21
Mary-buds
marigold buds
26
horsehairs
used for the bows of stringed instruments
26
calves’ guts
used for the strings
26
unpaved
without stones (testicles), i.e. castrated
27
to boot
into the bargain
31
fatherly
as a father, i.e. approve of me as a husband for Innogen
33
Attend you here
are you waiting here (at)
35
vouchsafes
grants, confers
37
minion
favorite
39
wear
bear/wear out
41
bound
indebted
42
vantages
advantageous opportunities
43
Prefer
recommend
43
frame … solicits
adjust your conduct to well-mannered solicitations
44
be … season
i.e. behaving as the situation demands will work to your advantage
45
denials
(Innogen’s) rejections
49
dismission
dismissal
50
senseless
insensible, i.e. deaf, which Cloten shifts in next line to meaning “stupid”
52
So like you
if you please
55
Albeit
although
56
receive
welcome
57
his sender
Augustus Caesar, the Roman emperor
58
forspent
exhausted
59
notice
attention
66
line
i.e. with money
68
Diana’s rangers
attendants on Diana, goddess of chastity and hunting
68
false
betray
69
th’stand o’th’stealer
the poacher’s hidden shooting position
70
true
honest
73
lawyer to me
i.e. plead on my behalf
74
I yet not
I still don’t
74
understand the case
comprehend the situation; plays on sexual meanings of
stand
, “erection,” and
case
, “vagina”
80
That’s … of
i.e. expensive clothes are all that distinguish his noble birth
85
keep
remain in, stay inside
87
Sell … report
i.e. let me bribe you to speak well of me to Innogen
90
sister
stepsister
90
your
(give me) your
91
lay out
expend
92
but
only
96
deep
moving, effective
97
still
forever
100
But … silent
i.e. to prevent you taking my silence as consent
102
unfold
display, offer
103
knowing
knowledge
112
put me
cause me
113
verbal
talkative
114
which
who
118
boast
overt exclamation
121
pretend
claim
121
base wretch
i.e. Posthumus
122
bred of alms
brought up on (Cymbeline’s) charity
124
meaner parties
persons of lower social rank
127
self-figured knot
bond made by themselves
128
curbed … enlargement
restrained from that freedom of choice
129
consequence o’th’crown
importance of the crown (and the fact that you are its heir)
129
foil
dishonor
130
note
renown, distinction
131
hilding
good-for-nothing
131
livery
uniform worn by servants, bearing their master’s insignia
131
squire’s cloth
servant’s outfit
132
pantler
servant in the pantry
135
thou wert
you would (still) be
136
groom
servant
136
thou … envy
you would be elevated enough to make others envy you
138
comparative … virtues
i.e. if your personal merits were compared (you and Posthumus)
138
styled
given the title, position of
139
under-hangman
assistant hangman
140
For … well
for being promoted even that highly
141
south-fog
damp fog brought by the south wind, thought to carry diseases
143
named of thee
named, mentioned by you
143
meanest garment
lowliest item of clothing
144
clipped
encompassed, embraced
146
made such men
turned into men such as you
150
sprited
tormented, haunted (as if by a spirit)
150
with
by
153
’Shrew
beshrew, may evil befall
159
aught
any, i.e. anyone
165
action
lawsuit
168
conceive … me
think, I hope, only the worst of me
Act 2 Scene 4
2.4
Location: Rome
2
win
win over, persuade
2
bold
confident
4
means
approaches
6
winter’s state
i.e. his relationship with Cymbeline
7
seared
withered
8
gratify
repay
8
they failing
if they fail altogether, i.e. his hopes
11
By this
by this time
12
Hath heard of
will have heard from
13
throughly
thoroughly
14
He’ll
i.e. Cymbeline will
14
th’arrearages
the arrears (overdue payments of tribute)
15
look upon
face
15
whose remembrance
the memory of whom