Titus Andronicus & Timon of Athens (54 page)

112
successantly
at once/one after the other

Act 5 Scene 1

5.1
Location: somewhere near Rome Drum
drummer

1
Approvèd
tried and tested

5
as … witness
as noble as your titles proclaim you to be

7
scathe
harm

9
slip
offspring (literally, a cutting from a plant)

13
bold
confident

15
master
in Shakespeare’s time, queen bees were assumed to be masculine

19
lusty
vigorous

22
earnestly
with sincere feeling

26
controlled
calmed

27
tawny
brown-skinned

28
bewray
betray

28
brat
not necessarily contemptuous

33
rates
berates, scolds

39
use … man
deal with the man as you think necessary

42
pearl … eye
proverbial: “a black man is a pearl in a fair woman’s eye”

43
fruit
i.e. the baby

44
wall-eyed
with glaring eyes

50
sire
father

51
sprawl
convulse in the throes of death

52
withal
with, moreover

66
Complots
conspiracies

66
mischief
wickedness

67
Ruthful … performed
lamentable to hear about, yet done in order to excite pity

75
for
because

77
popish
i.e. deceptive, superstitious (Protestant term; anachronistic in this context)

80
bauble
professional fool’s baton with a carved head at one end

86
discover
reveal

89
luxurious
lecherous, lascivious

91
To
compared to

94
trimmed
plays on the sense of “had sex with”

96
washed … trimmed
i.e. like dead meat

97
Trim
fine

100
codding
lecherous (from “cod,” i.e. “testicle”)

101
As … set
i.e. their mother’s lecherousness guaranteed theirs, as certain cards are guaranteed to win a game

102
bloody
bloodthirsty

103
dog … head
in bull- or bear-baiting, dogs were admired for attacking head-on

105
trained
lured, as to a snare

109
Confederate
in a conspiracy

112
cheater
person who cheats/escheator (i.e. officer who looks after property forfeited to the crown)

115
pried me
peered, spied

123
as … is
“to blush like a black dog” was proverbial for having a brazen face

131
forswear myself
swear falsely/break my word

147
presently
instantly

159
for
since

161
your hostages
i.e. such hostages as you may require

Act 5 Scene 2

5.2
Location: Rome
(
outside Titus’ house
)

1
sad habiliment
somber clothing

5
keeps
dwells, remains (possibly playing on the sense of “watches/lies in wait”)

7
Tell
I will tell

8
confusion
ruin, overthrow

8
Aloft or within
he is either on the upper stage or in the “discovery space”

10
ope
open

11
sad decrees
grave resolutions

14
bloody lines
writing describing bloody deeds (but with the suggestion that the lines have been, metaphorically, written in his own blood)

15
executed
plays on the sense of “killed”

17
grace
adorn, augment/give plausibility to

18
Wanting … action
lacking a hand to accompany my words with gestures

19
odds of
advantage over

23
trenches
i.e. wrinkles

24
heavy
sorrowful/burdensome

32
wreakful
vengeful

38
couch
lie hidden

39
dreadful
inspiring fear and dread

46
surance
assurance, guarantee

49
globes
planets (or a printer’s error for “globe”)

50
proper palfreys
handsome horses

51
hale
haul

52
murder
i.e. murderers

53
car
chariot

56
Hyperion
the Greek sun god

57
downfall
descent; perhaps an additional allusion to the story of Hyperion’s son Phaethon, who, attempting to drive the chariot of the sun, was unable to control the horses and crashed into the sea

59
So
provided that

59
Rapine
Rape

63
of
on

65
worldly
mortal

70
closing
agreeing (may play on the sense of “embracing”)

71
forge
invent

76
sure
securely

77
practice
plot

77
out of hand
immediately/spontaneously

78
giddy
unstable, excitable, inconstant

80
ply my theme
work at my exercise

82
Fury
avenging goddess

85
fitted
fitted out

87
wags
makes the slightest movement/goes anywhere (plays on the sense of sexual motion)

