The Two Gentlemen of Verona (27 page)

48
pawn
pledge

50
seal
ratify/complete

54
commendations
greeting

59
gracèd
favored

61
stand you affected
are you inclined

63
his
i.e. Valentine’s

64
something sorted
somewhat in agreement

65
Muse
wonder

69
maintenance
allowance

69
friends
supporters/relatives

70
Like exhibition
the same amount

72
Excuse it not
make no excuses

72
peremptory
resolved

73
provided
equipped

75
Look
see that

76
No … stay
no further talk of lingering

82
take exceptions
make objections

83
vantage
benefit

84
excepted most against
caused the greatest obstacle to

91
accords
agrees

Act 2 Scene 1

2.1
Location: Milan

2
on
pronounced “one” (thus allowing for the pun in the following line)

5
ornament
item of clothing

5
decks
adorns

6
Silvia
from the Latin “silva” meaning “woods”; also signifies a woodland deity or spirit

8
sirrah
sir (authoritative)

12
still
always

12
forward
hasty/lively

14
Go to
expression of dismissive impatience

17
special marks
particular signs

18
wreathe
fold (considered a sign of melancholy)

19
malcontent
discontented person

19
relish
sing/have a taste for/enjoy

20
pestilence
plague (victims were shunned for fear of infection)

21
lost his A B C
lost his schoolbook/forgotten the alphabet

22
grandam
grandmother

23
watch
remain awake

24
puling
whiningly

24
beggar at Hallowmas
beggars traditionally made special requests for aid on All Saints’ Day (1 November)

24
wont
accustomed previously

26
presently
immediately

27
want
lack

31
without ye
externally

32
Without me
out of my presence

33
without
unless

35
you … you
you surround these follies so fully that they are visible within you/you are so simple that even without these external signs of folly your internal folly would shine through

36
water … urinal
urine in a glass vessel used by doctors for diagnosis

37
malady
illness

40
Even she
herself

44
hard-
favoured
ugly

45
well-favoured
attractive/gracious

48
of you, well-favoured
preferred by you

49
favour
good will/charm

51
painted
artificial (painted on with cosmetics)

51
out … count
beyond calculation

55
counts of
esteems, values

56
How … me?
i.e. Do you think nothing, then, of my judgment?

57
deformed
disfigured/transformed by love in Valentine’s eyes

64
Love is blind
Cupid was traditionally depicted as blind

65
lights
clear-sightedness

66
ungartered
with his garters undone (i.e. disheveled, traditionally a sign of one in love)

69
hose
breeches (Valentine is in an even worse condition than Proteus, who at least managed to put on his hose)

74
swinged
beat

76
stand affected to
love (in his reply, Speed plays on the sense of
stand
as “have an erection”)

77
set
calm/seated

85
motion
puppet show

86
interpret to her
provide the words for the puppet (Silvia)

88
’give … ev’n
God give you a plain “good evening” (instead of these elaborate greetings)

88
million of
excessive quantity

89
servant
a lover who served and was devoted to his lady

90
He … him
as her lover, Valentine should express personal interest in Silvia, yet she gives him financial interest by doubling the number of greetings he has given her

92
friend
lover

95
clerkly
scholarly

96
came hardly off
was accomplished with difficulty

98
doubtfully
hesitantly

99
Perchance … pains
perhaps you think it is not worth making so much effort

100
so … you
as long as it is of help to you

103
pretty period
fine/clever pause/conclusion

103
the sequel
what was to come next

105
this
i.e. the letter

109
quaintly
skillfully

110
again
back

114
none of
have nothing to do with

118
so
so be it

120
for your labour
as payment for your efforts

124
sues to
pleads with/courts

126
device
scheme/invention

129
reasoning
talking/debating

134
figure
ingenious device/number

142
earnest
to be serious (the following line plays on the sense of “financial deposit”)

143
none
nothing

146
end
end to the matter/purpose

148
warrant
assure

150
want
lack

151
discover
reveal

153
in print
very precisely, as if quoting from a book

155
I have dined
implying that he has feasted upon Silvia’s looks

156
chameleon … air
Love was supposed to be changeable, like the chameleon, a creature that can alter its color and that was reputed to survive on air

158
victuals
food

158
fain
willingly

159
moved
sympathetic/persuaded to go to dinner

Act 2 Scene 2

2.2
Location: Verona

2
is
there is

4
turn
change, become unfaithful

5
remembrance
love token, keepsake

8
constancy
fidelity

9
o’erslips
passes by unnoticed

11
mischance
misfortune

13
stays
awaits

15
stay
detain

18
grace
adorn/do honor to

Act 2 Scene 3

2.3
Lance
short form of Lancelot; the name may also be derived from the Old French
l’ancelot
(“attendant”)

1
ere
before

2
kind
family

3
proportion
malapropism for “portion” (i.e. “allowance”)

3
prodigious
malapropism for “prodigal,” a reference to the well-known Bible story

4
Imperial’s
emperor’s

4
Crab
from “crab-apple,” a sour fruit

8
cur
dog

10
Jew
considered to be pitiless

12
manner of it
way it happened

12
shoe
Lance uses his shoes to represent his parents

13
left
thought to be inferior to the right

15
sole
puns on “soul” (women supposedly had souls inferior to those of men)

15
hole
plays on the sense of “vagina”

16
A vengeance on’t
a mild oath: Lance is struggling to remove his shoe

17
staff
tall walking stick

18
small
slim

18
wand
slender stick

21
your
i.e. I ask for your

24
wood
mad (playing on the fact that Lance’s shoe is wooden)

25
mother’s breath
Lance is smelling the shoe

25
up and down
in every way/exactly

26
mark
note

27
lay the dust
dampen the dust underfoot

30
post
hasten

31
lose
miss

33
tied
i.e. Crab (puns on
tide
)

37
flood
sea’s tide

42
lose
lose/loosen

44
tale
talk, story

45
tail
anus

50
call
summon

Act 2 Scene 4

2.4
Location: Milan Turio
Latin for “sprig, young shoot,” perhaps suggesting the character’s immaturity

7
’Twere … knocked
it would be a good idea to hit

10
that
what

12
counterfeits
fakes, impostors

16
instance
evidence

18
quote
observe (pronounced like “coat,” this plays on
jerkin
in the next line)

19
jerkin
jacket worn over a
doublet

20
doublet
close-fitting jacket

22
How?
What?

25
live … air
live near you/listen to you speak/live off the same air you breathe (like a
chameleon
)

28
done
finished/acted (as opposed to having
said
)

28
this time
the moment (Turio suggests that in the future he may “do” more, i.e. fight Valentine)

29
end … begin
stop before you’ve started (i.e. before actually dueling)

30
volley
discharge (of weapons)

34
the fire
i.e. the spark to set off the
volley
/ignite the guns

36
kindly
naturally/lovingly

37
spend
spend like money/waste

39
exchequer
treasury

41
bare liveries
shabby uniforms (worn by a gentleman’s servants or dependents)

45
hard beset
energetically besieged (by suitors)

50
happy messenger
messenger bringing good news

51
countryman
man from the same country

53
worth
wealth/rank/worthiness

53
worthy estimation
deserving of respect

54
without desert
undeservedly

62
Omitting
disregarding

63
age
present age/eventual old age

67
unmellowed
young (with no gray hairs)

67
ripe
mature

70
complete
perfect

70
feature
physical appearance

72
make this good
lives up to this description

76
potentates
powerful rulers

82
cite
urge