Titus Andronicus & Timon of Athens (51 page)

23
happy
fortuitous

24
counsel-keeping
secret-keeping

30
Venus
Roman goddess of love

31
Saturn
the planet’s influence was supposed to make men sullen and melancholy

31
dominator
dominant planet

32
deadly-standing
death-dealing

37
venereal
erotic, lustful (from Venus)

41
hopes
hopes for

43
Philomel
Tereus raped Philomel and cut her
tongue
out to prevent her naming him as the perpetrator; she revealed his identity by weaving an account of what had happened

46
Take it up
take it

49
parcel
part

49
hopeful
hoped-for/promising

53
cross
antagonistic, quarrelsome

56
unfurnished … troop
not equipped with a suitable escort

57
Dian
Diana, Roman goddess of hunting and chastity

57
habited
dressed

59
general
participated in by all

60
Saucy
insolent

60
controller
critic/official responsible for household finances (i.e. one of lower status)

62
presently
immediately

63
Actaeon
having seen Diana bathing naked, Actaeon was punished by being turned into a stag and hunted by his own
hounds

64
drive
rush

66
Under your patience
if I may say so

66
gentle
noble

67
horning
giving cuckold’s horns (i.e. being unfaithful to one’s husband)

68
doubted
suspected

69
Are singled forth
have deliberately separated yourselves (as an animal is from the herd)

69
experiments
i.e. sexual exploration

70
Jove
supreme Roman god

72
swarth
swarthy (i.e. black)

72
Cimmerian
one of a people who were supposed to live in darkness (i.e. the dark-skinned Aaron)

75
sequestered
separated

75
train
retinue

81
Great reason
i.e. no wonder

81
rated
berated, chastised

83
joy
enjoy

84
passing
surpassingly

86
slips
moral errors/sexual lapses

86
noted
notorious, branded with disgrace/the subject of talk

92
’ticed
enticed

95
O’ercome
overgrown

95
baleful
deadly, poisonous

97
fatal
ominous

97
raven
like the
owl
, a bird whose call was associated with death

101
toads
thought to be poisonous

101
urchins
goblins, elves

104
straight
straight away

104
suddenly
immediately

107
dismal
ominous

110
Goth
probably pronounced “goat,” a proverbially lascivious animal

118
Semiramis
Assyrian queen noted for beauty, cruelty, and lust

120
poniard
dagger

123
thrash
plays on the sense of “have sex”

124
minion
hussy

124
stood upon
insisted upon, made much of

126
painted
i.e. false

128
An if
if

131
honey
sexual sweets

132
outlive
live longer

133
warrant
assure, guarantee

134
perforce
by force

135
nice-preservèd honesty
fastidiously maintained chastity

142
dam
mother

143
learn
teach

145
tyranny
violence, cruelty, villainy

146
sons alike
identical sons

149
raven
a bird of ill omen, associated with (moral) blackness and with “ravening” (ravishing/devouring)

149
lark
associated with the brightness of morning and, because of its high flight, heaven

150
it
it to be so

152
paws
claws

153
forlorn
abandoned, destitute

154
birds
chicks

156
Nothing … pitiful
if not as kind (as the fostering raven), then at least somewhat pitiful

157
it
i.e. pity

166
use
treat/employ sexually

172
Fond
foolish

173
present
immediate

174
womanhood
female modesty

174
denies
forbids

176
tumble
ironically to “tumble” can also mean “to have sex with”

179
fee
payment, i.e. sexual entitlement

181
stayed
delayed

183
our general name
the reputation of womankind

184
Confusion
ruin, disorder/shame/mental disturbance

187
make her sure
secure her, i.e. ensure she is no threat to us

189
Andronici
Latin plural of “Andronicus,” i.e. the whole family

189
made away
killed

191
spleenful
violent, lustful (the spleen was regarded as the seat of strong passions)

191
trull
whore

192
better foot before
best foot forward

195
dull
lacking keenness of perception (associated with a melancholy and foreboding)

198
subtle
treacherous, crafty, disguised

199
rude-growing
wild, uncultivated

204
object
sight

210
unhallowed
unholy, wicked

211
surprisèd
bewildered, overcome

211
uncouth
unfamiliar

217
compassionate
afflicted with sorrow

219
by surmise
even to imagine

222
embrewèd
soaked

223
on a heap
prostrate

227
ring … hole
presumably the ring is set with a carbuncle, a gem supposed to emit light

228
monument
tomb

229
earthly
pale, lifeless

231
Pyramus
in the mistaken belief that his lover Thisbe had been killed by a lion, Pyramus committed suicide; discovering this, Thisbe did the same

232
maiden blood
his own blood, that of a male virgin/Thisbe’s blood (after she had killed herself over his body)

235
fell
fierce, cruel

236
Cocytus
a river in hell, used here for hell generally

238
wanting
lacking

239
womb
stomach/uterus

258
out alas
alas (
out
is an intensifier)

260
gride
pierced

262
search
probe

264
writ
document

265
complot
plan, plot (with suggestions of “outline of a play” picked up in
tragedy
)

265
timeless
untimely

266
fold
hide

268
handsomely
conveniently

272
elder tree
an ill-omened tree associated with betrayal

274
decreed
decided

275
purchase
win

279
should
was to

281
kind
nature

286
wondrous
strange/incredible

292
apparent
obvious

298
their suspicion
the suspicion they are under

305
Fear not
fear not for

Act 2 Scene 4

2.4
ravished
raped

3
bewray
divulge

5
scrawl
gesticulate awkwardly/write untidily

6
sweet water
a perfumed preparation similar to rose water

9
cause
case, situation

10
knit
knot

12
Cousin
a term used for any relative

14
strike
astrological term referring to the power of a
planet
to emit a deadly influence

19
circling shadows
protective encircling shade

26
Tereus
her brother-in-law who raped Philomel

27
detect
expose/accuse

30
conduit
fountain

31
Titan
the sun god

35
rail at
berate, rant at

36
stopped
shut up

39
tedious
laboriously executed

39
sampler
piece of embroidery

40
mean
method, course of action

51
Cerberus … feet
Orpheus (
the Thracian poet
) played his lute so sweetly that
Cerberus
, the three-headed dog guarding the entrance to the underworld, fell asleep at his feet

54
meads
meadows

Act 3 Scene 1

3.1
Location: Rome
(
public place
)

1
grave fathers
dignified and venerable old men

4
my blood
i.e. the blood of my sons

4
quarrel
cause

5
watched
remained awake, on guard

13
languor
sorrow, affliction

14
stanch
satisfy, quench

15
shame
feel shame

17
distil
trickle down

17
these … ruins
i.e. his eyes

19
still
continually

22
So
provided that

24
doom
sentence

26
prevailing orators
successful in their entreaty

34
mark
pay attention to

36
bootless
in vain, pointlessly

39
intercept
interrupt

42
attirèd
clothed/covered

42
grave
somber/deathly

42
weeds
garments/wild plants

43
afford
offer/supply

51
happy
fortunate

64
object
sight

71
Nilus
the river Nile, known for its annual flooding

71
disdaineth
scorns, treats with contempt (i.e. overflows)

74
nursed … life
i.e. in helping to uphold Rome, my hands have contributed to my own grief

76
effectless
fruitless

81
martyred
mutilated

82
engine
instrument

83
blabbed
uttered/told what was better kept secret

88
park
enclosed hunting ground

90
unrecuring
incurable

91
dear
puns on
deer

94
Environed
surrounded

95
waxing
swelling