Richard II (30 page)
Authors: William Shakespeare
248
grief
cause for grief (Bullingbrook shifts the sense to “sorrow”)
time
short while
252
travel
journey/labor
253
miscall
wrongly call
255
sullen
somber, melancholy
256
Esteem as foil
regard as a setting for a jewel
259
Caucasus
region bordering Asia Minor including the Caucasus Mountains, depicted by Ovid as cold and stony
260
cloy
satiate, gorge
263
fantastic
imaginary
264
apprehension
conception, awareness
266
Fell
fierce, cruel
rankle
cause festering
267
lanceth
pierces (to relieve infection)
268
bring
escort
270
adieu
goodbye
1
We did observe
Richard enters mid-conversation
2
high
proud/of high rank
4
next
nearest
5
store
quantity, abundance
6
for me
on my part
8
rheum
watery discharge, i.e. tears
9
hollow
insincere
11
for
because
12
craft
skill, cunning
13
counterfeit
pretend, fake
15
Marry
by the Virgin Mary
19
cousin
Aumerle’s father is the Duke of York, Richard’s uncle
doubt
doubtful
21
friends
relatives
26
reverence
respect
28
underbearing
endurance
29
banish … him
take their affection into exile with him
30
bonnet
soft brimless hat
oyster-wench
girl who sells oysters
31
brace of draymen
pair of cart drivers
32
supple
easily bent
34
in reversion
i.e. after my death (when leased land would revert to its true owner)
35
our … hope
in terms of public expectation and favor, the nearest heir
37
stand out
make a stand, hold out
38
Expedient manage
swift management
39
leisure
delay
43
largesse
generosity
44
farm
lease parts of the land to tenants who might then collect taxes on their own behalf
46
come short
is insufficient
47
substitutes
those appointed to govern during the king’s absence
blank charters
documents authorizing deputies to collect revenues, or forced loans; blank spaces were left for the names of those required to pay
49
subscribe them
enter their names
50
them
i.e. the
sums
collected
51
presently
immediately
57
Ely House
the Bishop of Ely’s palace in Holborn, London
60
lining
contents (puns on the sense of “lining of a coat”)
sick
Gaunt is probably carried on stage in a chair
2
unstaid
uncontrolled
9
listened
listened to
10
gloze
flatter, talk smoothly
11
marked
paid attention to
12
close
closing cadence of a piece of music
13
last
at its end/for longest
16
sad
serious, solemn
18
state
kingly splendor
19
metres
verses
venom
poisonous
21
proud
arrogant/showy/splendid
22
tardy apish
belatedly imitating
24
vanity
trifle
25
So
provided
there’s no respect
it does not matter
26
buzzed
whispered busily
27
That
so that
28
will … regard
desire rebels against reasoned consideration
31
new inspired
newly filled with divine influence (plays on the sense of “full of newly drawn breath”)
32
expiring
dying/breathing out
33
riot
wasteful, dissolute lifestyle
35
Small
composed of fine drops
36
betimes
early
38
Light vanity
frivolous foolishness
cormorant
glutton (literally, greedy seabird)
39
means
resources, means of sustenance
40
sceptred
invested with regal authority
41
earth of majesty
land fit for kings
Mars
Roman god of war
45
happy breed
fortunate race
47
office
function
50
plot
land for cultivation
51
teeming
fertile
52
by their breed
on account of their mighty ancestry
55
sepulchre
cave outside Jerusalem in which Christ was buried
stubborn Jewry
the residents of Jerusalem who resisted Christianity
56
world’s … son
i.e. Christ
60
tenement
land or property held by a tenant
pelting
paltry
61
bound in
bordered, surrounded
62
envious
malicious, hostile
63
Neptune
Roman god of the sea
bound
legally bound
64
inky … bonds
i.e. the corrupt blank charters
65
wont
accustomed
73
composition
state of health
76
meat
food
77
watched
remained awake/kept guard
83
inherits
receives
84
nicely
ingeniously, precisely
85
to mock
in mocking
86
kill … me
i.e. by banishing Gaunt’s son and heir
93
see thee ill
see you imperfectly (as my sight is failing)/see the ill that is in you
101
compass
circumference
102
verge
limit, rim/the twelve-mile radius around the king’s court/measure of land
103
waste
wasteland/wastefulness/damage done to property by a tenant/waist
104
grandsire
i.e. Edward III
105
his sons
Edward’s sons, Richard’s uncles/Richard’s own (as yet unborn) children
106
forth
beyond
107
Deposing
disinheriting, depriving
possessed
in possession of the crown (sense then shifts to “inhabited by the devil”)
109
cousin
kinsman
regent
ruler
111
for … land
insofar as your world consists of this land
114
state … law
absolute legal status (as king) is now subject to legal processes (as a result of leasing out land)
116
Presuming on
taking advantage of
ague
fever and shaking
117
frozen
cold, hostile/chilled by illness
120
seat
throne/status
122
roundly
bluntly/fluently
123
unreverent
disrespectful
125
For that
because
126
pelican
the bird’s offspring were thought to feed on her blood
127
tapped out
drawn as from a barrel
caroused
drunk heartily/drunk toasts with
129
fair
good, happiness
133
unkindness
unnatural behavior
139
sullens
sulks, gloomy moods
140
become
befit, suit
143
dear As Harry
as dearly as Gaunt holds Harry (but Richard interprets “as dearly as Harry holds Richard”)
151
spent
used up, exhausted
155
pilgrimage
i.e. journey through life
157
supplant
get rid of
rug-headed
shaggy-haired
kerns
lightly armed foot soldiers
160
ask some charge
require some expenditure
161
seize
take possession (legal term)
162
plate
gold or silver tableware
movables
portable property
167
Gaunt’s rebukes
the rebukes given by Richard to Gaunt
private wrongs
wrongs done to individuals
168
Bullingbrook … marriage
Richard prevented the exiled Bullingbrook from marrying a cousin of the French king
171
bend one wrinkle
direct one frown
178
Accomplished … hours
i.e. when he was your age
Accomplished
equipped
190
withal
with that
191
seize
take legal possession of
192
royalties
rights granted by the king/rights due to one of royal blood
194
true
loyal/legitimate (as heir)
198
His
i.e. time’s
customary rights
i.e. of inheritance and succession
199
ensue
follow
204
Call … patents
revoke the documents signed by the king granting land or titles
205
By … livery
allowing him to sue, through his lawyers, for the right to his inheritance
206
homage
avowal of allegiance, part of the formal process of receiving one’s inheritance
207
pluck
pull
209
prick
spur
213
by
nearby, present
215
courses
i.e. of action
216
events
consequences
218
repair
come
219
see
attend to
Tomorrow next
tomorrow/tomorrow morning
220
trow
believe
230
great
swollen with emotion
with silence
by keeping silent
231
liberal
freely speaking
234
Tends … to
does what you want to say relate to
