The Two Gentlemen of Verona (26 page)

37
circumstance
elaborate speech

38
circumstance
situation

39
Love
refers here to Cupid

39
cavil
quibble/complain

41
yok
èd
bound/controlled

42
chronicled for
recorded as being

44
eating canker
worm that feeds off and destroys plants

46
forward
early

47
blow
bloom

49
blasting
withering

50
verdure
green freshness

50
prime
spring

51
effects
outcome

52
wherefore
why

52
counsel
advise

53
votary
devoted worshipper

53
fond
foolish/doting

54
road
harbor

55
shipped
dispatched on board a ship

58
Milan
northern Italian dukedom

59
success
destiny

60
Betideth
takes place

61
mine
i.e. my letters full of news

62
bechance
happen

65
dignify
honor (by improving his own reputation in the world)

66
leave
abandon/neglect

67
Julia
possiby named after the Juliet in Arthur Brooke’s poem
Romeus and Juliet;
her name may also signify passion, being derived from the hot month of July

69
War
disagree

70
musing
pondering

70
Speed
a name suggesting quick wit; possibly ironic in places as Speed is sometimes slow to go about his errands

71
’save you
God save you

72
But
just

74
sheep
puns on “ship”

76
An if
if

80
my … horns
as he owns me my horns belong to him (Speed implies that this makes Valentine a cuckold)

85
circumstance
reasoned argument

86
It … another
it’ll be unfortunate if I can’t prove the point with a different explanation

90
fodder
food

94
baa
puns on the contemptuous “bah”

96
mutton
sheep

97
laced-mutton
a prostitute wearing either lace or a tightly laced bodice

99
store
great quantity

100
overcharged
overcrowded

100
stick
slaughter/have sex with

102
astray
wandering into error (puns on the idea of “a stray sheep”)

102
pound
confine in an animal pound/beat

103
pound
reference to money, though still punning on a beating

105
pinfold
animal pen

106
pin
insignificant amount

106
Fold
multiply (puns on
pinfold
) with additional suggestions of folding a letter

110
‘noddy
’ fool

114
take … pains
have it as a reward for the trouble you have taken

117
fain to bear
obliged to put up (with suggestions of carrying on behalf of)

119
Marry
by the Virgin Mary

119
orderly
dutifully/properly

121
Beshrew
the devil take

123
open the matter
reveal the information

128
hardly
with great difficulty

129
perceive
understand/glean

131
perceive
receive (may play on
purse
)

132
ducat
gold coin

133
brought your mind
conveyed your feelings to her

134
in … mind
when you tell her of your emotions in person

134
token
lover’s gift

135
stones
jewels

138
bounty
generosity

138
testerned me
given me sixpence (a “testern”)

139
requital whereof
return for which

140
commend
present greetings from

141
begone
go away (expression of annoyance)

143
drier death
i.e. hanging

145
deign my lines
accept my letter

146
post
messenger/idiot

Act 1 Scene 2

1.2
Lucetta
diminutive form of “Lucy”

3
so
providing that

3
stumble
trip/have sex

3
unheedfully
carelessly/recklessly

4
resort
company

5
parle
talk

9
Sir Eglamour
almost certainly a different Eglamour from the one who appears later in the play;
amor
is Latin for “love”

10
neat
elegant

12
Mercatio
his name suggests that he is a merchant

14
gentle
well-born/honorable

16
passion
outburst

17
passing
surpassing, extreme (puns on
passion
)

19
censure
pass judgment on

25
cast
bestow

26
cast away
wasted

27
moved
wooed

29
little speaking
very few words on the subject

39
being … it
happening to meet him I took the letter on your behalf

41
goodly broker
fine intermediary

42
wanton
passionate/lewd

44
office
position

48
fee
recompense

50
That … ruminate
(yes) in order to enable you to think

51
I had o’erlooked
I wish I had read

53
pray her to
beg her to commit

53
chid
rebuked

57
have …
‘
ay
’ rather the person making the offer interpreted as “yes”

58
wayward
perverse, unreasonable

59
testy
irritable

60
presently
immediately

60
kiss the rod
be obedient

60
rod
cane

61
churlishly
roughly. ungraciously

63
angerly
angrily

66
remission
forgiveness

71
kill your stomach
satisfy your appetite/calm your bad temper (
meat
was pronounced “mate” and thus puns on
maid
)

79
let … concerns
leave it there for those it is intended for

80
lie … concerns
fib about its contents

81
false interpreter
untrustworthy/untrue reader

83
That
in order that

84
set
set to music (in the next line Julia intends the sense of “set store by”)

85
toys
trifles

86
‘Light o’ love
’ a popular tune

87
heavy
serious/burdensome

87
light
frivolous/of little weight

88
burden
bass accompaniment/chorus/
heavy
load

91
reach so high
sing at such a high pitch/win someone of Proteus’ status

92
minion
minx, mischievous one

93
tune
melody/temper

93
so … out
in that way you will finish the song/rid yourself of your mood

96
sharp
shrill/cross

98
flat
tunelessly low in pitch/blunt

99
mar
spoil

99
concord
harmony

99
descant
harmonious variation on the tune

100
mean
middle point/method/tenor (a male voice—i.e. that of Proteus)

101
unruly bass
uncontrolled bass voice/unworthy. low behavior

102
bid the base
sing the male part/challenge to a chase

104
coil with protestation
fuss about declarations of love

106
fing’ring
fiddling with/stealing

107
makes it strange
pretends she doesn’t care

109
would … same
I wish that I had the letter back to be able to appear enraged by it/I wish that it really was anger that I was feeling about the letter

111
Injurious wasps
unjust/harmful wasps (i.e. fingers)

113
several paper
scrap of the torn-up letter

114
Unkind
cruel/unnatural

115
As
as if

119
my … thee
I shall keep the scrap of paper with your name on it in my breast pocket/my heart will nurture your name

120
throughly
thoroughly

121
search
clean/probe (a wound)

121
sovereign
healing

126
ragged
rugged

130
that
i.e. the part with her name on it

131
sith
since

132
He … names
he links my name to his lamenting one

133
Thus … another
Julia folds the paper so that her name is lying upon that of Proteus (the sexual nature of this is continued in the following line in which the actions described become increasingly physical)

134
contend
grapple, engage with sexually

135
stays
waits

138
respect
value

139
taken up
rebuked

140
for
lest they should

141
month’s mind to
preference for

143
judge I wink
think my eyes are shut

Act 1 Scene 3

1.3
Pantino
possibly from “pantler,” a type of servant, and the Italian diminutive
ino

1
sad
serious

2
cloister
covered arcade adjoining a building

6
suffer
allow

7
slender reputation
lesser/insignificant status/repute

8
Put forth
send out into the world

8
preferment
advancement, favor

13
meet
suitable

14
importune
urge

16
impeachment … age
discredit to him when he is older

19
hammering
thinking hard about

21
perfect
complete/fully rounded and experienced

22
tried
tested

26
ignorant
unaware

28
emperor
the Duke of Milan—he is referred to as both “emperor” and “duke” in the play

31
practise tilts
take part in jousts

32
sweet discourse
elegant conversation

33
in eye of
witness to

37
execution
carrying out

38
expedition
haste

43
commend
commit

45
in good time
just at the right moment

45
break with
reveal the plan to

47
hand
handwriting