Othello (36 page)

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Authors: William Shakespeare

BOOK: Othello
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178
are thus forgot
have forgotten yourself in this way

180
wont
accustomed

181
stillness
calmness/sobriety

183
censure
judgment

184
unlace
undo (the strings of a purse in order to spend the contents)

185
opinion
reputation

189
offends
hurts

190
aught
anything

196
blood
passion/anger safer guides i.e. reason, judgment

197
collied
blackened, obscured

198
Assays
attempts

201
rout
brawl

202
approved
proved (guilty)

203
twinned…birth
been my twin

204
town of war
garrison town

205
wild
excitable, unruly, not entirely under control

206
manage
conduct

207
on…safety
at the guardhouse and while on duty protecting public safety

208
monstrous
unnatural, outrageous (ironically, a mere period stands in the way of the answer to Othello’s question)

209
partially…office
if, being personally predisposed (to Cassio) or allied (to him) because of your official roles

212
Touch
test/accuse/provoke near intimately/closely

219
with…him
determined to use his sword upon him (execute plays on sense of “put to death”)

221
his pause
him to stop

225
rather For that
the more rapidly because

227
high in oath
cursing loudly

233
forget
forget themselves

234
him
i.e. Montano

237
indignity
insult, affront

238
pass
let pass

240
mince
make light of

246
sweeting
sweetheart, darling

248
Myself…surgeon
i.e. I will ensure that you receive good medical care/dress your wounds

250
distracted
confused/caused disorder among

252
balmy
soothing

260
sense
physical feeling, i.e. pain

261
idle
useless/empty

262
imposition
thing imposed on one by others

264
recover
regain (the favor of)

265
cast…mood
dismissed in his fit of anger

268
Sue to
petition, entreat

270
slight
worthless

271
indiscreet
foolish, lacking sound judgment speak parrot babble repetitively/speak rubbish

272
discourse fustian
speak elaborate nonsense

275
What
who

280
nothing wherefore
no reason for it

282
pleasance
pleasure

288
frankly
openly, unreservedly

289
moraler
moralizer

292
mend it
improve matters

294
Hydra
in Greek mythology, the many-headed snake that regrew two heads for every one that was cut off

295
stop
stop up, silence

297
inordinate
immoderate

298
familiar
friendly (but quibbles on the sense of “malign attendant spirit”)

301
approved it
found it to be so through experience

302
a time
some time

304
for that
(namely) that

305
mark, and denotement
observation

306
parts
personal qualities

307
importune
crave, entreat; plays on negative senses of “pester, annoy/solicit for purposes of prostitution”

308
free
generous, but plays ambiguously on secondary sense of “sexually available”; Iago’s speech is open to a negative construction throughout apt ready, willing

311
splinter
set with a splint

312
lay
wager/laying down a woman (for sex) crack damage (with sexual, anatomical overtones)

315
protest
declare, avow

317
think it freely
believe so unreservedly betimes early

318
undertake
take on the matter/vouch

319
desperate of
hopeless about check halt

324
free
freely given/generous/frank

325
Probal
probable, credible, reasonable

327
Th’inclining
disposed to be sympathetic/yielding subdue win over

328
framed as fruitful
created as generous

331
seals
pledges/tokens

332
enfettered
shackled, enslaved

333
list
desires

334
appetite
inclination/sexual desire

335
function
capabilities, intellectual faculties (weak because he is so enamored of her); possible play on the sense of “sexual potency”

336
parallel
i.e. to Iago’s scheming intentions

337
Divinity
theology

338
put on
urge, incite (men to commit)

339
suggest
tempt

341
Plies
solicits, works on

343
pestilence
plague/wickedness

344
repeals him
tries to get him reinstated

346
credit
trust/reputation

347
pitch
sticky black tar-like substance

350
chase
hunt

351
fills…cry
makes up one of the pack

352
cudgelled
beaten

353
issue
outcome

354
wit
sense

359
dilatory
slow/delaying

361
cashiered
(got) dismissed

362
against
exposed to

363
Yet…ripe
i.e. the dismissal of Cassio demonstrates that our plan is blossoming and will ensure that the eventual outcome (fruit) of our schemes is successful

364
troth
truth

370
move
entreat, solicit

372
the while
meanwhile

373
jump
precisely

375
device
scheming

Musicians
music was traditionally played outside a bridal bedroom at dawn

1
content your pains
pay for your efforts

4
Naples
southwestern Italian city i’th’nose with a nasal twang like that of the Neapolitan accent/like one whose nasal tissue has been damaged by syphilis, of which there was a high incidence in Naples

5
How
what

8
tail
penis (though the Musician hears “tale,” i.e. story)

10
wind instrument
sense has now shifted to “flatulent anus”

12
love’s
the love you bear him/Othello’s lovemaking with Desdemona

13
noise
plays on nose

19
up
away

23
keep…quillets
hold back your quibbles

24
gentlewoman
female attendant

25
stirring
up and about (but in his response the Clown shifts the sense to “sexually arousing”)

27
seem
arrange, contrive

29
In happy time
(you have come at) an opportune moment

36
presently
immediately

37
mean
method

41
A Florentine
i.e. even a Florentine (one of Cassio’s own countrymen)

43
displeasure
being out of favor

46
fame
reputation

47
affinity
family/connections wholesome sound, beneficial

49
suitor
petitioner

53
advantage of
a favorable opportunity for

57
bosom
heart, inmost thoughts

2
do my duties
convey my respects

3
works
fortifications

4
Repair
return/make your way

3
I warrant
I’m sure

13
strangeness
aloofness, unfriendliness

14
politic
discreet/expedient

17
nice and waterish
insubstantial and thin (or possibly “luxurious and succulent”)

18
breed…circumstances
renew itself out of various events/generate so few opportunities (for my reinstatement)

19
supplied
filled

21
doubt
fear

22
warrant
assurance, guarantee

25
watch him tame
tame him by preventing him from sleeping (a method for training hawks)

26
board a shrift
table (shall seem) a confessional

29
solicitor
pleader/representative/ lawyer (legal language continues with
cause
)

30
away
up

36
do your discretion
obey your own judgment

46
suitor
petitioner (Desdemona unconsciously puns on the sense of “lover”)

50
grace
virtue/favor with you

51
present reconciliation take
restore him to your favor immediately/accept the reconciliation he now seeks

53
in cunning
deliberately

57
sooth
truly

65
dinner
lunch

72
trespass
fault, offense common reason everyday judgment

74
best
best men not almost hardly even

75
check
reprimand

78
mamm’ring
stammering hesitantly

82
in
i.e. into favor

85
boon
favor graciously granted

88
peculiar
particular, personal

90
touch
test

91
poise
heaviness, importance/balance, equipoise (making choice hard) difficult weight hard to assess or weigh

94
Whereon
as a result of which

97
straight
straightaway, very soon

98
fancies
inclinations, whims

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