Authors: William Shakespeare
113
practices
tricks/treachery/schemes
114
vouch
assert, affirm
115
mixtures
potions, medicines (perhaps with connotations of “unlawful sexual intercourse”)
blood
passions/sexual appetite
116
dram
small draught, dose
117
wrought
worked
119
test
evidence/trial
120
habits
clothes (i.e. appearances)
121
modern seeming
commonplace appearance
prefer
put forward
123
indirect
devious, deceitful
forcèd courses
forcible means
125
question
conversation
126
affordeth
grants, yields naturally
131
office
official position
137
blood
nature/ passions/anger
138
justly
exactly/truthfully
present
legal term meaning “to lay before a court”
143
Still
continually
145
passed
experienced/got through
148
disastrous
unlucky/calamitous
149
moving
changeable/emotionally stirring
accidents
events
flood and field
water and land/sea and battlefield
150
scapes
escapes
i’th’imminent deadly breach
in the gap in a fortification (made by a battery), which presents an imminent danger of death
151
insolent
proud, overbearing
153
portance
bearing/conduct
154
antres
caves
deserts idle
empty wildernesses
156
hint
occasion/opportunity
process
story, account
158
Anthropophagi
man-eaters
159
these…hear
in order to hear these things
160
seriously
earnestly
incline
be disposed mentally/lean in physically
165
pliant
suitable, accommodating
167
pilgrimage
i.e. his life’s journey and its adventures
dilate
relate/expand upon
168
parcels
small parts
169
intentively
intently, with close attention
170
beguile her of
coax from her (perhaps a deliberate shift from the sense of “cheat” employed by the duke in line 74)
171
stroke
blow
173
kisses
could mean “gentle touches”
174
passing
surpassingly, exceedingly
177
made her
created her to be/made for her
180
hint
opportunity/indication
184
witness
testify to
187
Take…best
i.e. make the best of a bad situation
192
bad
mistaken/wrongful
198
education
upbringing
199
learn
teach
201
hitherto
thus far
203
preferring
promoting/esteeming
204
challenge
claim, assert as a right
207
Please it
if it please
208
get
beget, conceive
211
but
were it not that
212
For your sake
because of you
214
escape
transgression/ elopement
215
clogs
blocks of wood attached to the neck or leg to prevent escape
216
like yourself
on your behalf/as you would speak if you were calm
lay
apply
sentence
opinion/saying, maxim
217
grise
flight of stairs/single step
218
remedies are past
it is too late for remedies
griefs
hardships, suffering/distress
219
late
recently
220
mischief
misfortune/wicked action
221
next
nearest
222
takes
takes away/seizes hold/strikes
223
Patience…makes
enduring it patiently enables one to make light of the
injury
inflicted by
fortune
225
spends
engages in/exhausts/expends (perhaps with the suggestion of tears)
bootless
pointless/incurable
226
beguile
cheat/deprive
228
He…hears
he who derives only the easy comfort of such a saying certainly bears out your maxim (
bears the sentence
plays on the sense of “undergoes judicial sentence”)
229
free
easy/unrestrained/costless
231
to…borrow
must try to abate his grief with the scant resources of patience
poor
unfortunate/feeble/impecunious
232
These…equivocal
i.e. such maxims are just as sweet as they are bitter, so they are equally valid in whichever fashion they are applied
235
bruisèd
crushed, battered
pierced
affected, moved (i.e. soothed)
through the ears
i.e. by words
238
fortitude
strength
239
allowed sufficiency
acknowledged ability, demonstrable competence
240
opinion
public opinion
effects
events/outcomes
241
throws…you
votes for you as the more secure choice
242
slubber
soil, smear
243
stubborn
difficult/unyielding
boisterous
rough, violent
245
flinty
hard, stony
couch
bed (in addition to the nature of
war
in general, Othello also refers to having to sleep on the ground in one’s armor)
246
thrice-driven
i.e. extremely soft, having had the lightest feathers separated from the rest three times over
down
fine feathers of young birds
agnize
acknowledge
247
alacrity
readiness
248
hardness
hardship/a hard bed
250
bending…state
submitting (possibly bowing) to your authority as duke
251
fit disposition
suitable arrangements
252
reference…exhibition
assignment of lodgings and financial maintenance
253
accommodation
provision/lodgings
besort
suitable company
254
levels with
equals/befits
260
eye
sight
261
unfolding
ensuing speech/explanation
prosperous
favorable
262
charter
permission/ privilege
263
simpleness
unassuming disposition/guilelessness/foolishness
266
violence
violation of convention/extreme strength of feeling
storm of fortunes
the tempestuous nature of my lot/the disruption of my privileged life
267
subdued Even to
entirely submissive to/wholly conquered by
268
very quality
fundamental nature
270
parts
qualities
271
consecrate
dedicate solemnly, devote
273
moth
i.e. insignificant creature/ creature that hovers idly/source of expense
274
rites
rites of love/rights, privileges
276
dear
heartfelt/costly
277
voice
support, consent
278
Vouch
witness
280
comply with heat
submit to sexual desire
young affects
youthful passions
281
defunct…satisfaction
no longer active (
defunct
, dead) desire for sexual satisfaction
282
free
generous
283
heaven
may heaven
that
if
284
scant
neglect/diminish
285
toys
trifles/Cupid’s arrows
286
feathered
alludes either to Cupid’s wings or to his arrows
Cupid
Roman god of love (traditionally depicted as a blind boy with wings)
seel
blind (literally to sew up the eyes of a young hawk for training purposes)
wanton dullness
postcoital lethargy
287
speculative…instrument
i.e. eyes, official faculties of vision
288
That
so that
disports
(sexual) entertainments
289
skillet
cooking pot
helm
helmet
290
indign
unworthy, dishonorable
291
Make head
advance/raise troops
estimation
reputation
293
cries
calls for
300
quality and respect
significance and relevance
301
import
concern
304
conveyance
escorting
309
delighted
delightful
310
fair
beautiful/pale/virtuous
black
ugly/dark-complexioned/wicked
314
Honest
honorable/virtuous/truthful
317
in… advantage
at the most favorable opportunity
319
direction
instruction
320
time
i.e. current urgency of affairs
322
heart
friend
325
incontinently
immediately/ loosely, unchastely
329
prescription
ancient right/doctor’s prescription
333
Ere
before
334
guinea-hen
female turkey or guinea-fowl/prostitute
change
exchange
335
baboon
i.e. an idiot (monkeys were also associated with lechery)
337
fond
doting, infatuated/foolish
virtue
nature/power/moral strength
338
A fig!
coarse exclamation of dismissive contempt, often accompanied by the thrusting of the thumb between the index and middle fingers
340
set
plant
341
hyssop
an aromatic herb
gender
type
342
distract
divide
sterile with idleness
unproductive as a result of neglect
344
corrigible authority
power to correct
beam
bar from which the scales of a balance are suspended/the balance itself
345
poise
counterbalance
346
blood
passions