King Lear (38 page)

²⁴³
still-soliciting
constantly entreating, self-seeking

²⁴⁸
tardiness in nature
natural slowness

²⁴⁹
history
account (of an action)

²⁵²
regards … point
irrelevant concerns

²⁶³
respect and fortunes
status and wealth

²⁶⁶
Most choice forsaken
most desirable when rejected

²⁶⁷
seize upon
take possession of (legal term)

²⁶⁸
be it lawful
provided it is lawful

²⁶⁹
their
may refer to either the gods or to Lear and Burgundy

²⁷⁰
inflamed
glowing, ardent

²⁷¹
thrown … chance
cast to my luck (gambling metaphor)

²⁷³
wat’rish
well-watered (with rivers)/wet, feeble

²⁷⁴
unprized
unvalued (may play on a sense of “priceless”)

²⁷⁵
though unkind
though they are cruel (or “lacking in natural familial affection”)

²⁷⁶
where
somewhere, place

²⁸⁰
grace
favor (with connotations of “divinely sanctioned mercy”)

²⁸⁰
benison
blessing

²⁸³
washèd
i.e. wet with tears

²⁸⁶
as … named
by their true names

²⁸⁷
your professèd bosoms
i.e. the love you claim to have for him

²⁸⁷
commit
entrust; perhaps with connotations of “confine (to prison)”

²⁸⁹
prefer
advance, promote

²⁹²
study
concern, endeavor

²⁹⁴
At fortune’s alms
as a charitable gift from fortune

²⁹⁴
scanted
stinted, withheld/slighted, neglected

²⁹⁵
are … wanted
deserve to be deprived of the love you have failed to show (to others)

²⁹⁶
plighted cunning
secret cunning/deceitful promises

²⁹⁷
Who … derides
those who hide their faults will in the end be shamed and mocked

³⁰⁰
nearly
closely

³⁰⁷
grossly
obviously

³⁰⁸
ever
always

³⁰⁹
slenderly
slightly

³¹⁰
The … rash
even at his best and healthiest he was impulsive

³¹¹
look
expect

³¹²
long-engrafted condition
long-implanted tendencies

³¹²
therewithal
in addition to that

³¹³
choleric
irascible, hot-tempered, impulsive/bilious; one of the four “humors” or temperaments thought to be related to an excess of bile in the constitution

³¹⁵
unconstant starts
unpredictable fits

³¹⁷
compliment
etiquette, ceremony

³¹⁸
sit together
i.e. get together, confer

³¹⁹
carry
maintain, manage

³¹⁹
disposition
frame of mind

³²⁰
last surrender
recent yielding (of authority)

³²⁰
offend
harm

³²²
i’th’heat
immediately

Act 1 Scene 2

^1.2
Location: the Earl of Gloucester’s residence

²
Wherefore
why

³
Stand in
endure/stand still under

⁴
curiosity
scruples, fussiness

⁴
nations
i.e. society

⁵
moonshines
months

⁶
Lag of
behind (i.e. younger than)

⁶
base
illegitimate (also low/unworthy/dishonorable)

⁷
dimensions
physical proportions

⁷
compact
composed

⁸
generous
noble

⁸
true
well-proportioned/authentic, true to his father’s likeness

⁹
honest madam’s issue
a legitimate child

¹¹
Who
i.e. we bastards who

¹¹
take
require/receive

¹²
More … quality
a more complex creation and more vigorous disposition

¹⁴
fops
weak fools

¹⁵
Got
conceived

¹⁸
As
the same as

¹⁹
speed
succeed

²⁰
invention
scheme

²¹
to th’legitimate
advance to (or “take over”) the place of the legitimate son; editors sometimes emend this to “top the legitimate”

²³
choler
anger

²³
parted
departed

²⁴
Prescribed
restricted, limited

²⁵
exhibition
an allowance, maintenance

²⁶
gad
spur of the moment

²⁸
up
away

³²
terrible dispatch
fearful and hasty stowing away

³⁷
for
as for

³⁸
o’erlooking
reading

⁴⁴
essay or taste
test

⁴⁵
policy … age
policy of revering the old (
policy
also suggests the “strategic cunning” of the elderly)

