King John & Henry VIII (65 page)

430
favour
permission, approval

430
bent
resolved/inclined

432
years
age

434
lusty
lively, merry/fertile/lustful

438
birth
noble ancestry

439
bound
contain

441
complete
fully equipped, perfect in

442
If … she
i.e. the only fault in his perfection is that he is not her

442
complete of
full of (those virtues)

443
wants
lacks

444
If … he
unless it could be a fault that she is not him

446
finishèd
completed

447
divided
incomplete

452
bounds
boundaries

453
princes
royal persons (of either sex)

454
battery
assault

455
fast-closèd
firmly, tightly shut

455
match
marriage (puns on the sense of “match that lights gunpowder”)

456
spleen
eagerness, angry energy

456
powder
gunpowder

457
mouth of passage
i.e. entrance

457
ope
open

462
mortal
fatal

462
peremptory
determined

464
stay
obstacle

470
lusty blood
spirited fellow

471
plain cannon
i.e. just like a cannon

471
bounce
explosion

472
bastinado
beating with a stick

474
buffets
beats, strikes

475
Zounds
by God’s wounds

475
bethumped
pounded, thumped soundly

476
Since … dad
i.e. since I learned to speak (conceivably suggesting punishment for the illegitimate boy calling Sir Robert “Dad”)

477
list
listen

477
conjunction
union

480
unsured
insecure

481
yon
yonder, that (one over there)

481
green
youthful/inexperienced

481
boy
i.e. Arthur

481
sun
i.e. royal patronage

484
Mark
note, observe

485
capable of
receptive to

486
zeal
enthusiasm

487
soft petitions
gentle pleas

487
remorse
sorrow/compassion

490
treaty
proposition

491
forward
ready

494
in … love
i.e. love Blanche

496
Anjou
Folio prints “
Angiers
,” presumably mistaking the province of Anjou for the city of Angiers where the scene takes place

497
the
of the

499
liable
subject

501
promotions
social advancement

503
Holds hand with
i.e. is equal to

507
shadow
reflection, image (sense then shifts to “mere imitation/shadow cast by the sun”)

508
son
plays on “sun” (popular image of royal glory)

509
makes … shadow
i.e. outshines my actual or former self (plays on sense of “dims even your royal glory”)

511
infixèd
fastened firmly

512
table
tablet, painting surface

513
Drawn
plays on the sense of “disemboweled” (being
hanged
,
drawn
, and
quartered
was a traitor’s punishment)

515
quartered
cut into pieces/lodged

515
espy
discern

518
love
expression of love/lover

519
will
desire, determination

520
aught
anything

521
That anything
whatever it is

522
translate
convert, transform

523
properly
correctly, decorously

524
enforce
urge/compel, impose

526
That
i.e. by saying that

526
worthy
worthy of

528
churlish
harsh/grudging

529
merit
deserve

531
still
always

532
vouchsafe
deign, graciously condescend

535
unfeignedly
genuinely

539
Full
i.e. all of

539
mark
monetary unit (not a coin) worth two thirds of an English pound

540
withal
with this

542
likes
pleases

542
close
join

543
well assured
very certain

544
assured
betrothed

547
presently
immediately

550
made up
accomplished

552
who
whoever

553
passionate
impassioned/emotional/sorrowful

564
repair
come

565
solemnity
i.e. the wedding ceremony

566
measure
magnitude, capacity

567
measure
limited extent, proportion

568
exclamation
outcry, objection

569
suffer
permit

570
pomp
celebration

571
composition
settlement/compromise

572
title … whole
claim to the whole kingdom

573
departed
parted

576
rounded
whispered

577
With
by

578
broker
go-between, agent (plays on the notion of breakage)

578
breaks
beats, cracks

578
pate
head, skull

578
faith
loyalty/truth

579
wins
gets the better

581
Who
i.e. the maid’s

581
thing
plays on the sense of “penis”

582
‘maid’
virgin

583
smooth-faced
plausible/deceitful

583
tickling
amusing, playing with (plays on the sense of “fondling sexually”)

583
commodity
convenience, expediency/advantage, profit, self-interest/woman in her sexual capacity (plays on the sense of “virginity/female sexual goods”)

584
bias
natural inclination (literally the weight in the bowling ball that enables it to be rolled in a curve)

585
peisèd
poised, weighted

586
even
level, evenly

587
vile-drawing
i.e. that attracts evil

588
sway
guiding power/swerve/change

589
take head from
rebel against/roll away from

589
indifferency
moderation/equal impartiality

592
bawd
pimp, go-between

592
all-changing
i.e. causing everything to change

593
Clapped on
fixed on, presented to

593
outward eye
eyeball, external eye/hole in the bowling ball through which the bias was inserted

594
determined
resolved/planned

594
aid
i.e. support for Arthur’s cause

595
resolved
determined/settled

596
base
dishonorable/worthless

597
rail I on
do I rant about

598
But for
only

599
clutch
clench (in refusal of an offer)

600
angels
gold coins

600
salute
greet/touch (plays on the sense of “gold coin” and on the notion of “angelic salutation”—i.e. the angels’ greeting to the Virgin Mary)

601
for
because

601
unattempted
untempted/unapproached

607
upon
because of

4
misspoke
spoken inaccurately/expressed badly

5
Be well advised
consider carefully/be well informed

6
but
only

7
trust
believe

8
common man
i.e. not a king

11
frighting
frightening

12
capable of
susceptible to

16
though
even if

17
take a truce
make peace

20
sadly
gravely

22
lamentable
sorrowful

22
rheum
watery discharge, i.e. tears

23
proud
swollen/arrogant

23
peering o’er his
overflowing its

24
sad
solemn/sorrowful

27
them
either King John and King Philip or simply the French

28
prove
discover by experience

31
encounter
meet in combat

36
brook
tolerate

42
content
patient, calm

43
wert
were

43
grim
ugly/destructive

44
sland’rous
shameful

45
sightless
unsightly, offensive (possibly “unseen, internal”)

46
crooked
deformed

46
swart
swarthy, of dark complexion (considered unattractive)

46
prodigious
monstrous, unnatural/ill-omened

47
Patched
blotched, marked

50
Become
befit

51
fair
handsome/pale-complexioned

54
half-blown
half-blossomed, i.e. still young and beautiful

56
Sh’adulterates
she commits adultery (rather than being faithful to Arthur)

56
hourly
constantly (puns on “whore-ly,” i.e. like a whore)

57
golden
implies offers of money

57
plucked on
drawn on, enticed/dragged in

58
sovereignty
i.e. Arthur’s claim to the throne

59
his majesty
i.e. King Philip and his power

59
theirs
i.e. King John and Fortune’s

61
strumpet
harlot, prostitute

62
fellow
with connotations of “servant/worthless man”

62
France
i.e. the French king

62
forsworn
guilty of perjury, breaking his promise

63
Envenom
poison

63
words
i.e. curses

65
underbear
endure

69
proud
swollen/arrogant

71
state
condition/throne

1
’Tis true
Philip and Blanche enter mid-conversation

1
daughter
i.e. daughter-in-law

4
Stays … course
stands still

4
plays the alchemist
i.e. turns base metals into gold

8
holy day
holiday/blessed occasion

11
golden letters
used to mark feast days in the Church calendar

12
high tides
important festival dates

15
stand still
remain

15
with child
pregnant

16
fall
i.e. be born