Twelfth Night (30 page)

61
Marry
by the virgin Mary

63
thought is free
think what you like (proverbial)

64
th’buttery-bar
the ledge created by opening the half-door of the buttery, with play on genitals

65
Wherefore
why

66
dry
thirsty/shriveled/impotent (supposedly signified by a dry palm)

67
I … dry
alludes to the proverb “fools have wit enough to come in out of the rain”

69
dry jest
stupid/ironic

71
at … ends
always ready/literally by the hand

72
barren
empty of jests and of Sir Andrew’s hand

73
canary
sweet wine from the Canary Islands; also continues play on impotence

74
put down
snubbed (Sir Andrew plays on the senses of “drunk/impotent”)

77
Christian
i.e. average man

77
eater … wit
beef was thought to dull the intellect;
wit
may also signify “penis” and
beef
“whore,” implying impotence as a result of veneral disease

80
forswear it
give it up

82
Pourquoi
“why” (French)

84
tongues
foreign languages

85
bear-baiting
spectator sport in which a bear chained to a stake was attacked by dogs

85
the arts
liberal arts/academic learning

86
head of hair
puns on
tongues
pronounced “tongs,” thus suggesting a barber’s curling tongs

87
mended
improved

90
becomes
suits

91
flax
yellow fiber

91
distaff
staff used to spin flax

92
housewife
woman who keeps house/prostitute

92
take … off
treat Sir Andrew as a distaff and his hair as flax to be spun/have sex with Sir Andrew, resulting in syphilitic hair loss

94
none of me
have nothing to do with me

95
count
i.e. Duke Orsino

95
hard
near

97
degree
(social) position

97
estate
status/fortune

97
wit
intelligence

98
life in’t
still hope (proverbial)

100
strangest
oddest/most extraordinary

100
masques and revels
courtly entertainments involving dancing

102
kickshawses
trivial distractions/sexual sweetmeats

103
under … betters
except for my social superiors

104
old man
expert

106
galliard
lively dance

107
cut a caper
perform a leap/have sex

108
caper
as a berry used in sauce for

108
cut … to’t
plays on the sense of

108
mutton;
also a prostitute

109
back-trick
backward dance step/sex

112
like to take
likely to gather

113
Mistress Mall’s picture
i.e. a portrait protected from dust and light by a
curtain (Mall
is a diminutive of “Mary”)

114
in
doing

114
coranto
running dance

115
jig
rapid, springing dance

115
make water
urinate

116
sink-a-pace
cinquepace, a lively dance with five steps; may play on the sense of
sink
as “sewer”

117
virtues
talents

118
star … galliard
astrological influence favorable to dancing

119
indifferent
moderately

120
damned
damnably (the Folio reading “dam’d” is defensible as an intensifier, but it could be emended to, e.g., “damson-coloured” or “flame-coloured”)

120
stock
stocking

123
Taurus … heart
zodiacal signs were thought to govern parts of the body

124
legs and thighs
more usually Taurus was said to govern the neck and throat

Act 1 Scene 4

2
Cesario
suggests “little Caesar” and perhaps the idea of splitting/separating (as in “Cesarean” and “caesura”)

2
advanced
promoted

4
humour
disposition/capriciousness

10
On your attendance
ready to serve you

11
aloof
to one side

12
no … all
i.e. everything

14
address thy gait
direct your steps

16
them
i.e. Olivia’s servants

16
grow
i.e. take root

17
audience
reception by Olivia

20
spoke
said, rumored

21
civil bounds
bounds of civilized behavior

25
surprise
ambush, take unawares

25
faith
faithful love

26
become
suit

27
attend
listen, pay attention to

28
nuncio’s
messenger’s

28
aspect
appearance

30
lad
servant/young man

31
belie
deceive

32
Diana’s lip
Diana was the Roman goddess of the moon, hunting, and chastity; in view of “pipe” and “organ,”
lip
may play on “nether lip” (labia)

