The Merchant of Venice (32 page)
Read The Merchant of Venice Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
112
use
employment (puns on sense of “financial interest”)
114
Go to
expression of impatient dismissal
116
void
discharge, empty
rheum
spittle
117
foot
kick
spurn
despise/reject/strike
stranger cur
unknown dog
118
suit
request
122
bondman’s key
serf’s tone
123
bated
subdued
128
like
likely
132
A … metal
an unnatural increase of money—i.e. interest
barren
unable to reproduce naturally
of
from
134
break
i.e. fail to repay the sum
better
more willing
139
doit
small coin (i.e. tiny amount)
141
kind
kindness/natural behavior
142
were
would be (indeed)
144
notary
person authorized to draw up contracts
145
single
particular/
bond
that specifies that a sum of money must be paid on an appointed day
148
condition
contract
149
nominated for
named as
equal
exact
155
dwell
remain/exist
necessity
need
161
suspect
i.e. to doubt
163
break his day
miss the appointed date (for repayment)
164
exaction
enforcement
166
estimable
valuable
169
so
so be it
172
forthwith
at once
173
direction
instruction
174
purse
bag up
175
See
attend
fearful
fear-inducing
176
unthrifty
profligate/careless
knave
scoundrel/servant
presently
soon
178
Hie
hurry
gentle
courteous (may pun on “gentile”)
179
kind
agreeable/generous/natural
tawny
dark-skinned/of yellowish-brown skin
Moor
person of either African or Middle Eastern origin
Flourish
fanfare
2
livery
uniform/badge
burnished
shining like polished metal
3
near bred
closely related
5
Phoebus
Roman sun god
6
make incision
i.e. to let blood
7
reddest
suggestive of courage and vigor
8
aspect
face
9
feared
frightened
10
clime
land
11
hue
color/appearance
14
nice
scrupulous/whimsical
direction
guidance
17
scanted
limited
18
hedged
protected/confined
wit
wisdom
19
His
as his
20
then
would then have
fair
i.e. fair a chance (puns on the sense of “fair-skinned/attractive”)
22
For
of gaining/hoping for
25
scimitar
short, curved sword
26
Sophy
ruler (shah) of Persia
27
fields
battles
of
from/against
Solyman
Suleiman, sultan who fought against Persia
28
o’erstare
outstare
33
Hercules
Greek hero
Lichas
Hercules’ companion
36
Alcides
another name for Hercules
44
advised
warned
45
Nor will not
break my word, i.e. speak to a woman
47
hazard
risk/choice/fortune
Clown
a rustic, and/or comic character
Lancelet
i.e. “little lance” (type of spear/penis); Sir Lancelot was famous for adultery with King Arthur’s wife; a “lance” was also a surgeon’s instrument for piercing an abscess
1
serve
allow
3
Gobbo
hunchback (Italian)
5
start
advantage
7
with thy heels
firmly (plays on literal sense)
8
courageous
purposeful/forceful/lusty
pack
depart
Fia!
Via
! i.e. away (Italian)
9
For the heavens
i.e. in heaven’s name
12
honest
honorable (sense then shifts to “chaste”)
13
something
somewhat/some thing (i.e. vagina)
14
smack
have a taste for/taste literally/have sex with
grow to
become one with/tend toward/become erect
taste
preference/literal taste
19
God … mark
i.e. excuse my language
20
saving your reverence
i.e. begging your pardon
22
incarnation
slip for “incarnate” (ironic, given that the Incarnation refers to the making of Christ into flesh)
28
true-begotten
honestly conceived (Lancelet means “real, true”)
29
sand-blind
half-blind (from “sam-blind,” but Lancelet thinks “as if with
sand
in the eyes”)
high-gravel-blind
completely blind
30
confusions
(appropriate) malapropism for “conclusions”—i.e. “experiment”
35
of no hand
i.e. neither left or right
indirectly
along a winding route (perhaps plays on the sense of “moral crookedness”)
37
sonties
saints
hit
get right, find
41
raise the waters
provoke tears
43
master
gentleman or professional tradesperson
45
well to live
well-to-do/managing satisfactorily/healthy
46
a
he
48
friend and Lancelet
Old Gobbo’s polite way of rejecting the title “master” for Lancelet
49
ergo
“therefore” (Latin)
51
an’t
if it
53
father
respectful form of address for an old man
54
Sisters Three
three Fates, goddesses who spin, measure, and cut the thread of a person’s life
59
hovel-post
doorpost of a hovel
66
of the knowing
to recognize
67
it … child
reversal of the proverb “it is a wise child that knows its own father”
74
your boy … be
comic paraphrase of the Gloria from the Book of Common Prayer: “As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be”
80
Margery
sometimes used as slang term for a whore, or vagina
83
fill-horse
carthorse (“fills” were the shafts of a cart)
86
backward
inward (i.e. is shorter)
of
on
89
agree
get on
91
set … rest
staked all
92
rest
pause, stop
93
very
thorough
94
halter
hangman’s noose
tell
count
95
finger … ribs
Lancelet reverses
ribs
and
finger
96
Give me
give for me/give (
me
is emphatic)
97
rare
splendid
liveries
uniforms (for servants)
99
Jew
i.e. villain
100
hasted
hastened
101
farthest
latest
103
anon
shortly
106
Gramercy
many thanks
aught
anything
108
poor
shifts sense from “unfortunate/humble” to “penniless”
110
infection
malapropism for “affection” (i.e. desire)
115
scarce
scarcely
cater-cousins
good friends, close
118
frutify
malapropism for “certify”
121
impertinent
malapropism for “pertinent”
126
defect
malapropism for “effect” (i.e. meaning, purport)
129
preferred
recommended/promoted
132
old proverb
“the grace of God is gear enough” (i.e. sufficient)
parted
divided
136
inquire … out
find out where my house is
138
guarded
ornamented by braid trimmings
141
table
part of the palm
book
i.e. Bible (on which oaths are sworn)
142
simple
ordinary/unremarkable
line of life
the life-line on the palm supposedly records the length and nature of a person’s life
143
trifle
insignificant amount
144
simple
humble
coming-in
income (puns on the sense of “having sex”)
145
scape
escape
146
edge … feather-bed
perhaps refers to the dangers of marriage (i.e. a wife’s infidelity)
147
scapes
escapes/adventures/wrongdoings
148
gear
matter
the
i.e. a
151
bestowed
stowed away (on the ship bound for Belmont)
152
feast
lay on a feast for
154
herein
in this matter
160
obtained it
i.e. been granted your request
164
rude
raucous/coarse
165
Parts
qualities
become
suit
167
show
appear
168
liberal
licentious
take pain
make an effort
169
allay
diminish
modesty
restraint/ propriety
170
skipping
frivolous
171
misconstered
misconstrued, misunderstood
174
habit
demeanor/behavior/clothing
175
but
only
177
saying
being said
180
studied … ostent
practiced in a solemn appearance
181
grandam
grandmother
183
bar
exclude
gauge
assess
188
purpose
intend
