Othello (35 page)

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Authors: William Shakespeare

BOOK: Othello
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190
Lo
look

197
bark
sailing ship

198
Olympus-high
as high as Mount Olympus, the home of the Greek gods

199
to die
my time to die

203
Succeeds
can follow

209
stops
arrests/chokes here at this very moment/in my heart or throat

213
set down
loosen

220
prattle
chatter
out of fashion
contrary to my usual manner/unfashionably dote behave foolishly/indulge

221
comforts
happiness

222
coffers
boxes, trunks

223
master
ship’s captain

225
challenge
claim, require

229
base
lowborn/unworthy

230
list
listen to

231
watches…guard

232
directly
completely

234
thus
i.e. on the lips

235
Mark me
note, recollect but only

237
prating
chattering discreet discerning, prudent

239
dull
sluggish
act of sport
sex

240
a game
sexual play/a new quarry

241
favour
appearance sympathy similarity

243
required conveniences
necessary correspondences (or “advantages”)

244
heave the gorge
retch

245
disrelish
find distasteful

247
pregnant
evident position proposition, assertion

248
eminent…degree
i.e. first in line eminent high/conspicuous degree step

249
voluble
inconstant/glib conscionable ruled by conscience

250
humane
courteous/kindly seeming appearance

251
compass
achievement salt lecherous

252
slipper
slippery subtle cunning

253
occasion
opportunity stamp coin

254
advantages
opportunities true genuine/honest

257
folly
foolishness/lewdness green young/inexperienced after out for pestilent poisonous/confounded complete perfect, consummate

260
condition
disposition

261
Blessed fig’s-end!
exclamation of dismissive contempt fig’s-end vagina

261
The…grapes
i.e. she’s as mortal (and open to desire) as the next person

263
pudding
sausage/penis paddle stroke/play with her fingers

266
index
table of contents/preface (plays on the sense of the pointing “forefinger”) obscure hidden

269
mutabilities
changes, signs of sexual fickleness

270
hard
close main may contribute to the language of hands and fingers with a play on the French
main
(“hand”)

271
exercise
action/sexual act incorporate carnal, united in one body

272
Watch you
remain alert, be on the lookout

273
for…you
I’ll bestow on you the leading role in carrying out our plan/I’ll give you instructions about what to do

275
tainting his discipline
casting aspersions on his military skill

277
minister
provide

279
choler
anger haply perhaps/with any luck

281
these
i.e. the people whose…again i.e. who will not be appeased

283
displanting
uprooting, supplanting

284
prefer
promote, advance

286
prosperity
success

287
I…opportunity
it will bring about any opportunity for me

288
warrant
assure

289
his
i.e. Othello’s

292
apt
likely/appropriate of great credit very believable

293
howbeit…not
although I cannot bear him

296
dear
beloved, precious (with grim play on the sense of “costly”)

297
peradventure
perhaps/probably

298
accountant
accountable

299
diet
feed

300
For that
because

301
leaped into
plays on the sense of “mounted sexually” seat official place/saddle/(wife’s) vagina

308
poor…Venice
i.e. Rodorigo trace follow

309
For
on account of stand…on continues to respond to my incitements (suggestive of urging dogs on in a hunt)

310
on the hip
at a disadvantage

311
right garb
way I plan/most effective manner

312
night-cap
wife/(wife’s) vagina; Iago suspects Cassio of having sex with Emilia

314
egregiously
monstrously, shamefully

315
practising upon
scheming against

316
’Tis here
i.e. the plan exists/the plan is in my head

3
mere perdition
total destruction

4
triumph
public celebration of victory

5
addition
rank/occupation

7
nuptial
marriage

8
offices
kitchens, pantries

9
told
counted, struck

2
stop
restraint

3
outsport discretion
make merry beyond the bounds of prudence

8
with your earliest
at your earliest convenience

10
the…ensue
i.e. though married, Othello and Desdemona have yet to consummate their union

15
cast
dismissed

17
wanton
sportive/amorous/lascivious Jove the supreme Roman god was known for his amorous encounters with beautiful women

18
exquisite
accomplished, perfect

19
full of game
sexually sportive, lustful

20
delicate
charming/ dainty/elegant

21
sounds a parley
issues a summons (literally, to military negotiations)

23
alarum
call to arms

26
stoup
cup, tankard without outside brace pair

27
gallants
fine young men disposed to pleasure fain gladly have a measure i.e. drink a toast

30
unhappy
unfortunate

34
craftily qualified
skillfully diluted innovation alteration/ revolution

35
infortunate
unfortunate, unlucky

40
it dislikes me
it displeases me/I do it reluctantly

43
offence
aggression, readiness to take offense

44
my…dog
the overindulged lapdog of a young lady sick lovesick

46
caroused
drunk as a toast

47
Potations pottle-deep
half-gallon draughts watch remain alert, be on the lookout (for a chance to provoke Cassio)

48
swelling
proud

49
That… distance
who are very conscious of protecting their honors (and thus quick to take offense)

50
elements
essence, typical constituents

51
flustered
made drunkenly excitable

52
watch
are awake

53
action
deed/fight

55
approve
prove, bear out

56
stream
current

57
rouse
large quantity of drink

60
cannikin
small drinking vessel

63
span
brief period (literally, span of the hand)

67
most…potting
big drinkers

68
swag-bellied
with a belly that sags heavily

72
drinks you
drinks (you is emphatic)

73
Almain
German

74
pottle
half-gallon drinking vessel

76
do you justice
i.e. match you in the amount you drink

78
King Stephen
twelfth-century king of England and-a a

79
crown
gold coin of varying value in different countries

80
held
considered

81
lown
loon, rascal, base person

85
auld
old

94
quality
rank

106
th’platform
the terrace on which guns were mounted and where the night watch stood guard set the watch mount the guard

110
just equinox
exact equal equinox moment when day and night are of equal length

111
pity of
a pity about

117
watch…set
remain awake during two revolutions of the clock (horologe)

127
hazard…second
risk as important a place as lieutenant

128
ingraft
engrained

136
knave
rogue/servant, low-ranking person

137
twiggen bottle
wicker basket (i.e. Rodorigo’s body will be crisscrossed with wounds and bruises)

141
hold
hold back

143
mazzard
head

149
masters
sirs

150
bell
town alarm bell Diablo devil (Spanish)

151
rise
rise up/riot

152
ashamed
filled with shame/dishonored

157
place
(your) official positions

160
turned Turks
converted to Islam/betrayed ourselves that…Ottomites attack each other, which the heaven-sent storm prevented the Turks from doing to us; may also allude to Islamic prohibitions against alcohol/internecine strife

163
carve
i.e. with his sword

164
light
of small value he dies i.e. I’ll kill him

165
dreadful
inspiring dread and terror

166
From her propriety
out of its rightful ordered state

167
grieving
distress, sorrow

168
love
loyal affection for me

170
quarter
conduct toward one another terms speech/relations with one another

171
Devesting them
undressing themselves

172
unwitted men
deprived men of their senses

173
tilting
thrusting

175
peevish odds
senseless quarrel/headstrong conflict

176
would
wish

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