Othello (34 page)

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Authors: William Shakespeare

BOOK: Othello
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347
preposterous
perverse/illogical/monstrous
conclusions
outcomes

348
motions
impulses, emotions
carnal stings
sexual urges (with phallic connotations)

349
unbitted
unbridled, unrestrained

350
sect or scion
cutting or shoot

353
will
personal inclination/ sexual desire

355
knit
tied firmly, committed
perdurable
indestructible

356
stead
help, support

357
defeat…beard
disfigure your face with a false beard (or perhaps “by growing a beard”)

362
answerable sequestration
corresponding separation

364
locusts
fruit of the carob tree

365
coloquintida
colocynth, a
bitter
apple

366
change for youth
exchange Othello for a younger man/because she’s young (and therefore changeable)

368
delicate
enjoyable/elegant/ingenious

369
Make
raise

370
sanctimony
holiness
erring
roving/blundering/sinful
barbarian
person from Barbary/uncivilized savage

371
supersubtle
extremely refined/supremely cunning

373
pox of
plague on
pox
plague, venereal disease
clean…way
entirely the wrong measure to take

374
in
for
compassing
achieving/sexually embracing
joy
sexual pleasure/Desdemona

376
fast
reliable/constant

377
issue
outcome

378
art
i.e. may be

380
hearted
grounded in the heart

381
conjunctive
united

382
cuckold him
make him a cuckold (i.e. a man with an unfaithful wife)

384
Traverse
move (a military command)

388
betimes
early

389
Go to
expression of dismissive impatience

392
profane
abuse/treat irreverently

393
snipe
fool, dupe/type of bird

394
But
except

395
abroad
i.e. widely

396
done my office
performed my role (i.e. had sex with my wife)

397
in that kind
of that nature

398
do…surety
proceed as if it were a certainty
holds me well
has a good opinion of me

400
proper
handsome/fine/accomplished

401
plume up
glorify/put a feather in the cap of

404
he
i.e. Cassio

405
person
presence/appearance
dispose
disposition/manner

406
framed
formed
false
unfaithful (to their husbands)

407
free
frank/generous

409
tenderly
easily

411
engend’red
conceived

412
monstrous
unnatural, deformed

1
cape
headland

2
high-wrought flood
agitated sea

3
main
sea

4
Descry
catch sight of

7
ruffianed
behaved as a ruffian, i.e. raged

8
ribs
strengthening timbers in the framework of a ship mountains mountainous waves

9
hold the mortise
keep their joints secure

10
segregation
dispersal

12
chidden
rebuked, repelled (by the shore) billow ocean swell

13
mane
puns on “main” (i.e. sea)

14
burning bear
the constellation Ursa Minor (used for navigation)

15
guards
the two stars in Ursa Minor that were second in brightness to the Pole Star pole the Pole Star or North Star

16
like molestation
similar turbulence

17
enchafèd
furious, roused

19
embayed
sheltered in a bay

23
designment
enterprise

24
sufferance
damage

28
Veronesa
ship from or built in Verona (city in northern Italy)

31
in…here
on his way here with full delegated authority

34
Touching
regarding sadly serious, grave

35
pray
i.e. prays

39
full
complete, perfect

42
the…regard
the blueness of the sea and the sky one indistinguishable sight

46
arrivancy
people arriving

48
approve
praise, testify to the worth of

52
bark
ship pilot ship’s captain

53
Of… allowance
acknowledged to be a man of proven expertise

54
not…cure
not being fatally overindulged, remain confident of a good outcome (medical metaphor: “surfeit” refers to the gastrointestinal problems that result from too much food and drink)

58
brow o’th’sea
i.e. a cliff top

60
shape him for
imagine it to be

61
shot of courtesy
welcoming cannon shot

67
achieved
won

68
paragons
excels wild unrestrained/excited fame report

69
quirks
clever conceits/verbal tricks blazoning praising/proclaiming/vividly descriptive

70
th’essential…creation
the innate God-given beauty of body or soul vesture clothing

71
tire the engineer
exhaust the writer trying to describe her (tire, picking up on vesture, puns on “attire”) engineer author

72
put in
i.e. arrived at the harbor

74
speed
haste/good fortune

76
guttered
jagged congregated sands massed sands, i.e. sandbanks

77
ensteeped
immersed in water enclog obstruct

78
As
as if omit neglect

79
mortal
deadly

83
in…of
to be escorted by

84
footing
landing anticipates…speed occurs a week earlier than we had expected

85
sennight’s
week’s Jove supreme Roman god

87
tall
brave/fine/tall-masted

88
quick
lively/rapid/burning

89
extincted
extinguished

95
Enwheel
encircle

102
fellowship
company, i.e. group of ships

104
citadel
fortress (where a garrison would have been stationed)

108
gall
vex, irritate

109
breeding
upbringing

112
tongue
i.e. in speaking incessantly/in kissing

114
has no speech
is not a great talker/has been rendered silent with embarrassment at Iago’s words

116
still
always leave a free moment/permission

117
before
in the presence of

119
chides
scolds

121
pictures
i.e. silent/attractive in appearance

122
bells
i.e. noisy and jangling parlours nods at the original meaning of the word: “room set aside for conversation”

123
players
triflers as opposed to serious workers

124
housewifery
housekeeping housewives hussies, whores

126
Turk
i.e. an infidel, not to be trusted

127
play
with sexual connotations work do chores/have sex

133
assay
try/put me to the test

135
beguile
divert attention from

138
invention
inventiveness

139
pate
head/brains birdlime sticky substance spread on twigs to catch birds frieze coarse woolen cloth

140
muse
inspiring goddess labours toils/is in the process of giving birth (a sense continued with delivered)

142
fair
beautiful/fair-haired wit intelligence, perhaps playing on a “genital” sense

143
The…it
i.e. wisdom will make use of fairness; use plays on sense of “sexual employment”

144
black
dark-haired and/or complexioned

145
thereto
in addition

146
white
fair-complexioned person (puns on “wight,” meaning “person,” and possibly “wit,” witty fellow) blackness plays on sense of “vagina”
fit
suit/fit into during sex

150
folly
foolishness/lewdness
to an heir
to marry an heir/get pregnant

151
fond
foolish

153
foul
ugly/black

154
thereunto
in addition

155
foul pranks
lewd acts

156
heavy
grievous/burdensome

158
one…itself
one whose virtue is so powerful that it rightfully compels the approving testimony of malice itself

161
tongue
i.e. speech, plays on sense of “oral sex”
at will
when she wanted, plays on sense of “will”—carnal desire/penis

162
gay
showily dressed

163
Fled…may
denied her own wishes even when she knew she might indulge them/denied her lover until she chose

167
change…tail
i.e. have (adulterous) sex
cod’s head
penissalmon’s tail vagina

170
wight
person, plays on “white” meaning “target” (vagina)

172
suckle
breastfeed
chronicle small beer
concern herself with trivial matters

175
liberal
freely spoken/licentious

176
home
directly

177
in the
in the role of a

180
gyve
shackle

181
courtship
courtly manners (plays on sense of “wooing”)
You…indeed
Iago mockingly pretends to speak to Cassio tricks fashionable mannerisms, courtly practices

183
kissed…fingers
a gesture of courtesy to a lady

184
sir
i.e. well-bred gentleman

185
courtesy
bow, courteous gesture

186
clyster-pipes
tubes used for anal administration of medicine or enemas

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