As You Like It (32 page)

129
his … forwardness
whatever danger results is due to his reckless confidence

132
looks successfully
seems likely to succeed

133
cousin
term used for any relative beyond the immediate family

135
leave
permission

137
odds
advantage

137
man
i.e. Charles

138
fain
gladly

148
come but in
merely enter the field

148
try
test

153
adventure
venture

154
equal
evenly matched

157
misprized
undervalued/scorned

157
suit
request, petition

162
foiled
thrown/defeated

163
gracious
favored

164
friends
relatives/supporters

170
eke out
supplement

171
deceived
mistaken

174
lie … earth
be thrown on the ground/have sex with
his mother earth
/die and be buried (may anticipate the implied reference to Antaeus, son of Earth who renewed his strength by lying on the ground and whom
Hercules
defeated in wrestling)

175
will
wish/lust/penis

176
working
aim/sexual activity

177
fall
conclusive throw

178
warrant
assure

181
come your ways
come on

182
Hercules
demigod who wrestled with and defeated the mighty giant Antaeus

182
speed
protector

187
down
fall

190
breathed
exercised/out of breath

199
still
always

206
calling
name/position in life

211
unto
in addition to

212
Ere
before

215
envious
malicious

216
Sticks
pierces

218
justly
exactly

218
promise
expectation

219
mistress
sweetheart

221
suits
favor

225
parts
qualities/spirits

227
quintain
post used as a target when practicing jousting or darts

229
would
wants

233
Have with you
I’m coming

235
conference
conversation

237
Or
either

241
condition
disposition

243
humorous
temperamental

243
indeed
in reality

244
conceive
understand/imagine

249
taller
more elegant/more attractive (some editors assume a reference to height and emend to “smaller” or “shorter,” since Celia is less tall than Rosalind)

255
gentle
wellborn/kind

256
argument
reason

260
suddenly
at any time

262
knowledge
acquaintance

263
rest
remain

263
bounden
indebted

264
from … smother
i.e. from bad to worse

264
smother
dense, suffocating smoke/smoldering fire

Act 1 Scene 3

1
Cupid
god of love

5
curs
dogs/worthless fellows

6
reasons
remarks/explanations

7
Then there were
if I did, then there would be

11
child’s father
i.e. one who might become the father of my children (Orlando)

12
briars
i.e. obstacles

12
working-day
ordinary, everyday

13
burs
prickly seed heads that stick easily to clothing

15
petticoats
skirts

16
coat
petticoat/skirt

18
Hem
cough (as if to dislodge something stuck in the throat or to clear the chest; pun on “sew a hem”)

19
‘hem’
puns on “him”

19
have
win, possess (plays on the sense of “have sex with”)

20
wrestle
plays on the sense of “grapple sexually”

21
take … of
support (
part
plays on the sense of “penis”)

22
a … you
bless you/good luck to you (
upon
may play on the sense of “mount sexually”)

22
try
fight/have sex

23
fall
throw in wrestling/bout of sex/moral lapse

23
turning … service
to finish with this joking (
turning, jests
and
service
all play on the sense of “copulation”)

29
dearly
deeply (possible pun on “deer” is generated by
chase
)

29
chase
pursuit/hunt

32
Why … not?
i.e. Why should I hate him?

36
your safest haste
sufficient haste to ensure your safety

45
intelligence
communication

47
frantic
mad

48
dear
noble

52
purgation
acquittal

53
grace
salvation, divine grace

56
whereon
on what

61
friends
relatives

66
stayed
kept

67
Else
otherwise

67
ranged
wandered

69
pleasure
will

69
remorse
compassion

70
young
immature

72
still
always

73
an instant
the same time

73
eat
eaten

74
like Juno’s swans
i.e. yoked together to pull the chariot of the Roman queen of the gods

76
subtle
crafty

76
smoothness
plausibility/friendliness

79
name
reputation

82
doom
judgment

86
provide
prepare

88
greatness
authority

90
change
exchange

99
sundered
separated

103
change
i.e. of circumstances

105
at … pale
depending on whether
pale
is an adjective or a noun, either “the sky is pale in shock and grief,” or “our
sorrows
have reached their utmost limit”

112
mean
lowly

113
umber
brown pigment (to conceal aristocratically pale complexions)

118
suit … points
dress myself in every respect

119
gallant curtle-axe
fine cutlass

120
boar-spear
weapon used for boar hunting

122
swashing
swaggering/dashing

124
outface … semblances
brazen it out with appearances

126
Jove
in Roman mythology, king of the gods

127
Ganymede
a beautiful youth, carried off by
Jove
to be his cupbearer; the name was also used by Elizabethans to refer to a youth who was the subject of an older man’s homosexual desire

129
state
status

130
Aliena
from the Latin for “stranger”

131
assayed
attempted

133
travel
journey/hardship

135
Leave me alone
leave it to me

135
woo
persuade

139
content
contentment

Act 2 Scene 1

2.1
Location: the Forest of Arden Amiens
name of a northern French town; may suggest “friendliness” (from the Latin)

2.1
foresters
forest dwellers

2
old custom
established practice/experience

3
painted pomp
artificial show

4
envious
malicious

5
penalty of Adam
i.e. the harsher seasons and greater toil that followed loss of Eden

6
difference
change

6
as
such as

7
churlish chiding
harsh brawling/rebuking

11
feelingly
tangibly/intensely

12
uses
benefits

13
toad … head
supposedly, venomous toads had precious stones in their heads that were antidotes to poisons

15
exempt … haunt
not visited by people

16
tongues
speech

18
change
alter/exchange

19
translate
transform/re-express (one thing in terms of another)

20
style
mode of expression/way of life

22
fools
poor creatures

23
burghers
citizens

23
desert
lonely, uninhabited

24
confines
territories

24
forkèd heads
i.e. barbed arrowheads

28
kind
manner

31
along
stretched out

32
antique
ancient/antic (i.e. grotesquely gnarled)

33
brawls
rushes noisily

34
sequestered
separated (from his herd)

40
Coursed
flowed/chased (plays on the sense of “hunted”)

42
markèd of
noticed by

43
extremest verge
very edge

46
moralize
draw a moral from, interpret

48
needless
having no need (for more water)

49
testament
will

50
worldlings
materially minded mortals

50
sum of more
store/additional amount

52
velvet friend
deer with smooth coat/richly clothed per son/syphilitic lover

53
part
depart from/separate

54
flux
continuous stream

54
Anon
instantly/soon

54
careless
carefree

56
stays
stops

57
greasy
plump and fit for killing/wealthy

58
wherefore
why

60
invectively
in violent terms

63
mere
absolute

64
up
off

67
commenting
pondering

70
cope
encounter

71
matter
ideas/material for discussion

72
straight
straight away

Act 2 Scene 2

2.2
Location: the court

2
villains
servants/wrongdoers

3
sufferance
acquiescence

7
untreasured
robbed/emptied of a treasure

8
roynish
coarse

9
wont
accustomed

13
parts
qualities

17
gallant
fine fellow/daring young man/ladies’ man (i.e. Orlando)

19
suddenly
immediately

20
quail
fail

21
again
back

Act 2 Scene 3

2.3
Location: Oliver’s household