Richard III (39 page)

138
keeps
retains/maintains, supports

139
for
as

140
well
prosperously/virtuously

144
him
i.e. conscience

145
insinuate
ingratiate himself

148
tall
brave

150
Take
strike

150
costard
head (literally, a type of large apple)

151
malmsey-butt
barrel of strong, sweet wine from Greece

153
device
plan

153
sop
piece of bread soaked in wine

156
reason
converse, talk

158
anon
soon

167
Wherefore
why

177
drawn forth
selected

180
quest
inquest, those holding a judicial inquiry

183
convict
convicted

185
charge
command

190
Erroneous
misguided, erring

190
vassals
servants, slaves

190
king of kings
i.e. God

191
table … law
i.e. the Ten Commandments

192
do no murder
the Sixth Commandment (Exodus 20:13)

193
Spurn at
reject, scorn

197
false forswearing
breaking your oath (forbidden by the Ninth Commandment)

198
receive the sacrament
take Communion as a means of affirming your oath

199
In quarrel of
in the cause of

202
Unripp’dst
tore open

202
bowels
intestines, entrails

202
sovereign’s son
i.e. Prince Edward, son of Henry VI

204
dreadful
inspiring dread and awe

205
dear
extreme, grievous (a)

212
quarrel
(settling of the) dispute

213
indirect
devious, oblique

214
cut off
kill

215
bloody
violent, bloodthirsty

216
gallant-springing
gallant and youthful, growing promisingly

217
novice
youth, beginner

218
My brother’s love
love for my brother

223
meed
money, reward

233
friendship
also kinship

235
lessoned
taught

236
is kind
is gentle, well-meaning/has feelings of natural kinship

242
labour my delivery
strive to obtain my release

244
thraldom
servitude, enslavement

246
feeling
sensibility, awareness

255
pent
shut up

260
beastly
not human, lacking in reason

268
desperately dispatched
carried out in desperation, executed recklessly (
desperately
has connotations of spiritual hopelessness)

269
fain
willingly

269
Pilate … murder
Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judaea involved in the crucifixion of Christ, washed his hands before the discontented crowd as a means of exonerating himself from blame

280
out
get out, be known (“murder will out” was proverbial)

Act 2 Scene 1

2.1
Location: the royal court, London

2.1
Flourish
trumpet fanfare signaling the arrival of a person in authority

3
embassage
message

8
Dissemble not
(in shaking hands) do not conceal, disguise

9
from
of

10
true
honest, faithful

11
thrive
I may I thrive

12
dally
trifle, feign, mock

13
king of kings
i.e. God

14
Confound
overthrow, catch out

14
award
sentence, appoint

15
end
(cause of) death

19
son
i.e. stepson

20
factious
divisive, generators of factions

22
unfeignedly
sincerely, without deception

26
protest
declare

30
allies
relatives

33
but … Doth
i.e. and does not, with all duteous love

38
Deep
cunning

38
hollow
insincere

38
guile
cunning, deceit

41
cordial
heart-restoring medicine

43
wanteth
only lacks

44
period
end, completion

45
in good time
right on time, at the perfect moment

47
morrow
morning

52
swelling
proud, arrogant/incensed, angry

52
wrong-incensèd
full of wrongly directed anger/enraged by perceived wrongs

54
heap
gathering, group (casual and demeaning term in this context)

55
intelligence
information

55
surmise
assumption, conjecture

57
is hardly borne
has caused offense, is resented

67
desert
deserving, justification

68
Lord Scales
actually another title of Lord Rivers; Shakespeare erroneously supposes another character; some editors omit the line

72
the … tonight
a newborn baby

75
well compounded
settled as effectively

77
to your grace
into your favor

79
flouted
mocked

80
gentle
kind, mild/noble

86
forsook
abandoned

89
that
i.e. that first order

89
Mercury
swift messenger of the Roman gods, usually depicted with wings on his cap and sandals

90
tardy
slow

90
bare the countermand
brought the order revoking the first

91
lag
late, slowly

92
God … suspicion
I pray God there are none, less noble and loyal than Clarence, more involved in treachery yet less closely related to the king, who deserve worse than Clarence’s fate yet go free from suspicion (a pointed remark aimed at Elizabeth and her relatives)

95
go current
pass as legitimate coin

96
boon
request for a favor

100
forfeit … life
revocation of the death penalty that his servant has incurred

103
doom … death
sentence (doom) my brother to death

107
sued
pleaded

108
be advised
to reconsider, reflect/to be cautious

110
forsake
abandon, renounce

112
field
battlefield

113
down
on the ground, unhorsed/at his mercy

116
lap
enfold, swathe

118
thin
thinly dressed

118
numb
numbing

119
remembrance
memory

122
carters
cart drivers

122
waiting vassals
attendant servants

123
defaced … Redeemer
i.e. committed murder (since man is made in God’s image)

125
straight
straightaway

127
But
yet

128
ungracious
wickedly, lacking divine grace

129
proudest
most splendid, eminent/most self-esteeming

130
beholding
beholden, indebted

133
On
of

133
you
i.e. the assembled company

134
closet
private room/bedchamber

136
Marked
observed, noticed

139
still
constantly

Act 2 Scene 2

1
grandam
grandmother

6
wretches
exiles/miserable people

6
castaways
rejected ones

8
cousins
a general term for relatives

10
As
being

11
lost
wasted, pointless (sense then shifts to “gone”)

14
importune
urge, entreat persistently

18
Incapable
inexperienced, unknowing

18
shallow
naive

22
impeachments
accusations, charges

24
kindly
gently, benevolently/as a family member

27
gentle shape
an appearance of nobility, a benevolent guise

28
visor
mask

30
dugs
breasts (breast milk was popularly thought to convey some of the qualities of the mother)

33.1
hair … ears
disheveled and loose hair was a theatrical convention signifying distress

35
chide
berate, chastise

36
black
profound, dark, hellish

37
to … enemy
i.e. commit suicide

38
rude impatience
uncontrolled outburst, violent want of endurance

39
act
deed/division of a play (continuing the theatrical image begun with
scene
)

42
want
lack

43
brief
quick

44
catch
catch up with

47
interest
right, entitlement

48
title in
claim on (as Edward’s mother)

50
his images
i.e. his sons

51
mirrors
i.e. images, reflections

51
semblance
likeness

53
false glass
i.e. Richard, a distorted, false image of his father

60
moiety
small portion

61
overgo
exceed

63
kindred
similar, belonging to relatives

64
unmoaned
unlamented, not grieved for

65
widow-dolour
widow’s grief

65
be
shall be

67
barren to
so infertile that I cannot

67
complaints
grief, lamentations

68
reduce
return, bring together

69
watery moon
i.e. the moon, which controls the tides

74
stay
support

77
Was never widow
there was never a widow who

77
dear
grievous/costly

81
parcelled
in specific parts, divided between them

81
general
all-encompassing

87
nurse
nourisher, feeder

88
pamper
cram, feed luxuriously

92
dull
sluggish, reluctant

94
opposite
antagonistic, adversarial

95
For it requires
because it reclaims

96
careful
caring

104
cry you mercy
beg your pardon

107
meekness
humility

110
butt-end
concluding part

111
grace
quibbling on the duchess’ title and on the sense of “religious virtue”

112
cloudy
gloomy

113
moan
sorrow, grief

117
broken rancour
divisive animosity (
broken
begins an image of an injured limb)
high-swoll’n
very inflamed/proud