The Comedy of Errors (26 page)

85
those
i.e. the beatings

90
hie
hasten

94
an
if

94
take
take to

95
device
scheme

96
o’er-raught
cheated

97
cozenage
trickery

98
As
such as

98
jugglers
illusionists, tricksters

99
Dark-working
secretive/with the power to create darkness

100
deform
transform/harm

101
prating mountebanks
swift-talking quacks

102
liberties of sin
unrestrained, dissolute sinners (some editors emend to “libertines”)

Act 2 Scene 1

2.1
Adriana
the name means “dark one,” suggesting she may be brunette

2.1
Antipholus
[
of Ephesus
]
Folio entry direction calls him “Antipholis Sereptus” (from Latin
surreptus
, “stolen away”)

2.1
Luciana
the name means “light one,” suggesting she may be blond

2
slave
servant/rascal

3
Sure
surely

8
see time
see fit

11
still
always

12
when
whenever

12
serve
treat

12
ill
badly

15
lashed
whipped/harnessed

16
situate
situated

17
bound
limit

19
at their controls
under their control

20
more divine
closer to God in the order of being

25
attend … accords
serve their wishes/wait on their consent

28
bear some sway
wield some power

30
start … where
wander elsewhere (i.e. have an affair)

31
forbear
be patient

32
No … pause
no wonder she hesitates to marry

33
other cause
reason to behave otherwise

36
like
the same

39
helpless
useless

40
like right bereft
yourself deprived of similar rights

41
fool-begged
foolish

41
left
abandoned

42
but to try
just to see what it’s like

46
two ears
refers to his earlier beating

49
told
communicated/tolled (i.e. struck)

50
Beshrew
curse

51
doubtfully
ambiguously (Dromio shifts the sense to “dreadfully”)

55
understand
comprehend/endure (“stand under”)

58
horn-mad
furious (like a horned beast)

60
cuckold-mad
enraged like a husband with an unfaithful wife; such men were popularly imagined to grow horns

68
Hang up
hang

69
out on
expression of indignant contempt

73
my … shoulders
the message I should have delivered verbally he made me return with on my shoulders (as a beating)

77
new
freshly

80
bless
puns on the sense of “wound” (from French: “blesser”)

81
holy
blessed/full of holes

82
peasant
servant (contemptuous)

83
round
outspoken/spherical

84
spurn
kick/treat contemptuously

86
last
plays on sense of “wooden mold of a foot used for making shoes”

86
leather
i.e. like a
football
(or shoe)

87
loureth
scowls

88
His
i.e. Antipholus’

88
do … grace
give pleasure to his sweethearts

90
homely
plain

91
wasted
withered/squandered

92
discourses
conversations

92
wit
intelligence

93
voluble
articulate

93
marred
ruined

94
than marble hard
than even hard marble would

95
their
i.e. the minions’

95
gay vestments
pretty, bright outfits

95
bait
ensnare (plays on “bate”—i.e. “reduce” the force of his love for Adriana)

96
state
estate, appearance

98
By … ruined
that he is not responsible for

98
ground
cause

99
defeatures
waning attractions

99
fair
beauty

101
deer
puns on “dear”

101
pale
boundaries

102
feeds from home
satisfies his appetites elsewhere

102
stale
laughingstock/prostitute

104
Unfeeling fools
only insensitive fools

105
doth homage otherwhere
admires another woman

106
lets
prevents

108
Would … detain
a heavily disputed line, variously emended to “alone o’ love,” “alone, alone,” or “alone, alas”; the gist seems to be “I had rather he would withhold the gift (
chain
) and remain faithful”

109
So
as long as

109
keep … bed
i.e. remain faithful

110
jewel best enamellèd
even the most beautifully enameled ornament (or woman)

111
bides still
lasts forever (like a true wife)

112
touch
the quality of gold was tested by rubbing it against a touchstone (plays on sense of “fondle sexually”)

113
Wear
wear away (may also play on the idea of using up one’s money on mistresses or whores)

113
name
reputation

117
fond
doting/foolish

Act 2 Scene 2

2
heedful
attentive/careful

3
in care
conscientiously

4
By … report
by working out my whereabouts based on the inkeeper’s information

5
could not speak
have not spoken

8
strokes
blows

13
spake I
did I speak

17
the gold’s receipt
receiving the gold

19
felt’st
understood/physically experienced

20
vein
mood

22
in the teeth
to my face

24
earnest
genuine (plays on the financial sense of “deposit laid to secure a
bargain
”)

27
for
as

27
fool
companion/jester

28
sauciness
insolence

28
jest upon
trifle with

29
make … hours
intrude upon my important matters as though they were free to anyone

30
sport
play

32
aspect
disposition (plays on the sense of “planetary position”)

33
fashion
suit, adapt

33
demeanour
attitude, behavior

34
sconce
head (Dromio plays on the sense of “fortress”)

35
So
if

36
battering
beating/attacking with a battering ram

36
An
if

36
blows long
puns on “longbow”

37
sconce
protection/helmet

37
ensconce
shelter

38
seek … shoulders
i.e. as my brains will have been beaten into my shoulders

43
wherefore
for what reason

46
urging
repeating

47
out of season
unjustly

51
Marry
by the Virgin Mary

51
something … nothing
i.e. beating which I did nothing to deserve

53
to give
by giving

55
wants that
lacks that which

56
In good time
indeed

57
Basting
moistening/beating

61
choleric
angry (choler was the hot humor worsened by a dry diet)

62
dry
severe

63
in good time
appropriately

65
durst have denied
would have dared deny

67
By what rule
on what grounds

69
Father Time
traditionally depicted as an elderly man, bald but for a forelock of hair

73
fine and recovery
legal terms for the process of transferring ownership or inheritance of property

74
fine
fee

74
periwig
wig

75
hair
puns on “heir”

76
such a niggard
so begrudging

77
excrement
outgrowth

79
scanted
limited

83
hath … hair
is clever enough to lose his hair (ironic, since baldness was a symptom of syphilis;
wit
may play on sense of “penis”)

86
plain dealers
straightforward, frank

87
plainer dealer
greater womanizer (playing on “to deal”—i.e. “to have sex”)

88
jollity
sexual pleasure

90
two
plays on the notion of testicles

90
sound
valid (Antipholus plays on the sense of “healthy”)

92
Sure
certain (Antipholus plays on the sense of “trustworthy”)

93
thing falsing
deceptive situation/unfaithful vagina

94
Certain
reliable

97
tiring
dressing his hair

97
they
his hairs

98
porridge
soup

103
substantial
substantiated

105
mend
amend

107
bald
inane

108
wafts
beckons

109
strange
without recognition, distant

110
aspects
looks

112
unurged
unprompted

117
carved
sliced the meat (plays on slang sense of “had sex with”)

119
estrangèd from thyself
so unlike yourself/so distant toward me, your other half

121
incorporate
united in one body

122
better part
soul/higher qualities

124
fall
let fall

125
breaking gulf
sea

128
As … too
as take yourself from me without taking myself away from me

129
dearly
grievously

129
quick
most tender spot

131
consecrate
sanctified, dedicated

133
spurn
strike

135
stained
overly made-up, like a whore/figuratively tarnished by impure deeds/branded as a punishment for harlotry

136
false
unfaithful

138
see … it
make sure that you do

139
possessed with
seized by

139
adulterate blot
the stain of adultery

140
blood is mingled
blood was thought to mingle during sex

143
strumpeted
made a whore

144
Keep … league
if you remain faithful

145
distained
unstained