⁴⁶
the … times
i.e. our youth, our prime

⁴⁶
fortunes
inheritance

⁴⁷
relish
savor, enjoy

⁴⁷
idle
useless

⁴⁸
fond
foolish

⁴⁹
sways
rules

⁴⁹
as … suffered
only insofar as it is allowed to do so

⁵⁸
casement
window

⁵⁸
closet
private room

⁵⁹
character
handwriting

⁶⁰
matter
subject matter

⁶¹
in … that
given the contents

⁶¹
fain
willingly

⁶⁷
at perfect age
being mature

⁶⁷
declined
old/ill

⁷²
sirrah
sir (used to social inferiors and children)

⁷²
apprehend
arrest

⁷³
Abominable
often, popularly, "inhuman, unnatural" (from the incorrect belief that the word was derived from the Latin
ab homine
, i.e. “away from man”)

⁷⁷
run … course
proceed securely

⁷⁷
where
whereas

⁷⁷
proceed
perhaps with legal connotations (in keeping with apprehend and testimony)

⁸⁰
pawn down
pledge

⁸¹
feel
test, feel out

⁸²
pretence
intention, purpose

⁸⁴
meet
suitable

⁸⁵
auricular assurance
i.e. by hearing for yourself

⁸⁶
have your satisfaction
resolve yourself of any doubt

⁸⁹
wind … him
insinuate yourself into his confidence for me

⁸⁹
frame
devise, arrange

⁹⁰
unstate … resolution
give up my rank and wealth to be resolved on this matter

⁹²
presently
immediately

⁹²
convey
manage, undertake

⁹³
withal
therewith

⁹⁴
late
recent

⁹⁵
wisdom of nature
human reason/natural science

⁹⁶
scourged
punished

⁹⁶
sequent effects
subsequent events

¹⁰¹
bias of nature
natural inclination (a bowling image: the
bias
refers to the curving path taken by a weighted ball)

¹⁰⁴
it … nothing
i.e. it will advantage you

¹⁰⁸
excellent foppery
supreme foolishness

¹⁰⁹
surfeits
excesses

¹¹⁰
disasters
misfortunes

¹¹¹
on
i.e. by

¹¹²
treachers
traitors

¹¹³
spherical predominance
the dominant influence of a particular planet at one’s birth

¹¹⁵
divine
celestial, supernatural

¹¹⁵
evasion
shuffling excuse

¹¹⁶
whoremaster
i.e. lecherous, whore-using

¹¹⁶
goatish
lustful

¹¹⁷
charge
responsibility

¹¹⁷
compounded
had sex

¹¹⁸
the dragon’s tail
the constellation Draco

¹¹⁸
Ursa Major
(constellation of) the Great Bear (or Plough)

¹¹⁹
rough
cruel, violent

¹²⁰
maidenliest
most virginal

¹²¹
firmament
sky, heavens

¹²¹
bastardizing
conception out of wedlock

¹²²
Pat
on cue

¹²²
catastrophe
conclusion

¹²²
comedy
play

¹²²
my cue
could also mean “designated role”

¹²³
Tom o’Bedlam
i.e. a madman (from the Saint Mary of Bethlehem hospital in London, an institution for the insane)

¹²⁴
divisions
conflicts, discords (plays on the sense of “musical variations”)

¹²⁴
Fa … mi
Edmund hums a musical scale to himself

¹²⁷
this
the

¹³⁰
succeed
follow

¹³¹
unhappily
unluckily, by misfortune

¹³⁶
countenance
bearing, demeanor/facial expression

¹³⁹
forbear
avoid

¹⁴⁰
qualified
cooled, lessened

¹⁴¹
mischief … person
harm caused by your presence

¹⁴²
allay
abate, calm

¹⁴⁴
have … forbearance
i.e. restrain yourself and stay away from him

¹⁴⁶
fitly
at an appropriate time

¹⁴⁸
abroad
out of the house

¹⁵¹
meaning
intention

¹⁵³
image and horror
horrific true picture

¹⁵⁴
anon
soon

¹⁵⁵
serve
help/trick, deceive

¹⁵⁹
practices
plots

¹⁶⁰
wit
intelligence, ingenuity

¹⁶¹
meet
fitting

¹⁶¹
fashion fit
shape to my purposes