33
rubious
ruby red

33
pipe
voice/penis

34
shrill and sound
high-pitched and unbroken

35
is semblative
resembles

35
part
attributes/role/sexual
organ

36
constellation
disposition determined by the stars

40
freely
independently

43
barful strife
effort full of hindrances

Act 1 Scene 5

1.5
Feste
From Latin or Italian,
festa
(“feast” or “festival”), an appropriate name for a fool/clown

2
in
by

4
well hanged
plays on the sense of “with a large penis”

5
no colours
i.e. nothing (literally, military flags); puns on “collars” (nooses)

6
Make that good
justify yourself

7
He … fear
i.e. a dead man cannot see (enemy
colours)

8
lenten
meager (Lent, the time of fasting, was especially associated with puritanism)

11
bold
confident/certain

16
turned away
dismissed from service

17
Many … marriage
proverbial;
good hanging
may continue play on the sense of “large penis”

18
for
as for

18
let … out
i.e. good weather will make dismissal more bearable

20
points
matters (Maria plays on the sense of “laces used to hold up breeches”)

22
gaskins
breeches

23
Apt
quick, witty

23
if … drinking
either never, or suggesting that Maria and Sir Toby would be a good match

25
Eve’s flesh
woman

27
were best
are best advised
Malvolio
“ill-will” (Latin)

28
an’t
if it

31
Quinapalus
an invented authority, perhaps playing on French
qui n’a pas lu
(“unread”) or mock Italian “him on the stick” (the face on the fool’s bauble)

35
Go to
expression of impatient dismissal

35
dry
dull

36
dishonest
undutiful

37
Madonna
“my lady” (Italian)

39
dry
dull/thirsty

39
mend
improve; later plays on the sense of “repair”

40
botcher
mender of clothes and shoes

41
patched
simply mended, covered up; also alludes to the fool’s multicolored costume

43
simple
uncomplicated/foolish

43
syllogism
reasoning based on two premises (here those concerning virtue and sin)

44
so
well and good

44
no … calamity
i.e. one married to calamity will always be faithless

45
cuckold
man with an unfaithful wife

45
beauty’s a flower
i.e. it will fade; Feste advises Olivia to make the most of her youth and beauty, rather than shutting herself away and refusing to marry

48
Misprision
error/wrongful arrest
cucullus … monachum
“a hood does not make a monk” (Latin)

49
motley
multicolored clothing worn by professional fools

50
leave
permission

52
Dexteriously
skillfully

54
catechize
cross-examine (literally, form of Church instruction in which a person answers a set of questions about the Christian faith)

54
Good … virtue
my good virtuous mouse; playful term of endearment

56
idleness
pastime

56
bide
await/endure

66
mend
improve (Malvolio shifts the sense to “grow (more foolish)”

71
no fox
not cunning

72
pass
give

76
barren
dull-witted

76
put down
defeated

76
with
by

77
ordinary fool
unexceptional fool/fool performing at an inn
(ordinary
)/natural idiot

77
stone
may also refer to Stone, an Elizabethan tavern fool

78
out … guard
defenseless (fencing term), i.e. lacking a witty reply

79
minister occasion
provide opportunity (for fooling)

79
protest
declare

80
crow
laugh raucously

80
set
unspontaneous

81
zanies
assistants

82
of
with

83
distempered
unbalanced

83
free
generous

84
bird-bolts
blunt arrows for shooting birds

85
allowed
licensed

86
rail
rant

87
discreet
prudent

87
reprove
express disapproval

88
Mercury … leasing
may
Mercury
, god of deception, make you good at lying

98
madman
i.e. rubbish, gibberish

98
Fie
expression of impatience or disgust

100
What you will
whatever you want to say

101
old
stale

104
should be
were

104
Jove
Roman king of the gods

106
pia mater
brain (literally, soft membrane enclosing it)

112
sot
fool/drunkard

115
lethargy
(drunken) state

116
one
someone

119
faith
i.e. to defy the devil

119
it’s all one
it doesn’t matter

121
one … heat
one drink beyond that which would warm him

123
drowns
makes him excessively drunk/unintelligible/unconscious