A Midsummer Night's Dream (31 page)

94
stretched
strained at/pulled

95
lost
wasted

96
ere … beard
before developing the awn (bristly growth)

97
fold
animal pen

98
murrion
infected

99
nine men's morris
ground marked out for a game involving nine pegs (“
men
”)

100
quaint
elaborate

100
mazes
pattern of paths cut in the turf

100
wanton green
lush grass

102
want … blessed
i.e. though the weather is wintry, there are no winter festivities (some editors emend “here” to “cheer”)

104
Therefore
i.e. because of our dispute

104
floods
tides

105
washes
saturates, renders moist

106
rheumatic diseases
illnesses involving watery discharge, such as colds

107
distemperature
poor weather/disorder

108
hoary-headed
white-haired

110
Hiems
personification of winter

111
chaplet
garland

113
childing
fertile

114
wonted
customary

114
mazèd
confused/dumbstruck/terrified

115
increase
produce

117
debate
discord

117
dissension
discord

118
original
point of origin

122
henchman
squire, page

125
votress
female follower, bound by a vow

127
Full
very

128
Neptune
Roman god of the sea

129
Marking
observing, noting

129
th'embarkèd traders
sailing merchants or their ships

129
flood
sea

131
wanton
playful/lustful

132
swimming gait
smooth, graceful motion

137
of that boy
i.e. in childbirth

141
Perchance
perhaps

142
patiently
calmly

142
round
circular dance

144
spare
avoid

147
chide
quarrel

147
downright
utterly

148
from
go from

151
Since
when

151
promontory
headland

153
dulcet
sweet

153
breath
i.e. song

154
rude
rough

155
certain
surely/particular

160
all
fully

160
certain
accurate/specific

161
vestal
woman vowed to chastity, here assumed by most commentators to be an allusion to Queen Elizabeth I (
the imperial votress
)

163
As
as if

164
might
could

167
fancy-free
unaffected by love

168
bolt
arrow

170
purple
blood-colored

171
love-in-idleness
pansy or heartsease

174
or
either

177
leviathan
sea monster

178
girdle
belt

194
The … stayeth
i.e. I will confront Lysander; it is Hermia who is preoccupying me (some editors emend to “slay … slayeth”)

196
wood
angry/mad (puns on “wooed”)

199
draw
attract (magnetically)

199
adamant
hard magnetic substance

201
Leave you
give up

203
you fair
favorably, kindly to you

209
but
only

210
leave
permission

218
impeach
discredit

222
desert
desolate, isolated

224
privilege
safeguard

224
for that
because

231
brakes
bushes

235
Apollo … chase
a reversal of the myth in which Daphne, being chased by Apollo, was spared rape by being turned into a laurel tree

236
griffin
mythical beast, part lion part eagle

236
hind
female deer

237
Bootless
pointless

239
stay
wait for

244
set … sex
make me behave in a way that disgraces womankind

248
upon
by/at

254
blows
blossoms

255
oxlips
flowers resembling both cowslip and primrose

256
Quite
completely

256
woodbine
honeysuckle

257
musk-roses
wild climbing roses

257
eglantine
sweetbriar, a sweetly scented rose

258
sometime
at some time or other

260
throws
sheds

261
Weed
garment

271
fond on
infatuated with

1
roundel
circulardance

3
cankers
wormsthatdestroyplants

4
reremice
bats

4
leathern
leathery

7
quaint
strange/dainty

8
offices
duties

9
double
i.e. forked

11
blind-worms
adders

13
Philomel
nightingale; Philomela was transformed into a nightingale after being raped by her brother-in-law

18
nigh
near

24
etc
. indicates chorus is to be repeated

26
aloof
at a distance

26
sentinel
guard

30
ounce
lynx

31
Pard
leopard/panther

36
troth
truth

38
tarry … day
wait till the cooler part of the day

42
troth
pledge (of love)/faith

45
take the sense
i.e. interpret correctly

46
Love … conference
i.e. love allows lovers to understand one another

52
lie
mislead (you) (puns on “lie down”)

53
prettily
charmingly/cleverly

54
beshrew
curse

56
friend
lover

57
human
polite/courteous

59
Becomes
befits

65
wisher's eyes
i.e. Lysander's

65
pressed
i.e. closed in sleep

68
approve
test

78
Churl
villain/scoundrel

79
owe
own

80
forbid … eyelid
prevent you from sleeping

85
charge
command

85
haunt
pursue/hang around

86
darkling
in the dark

88
fond
foolish/doting

89
grace
favor

90
lies
is/resides

96
marvel
wonder

97
as
as if (from)

98
glass
mirror

99
sphery eyne
heavenly eyes

104
Transparent
radiant/see-through

104
art
skill (allowing him to see through Helena's body)

109
What though
what of it (if)

115
will
inclination (plays on sense of “sexual desire/penis”)

118
ripe not
i.e. was not mature enough

119
point
peak

119
skill
discernment

120
marshal
guide

121
o'erlook
read

122
stories
narrative/true history

123
Wherefore
why

129
Good troth
truly

129
good sooth
indeed

132
lord
possessor

132
gentleness
nobility/courtesy/kindness

134
of
by

134
abused
mistreated

137
surfeit
excess

139
leave
renounce

140
those … deceive
i.e. the former heretics themselves

142
Of
by

143
address
direct

150
prey
act of preying

151
removed
departed

153
an if
if

154
of all loves
for love's sake

Act 3, Scene 1

3.1
Clowns
lower-class comic characters

2
Pat
punctually

4
brake
thicket

4
tiring-house
dressing room

7
bully
old mate, good fellow

12
By'r lakin
by our ladykin (i.e. the Virgin Mary)

12
parlous
perilous

14
done
i.e. said and done

15
Write me
write/write for me

22
eight and six
alternating lines of eight and six syllables (common meter for ballads)

25
afeard
afraid

26
it
either the lion, or that the ladies will be afraid

29
fearful
frightening

29
wild-fowl
i.e. wild beast (literally, bird)

35
defect
malapropism for “effect”

37
My … yours
by my life (literally, I would lay down my life for you)

38
pity … life
a bad thing, by my life/my life would be at risk

41
plainly
may pun on “plane” (carpenter's tool)

46
almanac
calendar

49
casement
section of a window

52
bush … lantern
the traditional props of the man in the moon

53
disfigure
malapropism for “figure” (i.e. represent)

53
present
represent

60
rough-cast
lime and gravel mixture used for plastering walls

65
rehearse
recite

68
hempen home-spuns
those wearing homemade/rustic clothes

68
swagg'ring
blustering

69
cradle
place of rest

70
toward
in preparation

78
by and by
shortly

85
brisky juvenal
lively young man

85
eke
also

85
Jew
desperate rhyme, or perhaps short for “juvenal” or “jewel” as a term of affection

88
Ninus
founder of Nineveh

89
part
an actor's written part consisted solely of his lines and cues

93
were
would be

93
fair
handsome

96
round
circular dance/circuitous route

99
fire
will-o'-the-wisp, a flame over marshy ground (caused by gas but popularly supposed to be a hobgoblin's trick)