90
convenient
fitting, suitable

93
deal with
set to work upon (i.e. kill)

101
hap
chance

106
proportion
physical shape, appearance

107
up and down
in every respect

115
solemn
stately, ceremonial

124
repair
make his way

136
but Lucius
i.e. but that revenge which Lucius shall enact

139
governed … jest
managed the exploit we planned

140
smooth … fair
flatter and humor him

141
turn
return

161
cry
cry out

162
forbear
stop

163
therefore
precisely for that reason

170
spring
i.e. Lavinia

180
martyr
kill with great violence

187
paste
usually, a mixture of flour and water

188
coffin
pie crust (puns on the usual sense of the word)

189
pasties
meat pies (baked without a dish)

190
strumpet
whore, harlot

190
unhallowed
unholy, wicked

191
increase
offspring

193
surfeit
feed to excess/become sick from overeating

195
progne
Progne (or Procne), wife of Tereus, revenged his rape of her sister, Philomel, by killing her son Itys and serving him to his father in a pie

199
temper
moisten

201
officious
diligent in duties

203
Centaurs’ feast
the wedding feast of Pirithous the Lapith and Hippodamia ended in a bloody battle between the Lapithae and the Centaurs (half-men, half-horses) when one of the Centaurs launched an attack on the women present by attempting to violate the bride

205
gainst
before/in anticipation of the time when

5.3
Location: action continues; the scene then moves into the house

3
ours with thine
i.e. our minds accord with yours

9
ambush
men lying in wait to attack

17
firmament
sky

18
boots
profits, avails

19
break the parle
open the negotiations

21
careful
afflicted with care/considerate

21
Hautboys
oboe-like instruments

28
cheer
food/hospitality

33
beholding
indebted

36
Virginius
the centurion Virginius killed his daughter Virginia to prevent her being raped by Appius Claudius; in some versions of the story he killed her because she had been raped

41
Because
so that

42
still
continually

44
lively
striking/living, active

44
warrant
authoritative witness/conclusive proof/sanction/document licensing execution

48
unkind
cruel

52
outrage
violent action

61
daintily
with delicate attention to the palate

66
meed for meed
measure for measure

71
mutual
unified, mutually supporting

73
bane
murderer/poison

75
forlorn
outcast

77
frosty signs
i.e. white hair

77
chaps
wrinkles/cracked skin

80
erst
formerly/once

80
ancestor
i.e. Aeneas did

83
baleful
deadly

84
subtle
cunning

84
Greeks … Troy
i.e. by gaining entry through hiding in the wooden horse

85
Sinon
the man who tricked the Trojans into accepting the horse

86
engine
instrument of warfare (i.e. the Trojan horse)

88
compact
composed

96
auditory
assembly of listeners, audience

100
fell
fierce, cruel

101
cozened
cheated

102
fought … out
fought to the end for Rome’s cause

104
unkindly
unnaturally

112
advent’rous
willing to incur risk

113
vaunter
boaster

129
aught
anything

131
poor … Andronici
the few remaining members of the Andronicus family

133
ragged
rough

149
give me aim
stand by and observe (archery metaphor: the person who “gave aim” stood by the target and reported the results of the shots)

151
aloof
aside

152
obsequious
pertaining to obsequies, i.e. funeral rites

152
trunk
body, corpse

157
tenders
offers (as one would discharge a financial obligation; also with connotations of tenderness)

165
Meet
fitting

169
associate
accompany

179
famish
starve

182
doom
sentence

195
heinous
wicked

202
heavy haps
sorrowful fortunes

List of Parts

captain
military leader, general

Act 1 Scene 1

1.1
Location: outside Timon’s house, Athens

1.1
Mercer
dealer in silk, whose occupation could be indicated by costume; Folio stage direction is “and
Mercer
” but “both” at line 10 suggests he is synonymous with the Merchant who speaks with the Jeweller

1.1
several
different

3
long
for a long time