Antony and Cleopatra (44 page)
Read Antony and Cleopatra Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
81
enemy
hostile
83
windowed
placed at a window
84
pleached
folded/crossed and bound
85
corrigible
submissive
86
penetrative
intense, penetrating
wheeled seat
chariot
87
branded … ensued
marked, as a brand does a criminal, the humiliating lowliness of him who followed
91
honest
faithful, honorable
worn Most useful
put to such good use
93
pardon me
release me from this duty
96
precedent
previous
97
unpurposed
of no use
99
worship
worth, honor
100
Lo thee!
See!
114
I … not
I ought to do and you couldn’t do for me
115
instruction
teaching by example
got upon me
gained before I have/got as an advantage over me
116
nobleness in record
noble reputation in history
117
bridegroom … bed
playing on the idea of death as orgasm
121
dispatch me
finish me off
126
his period
its end
134
enter … him
gain me admittance to his service/allow me to ingratiate myself
139
Sufficing … death
sufficient blows to kill me
140
absolute
complete, perfect
147
found
proved true
148
disposed
come to terms
150
how … work
the effect it might have
156
bides
waits/dwells
158
live … out
outlive your faithful men
160
heavy
sorrowful
161
sharp
harsh, merciless
162
grace
honor
Bid … Which
welcome what
aloft
on the gallery above the main stage
12
sphere
planets and stars were thought to orbit within transparent concentric spheres that ringed the earth
Darkling
in darkness
13
The … o’th’world
the world is imaged as a coastline against which darkness and light ebb and flow; there is also suggestion of the world itself being a changeable place
22
importune
urge, entreat (death to delay)
27
th’imperious show
the imperial spectacle, i.e. triumphal procession
29
brooched
adorned by my presence like a brooch
30
operation
power, efficacy
32
still conclusion
silent judgment
33
Demuring
looking demurely/gazing at length
38
heaviness
sorrow/weight
39
Juno
supreme Roman goddess, Jove’s wife
40
Mercury
messenger of the Roman gods, traditionally depicted wearing winged sandals
42
Wishers … fools
proverbial
43
Die … lived
do not die until you have really lived (“die” has orgasmic connotations)
44
Quicken
come to life
46
heavy
grievous, pitiful
49
rail so high
curse so loudly
50
false housewife
treacherous whore
wheel
the Roman goddess Fortuna was conventionally depicted turning a wheel, which raised men up before casting them down (may pick up on the domestic sense of
housewife
to play on the sense of “spinning wheel”)
51
offence
abusive language
54
They … together
i.e. honor and safety
56
None … Proculeius
trust none of Caesar’s officers except Proculeius
64
Not … countryman
I have not submitted like a coward to Caesar
65
by a Roman
i.e. by himself;
Roman
signifies the virtues of honor and courage
68
woo’t
wilt, i.e. will you
71
sty
pigsty/place inhabited by whores and lustful people
73
garland
wreath crowning a victorious war hero
74
pole
battle standard, pole bearing a military flag/Pole Star (phallic connotations are also present)
75
odds is gone
distinction between great and small
76
remarkable
wonderful, extraordinary
77
visiting
i.e. which comes and goes as it waxes and wanes
85
e’en
only
86
passion
overpowering emotion/grief/a faint
87
chares
chores
88
sceptre
ornamental rod, symbol of royal authority
injurious
harmful/unjust
91
sottish
foolish
97
Our lamp
i.e. Antony
sirs
valid, if less frequently used, address form for women
98
brave
splendid/valiant
103
briefest end
swiftest death
bearing of
carrying
2
frustrate
defeated
mocks
makes himself ridiculous in
3
pauses
delays
6
thus
i.e. with drawn sword in the presence of a ruler; in Shakespeare’s time this was a treasonous offense
10
wore … haters
spent my life fighting his enemies
17
breaking
destruction (of Antony)/disclosure (of the news)
18
crack
loud noise/fracture
19
civil
city/orderly
20
their dens
their own homes/lions’ dens
21
single doom
the fate of one individual alone
22
moiety
half
25
self
same
36
persisted
persistently sought
37
waged equal with
battled equally within
39
steer humanity
guide a man/govern mankind
44
launch
lance
46
shown
i.e. through my own downfall
47
stall
dwell
49
sovereign … hearts
potent as heart’s blood
50
competitor
partner
51
top … design
the loftiest of undertakings
52
front
battlefront/forehead
53
heart … kindle
my heart took courage from his
54
stars, Unreconciliable
unreconcilable fortunes
55
divide … this
separate us, who were so equally matched in everything, to this degree
57
meeter season
fitter time
58
looks … him
appears to be urgent judging by his expression
60
yet
i.e. still not a Roman subject
62
intents
intentions
63
frame herself
ready herself, adapt herself
66
by … ours
through my representatives
68
lean
incline, be disposed
69
ungentle
unkind/discourteous/ignoble
72
purpose
intend
73
quality … passion
nature of her grief
75
her … triumph
her presence at my triumphal procession would make it famous forever
77
with your speediest
as fast as you can
78
of her
her to be
86
hardly
reluctantly
87
still
always
88
writings
i.e. to Antony
1
desolation
despair/loneliness/ruin
2
better life
more virtuous, unworldly
3
knave
servant
5
that thing
i.e. suicide
6
shackles … change
prevents the effects of chance and changes of mortality
7
palates
tastes
dung
the dungy earth
8
beggar’s … Caesar’s
i.e. sustainer of all men
10
study on
consider
fair
liberal/just
11
Thou mean’st
you would wish
16
I … trusting
I’m not concerned whether you deceive me since I have no interest in trust/I do not like being deceived since I know how little value there is in trust
26
Make … reference
refer your entire situation
27
grace
virtue/mercy
29
sweet dependency
willing submissiveness
30
pray in aid
crave your assistance (legal phrase)
33
vassal
slave/servant and dependent
send … got
recognize his great achievement and authority
35
doctrine
lesson
40
surprised
ambushed and captured
47
Relieved
rescued
54
let come forth
allow to be demonstrated
59
meat
food
60
idle … necessary
even if I must engage in idle chatter (in order to stay awake)
61
mortal house
her body/royal line of the Ptolemies
63
pinioned
with clipped wings
66
varletry
rabble
67
censuring
disapproving, judgmental
70
Blow … abhorring
lay their eggs in my body, making me repulsive as they hatch out
71
pyramids
i.e. four syllables with stress on second
make … gibbet
let me hang from the pyramids (again, seemingly thought of as an obelisk)
73
extend
exaggerate
78
For
as for
90
trick
custom, habit
96
stuck
were set
98
little
little people (most editors emend unnecessarily to “little O,” small circle)
