Richard II (35 page)

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Authors: William Shakespeare

BOOK: Richard II
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41
state
regality, kingship
aye
ever, i.e. fully

45
Rutland
for his support of Richard, Aumerle lost his status as duke, though he retained the title Earl of Rutland

46
pledge … truth
guarantor of his loyalty

47
fealty
allegiance

48
violets
i.e. court favorites

49
spring
i.e. Bullingbrook’s kingship

51
as lief
as soon, rather

52
bear you
conduct yourself

53
cropped
cut down/beheaded

54
Hold
go ahead
triumphs
public festivities

58
seal
i.e. seal attached to the bottom of a document (which Aumerle apparently carries in his doublet or jacket)

69
bond
financial agreement (retained by the creditor)

70
against
in preparation for

84
appeach
denounce, inform against

89
answer
answer for

92
amazed
stunned, confused

93
villain
rogue/servant

96
own
i.e. own child

98
teeming date
time for child-bearing

102
fond
foolish/doting

105
interchangeably
reciprocally (so each of the conspirators has a copy of the agreement)

107
be none
not be one of them

108
that
i.e. the plot/the actions of the conspirators

111
groaned
i.e. in labor

121
his horse
i.e. grab his saddled horse and ride out first

122
post
speedily

126
the ground
i.e. kneeling

1
unthrifty
extravagant, dissolute
son
Prince Hal, later Henry V

7
loose
immoral, wasteful

9
watch
night watchmen
passengers
travelers

10
effeminate
frivolous, self-indulgent, immature

11
Takes on the
undertakes as a

15
gallant
fashionable young man/fine fellow

16
stews
brothels/part of a city occupied by houses of ill fame

17
common’st
most whorish, promiscuous
creature
prostitute
glove
with vaginal connotations

18
favour
love token (worn by knights in jousts)
with that
wearing the token

19
unhorse
plays on the sense of “deprive of a whore”
lustiest
most vigorous (plays on the sense of “most licentious”)

20
desp’rate
reckless
both
i.e. both flaws

22
happily
with favorable destiny/with a happy result

24
stares
gapes, looks horrorstruck

29
grow
i.e. be fixed

31
a pardon
i.e. I am granted a pardon

34
after-love
future loyalty

40
safe
harmless, i.e. dead

41
Stay
withhold

42
secure
overconfident

43
speak treason
i.e. by having to use such disrespectful terms

49
haste
i.e. breathlessness

50
passed
just made

52
hand
signature

58
strong
flagrant/significant, dangerous

60
sheer
pure, clear
fountain
spring

62
held his current
taken its course

65
deadly blot
fatal sin/ink signature
digressing
deviating from its course/transgressing morally

66
bawd
pimp, procurer

67
spend
waste/may play on the sense of “ejaculate”

68
scraping
money-saving

72
true
loyal

79
‘The … King’
probably refers to a ballad telling the popular tale of King Cophetua and the beggar maid he fell in love with

83
for
as a result of

84
festered
corrupt/diseased

85
let alone
left untreated
confound
destroy

87
itself
i.e. its own flesh and blood, one’s son

88
frantic
mad

89
dugs
breasts

94
happy
happy/fortunate person

98
true
loyal

100
in jest
pretend

102
would
wishes to

118
meet
fitting

119

pardonnez-moi

French for “pardon me,” i.e. excuse me for refusing your request

124
chopping
meaning-shifting, logic-chopping/affected

127
plaints
laments

128
rehearse
pronounce/repeat

130
sue
beg

131
suit
request (puns on the sense of “suit of cards,” an image maintained in
hand
)

133
happy
joyous/fortunate
vantage
profit, gain/advantageous position

135
twain
divide in two

139
for
as for
brother-in-law
i.e. the Duke of Exeter
the
i.e. and the

140
consorted
conspiring

142
several
separate, various

147
prove
i.e. make sure you prove

8
wistly
intently, meaningfully

9
As
as one

1
studying
thinking about, dwelling on

3
for because
because

7
beget
conceive

8
still-breeding
constantly reproducing

10
humours
dispositions, moods

12
As
such as

13
scruples
doubts
faith
i.e. religious belief, as manifested through Scripture

14
‘Come, little ones’
from the Bible (Luke 18:16; also Matthew 19:14)

16
‘It … eye’
biblical (Luke 18:25; also Matthew 19:24 and Mark 10:25)

17
postern
back or side gate

21
ragged
rough, rugged

22
for
because
pride
prime/arrogance

23
content
acceptance

25
silly
simple/lowly/helpless

26
stocks
contraption for public punishment in which the arms or legs were confined
refuge
take refuge from, reduce

27
That
with the thought that

31
prison
most editions follow Quarto’s “person,” but Folio’s “prison” seems to be a purposeful alteration, not a printer’s error

33
treason
thoughts of treason

34
penury
poverty

36
by and by
soon

38
straight
straightaway

39
but man is
is merely mortal

40
nothing
anything

41
nothing
i.e. dead

43
proportion
musical time, rhythm

45
daintiness
sensitivity

46
string
individual string/musical instrument

47
concord
harmony

49
waste
decay

50
numb’ring clock
clock with hours marked on it (i.e. not an hourglass)

51
jar … on
tick on, jump forward (
jar
plays on the sense of “make discordant”)

52
watches
intervals between minutes/wakeful periods
watch
clockface (plays on the sense of “sentry/wakeful person”)

53
dial’s point
clock’s hand

54
still
continuously (plays on the sense of “motionless”)

55
tells
counts out/reveals

56
strike
beat, pound/toll

58
times
marks on the dial, i.e. quarter or half hours
time
lifetime, time on earth

59
posting
hurrying

60
Jack o’th’clock
figure of a man that strikes a bell on the outside of some types of clock

61
mads
maddens

62
holp … wits
music was thought to assist the recovery of the insane
holp
helped

65
to
for

66
strange brooch
rare jewel

68
peer
equal/nobleman

69
The … us
i.e. the imprisoned Richard
ten groats
Richard plays on the financial senses of
royal
and
noble
(types of gold coin): a royal was worth ten groats more than a noble, so the Groom has overvalued the
royal prince
by that amount (Richard identifies himself and the Groom as nobles)
groat
coin worth four old pence

71
sad
dismal, unsmiling

72
misfortune
i.e. Richard

75
ado
trouble, fuss

76
sometimes
formerly

77
yearned
grieved, moved

79
roan
horse with a coat in which the prevailing color is interspersed with some other
Barbary
the horse’s name, suggesting that it was imported from the Barbary coast of northern Africa, whose horses were noted for great speed and endurance

80
bestrid
straddled, ridden

82
gentle
noble

86
jade
worthless old horse

87
clapping
patting

91
rail on
abuse

92
awed
controlled, subdued

95
galled
made sore
jauncing
hard-riding

96
Fellow
servant
give place
move, withdraw/defer to me

99
fall to
begin eating

100
wont
accustomed

106
rude
rough, violent

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