Richard III (38 page)

133
Clarence … Warwick
Clarence and the Earl of Warwick deserted the Yorkists; Clarence married Warwick’s daughter, but later returned to the Yorkist cause, events that are depicted in
3 Henry VI

133
father
father-in-law

134
forswore himself
broke his oath (of loyalty)

137
meed
reward

139
pitiful
full of pity, compassionate

140
childish-foolish
innocent, inexperienced

141
Hie
hurry

142
cacodemon
evil spirit

144
urge
bring forward, offer as evidence

157
pilled
pillaged, robbed

159
If … rebels
Even if you do not bow to me as your queen, then you tremble like the rebels who deposed me

161
gentle
noble, high-born/kind

161
villain
low-born, rustic/scoundrel: the phrase is oxymoronic

162
mak’st thou
are you doing

163
But repetition of
merely recounting

163
marred
destroyed

164
make
do

167
abode
remaining

169
thou
i.e. Elizabeth

172
curse … paper
before his death, Richard Duke of York curses Margaret after she mockingly places a paper crown on his head (see
3 Henry VI
, Act 1 Scene 4)

175
clout
cloth

176
pretty
youthful, fine-looking

176
Rutland
York’s young son; the episode with the cloth also appears in
3 Henry VI
, Act 1 Scene 4

179
plagued
punished ceaselessly

181
that babe
i.e. Rutland

184
No … prophesied
there was no man who did not prophesy

187
catch
seize

192
but answer for
merely equal

192
peevish
foolish, childish/obstinate

194
dull
thick, dark, sluggish

194
quick
vigorous, lively, sharp

195
surfeit
sickness resulting from overindulgence

199
like
the same

204
Decked
adorned, dressed

204
stalled
installed

208
standers-by
bystanders, lookers-on

212
unlooked
unforeseen, unexpected

213
charm
magic spell, curse

213
hag
witch

217
them
i.e. the heavens

220
still
constantly

220
begnaw
eat away at, gnaw

221
for
to be

223
deadly
murderous

226
elvish-marked
physically marked by evil elves at birth

226
abortive
monstrous, deformed

226
rooting hog
i.e. hunched and greedy; alludes to the boar on Richard’s crest

227
sealed … nativity
branded at birth

228
slave of nature
slave to bestial natural impulses/one irredeemably marked out by nature

229
slander
disgrace, shame

229
heavy
pregnant, weighty/sorrowful

230
issue
offspring

231
rag
discarded scrap

232
Margaret
Richard makes Margaret the subject of her insults to him

236
cry thee mercy
beg your pardon

238
looked for
expected

239
period
end

242
painted
artificial/made-up with cosmetics

242
vain flourish
meaningless, frivolous adornment

242
fortune
(rightful) position

243
bottled
swollen (with venom), rounded, bottle-shaped

245
thou whet’st
you are sharpening

247
bunch-backed
hunchbacked

248
False-boding
falsely prophesying

248
frantic
deranged, mad

251
well served
treated as befits you (Margaret maintains the sense of “treated” and adds the sense of “obeyed, paid respect to”)

252
duty
respect, deference

256
Master Marquis
Margaret contemptuously prefaces the aristocratic “marquis” with the form of address for an untitled man

256
malapert
impertinent

257
fire-new
brand new, newly minted

257
current
valid, legitimate

258
nobility
continues the coining imagery with a quibble on “noble” (a gold coin)

264
so high
this high (i.e. noble)

265
eyrie
nest/brood of young birds of prey (especially eagles, king of birds)/noble stock of children

266
dallies with
teases, plays with

266
scorns the sun
eagles were thought to be able to gaze unblinkingly into the sun

267
sun
puns on
son

272
suffer
endure, permit

278
My charity
the charity I feel/the charity I am shown

278
outrage
violence, hostility

278
life my shame
the only life I am allowed is a dishonorable one/I am ashamed to live

279
still
perpetually

283
fair
good fortune

285
compass
bounds

286
pass
go any further than

288
but
anything other than that

291
Look when
whenever

292
venom
poisonous

292
rankle
inflict a festering wound

294
marks
blemishes/identifying insignia/aims, sights

297
respect
deem worthy of listening to

299
soothe
flatter, humor

311
vantage
advantages, benefits (i.e. being queen)

311
her wrong
the wrong done to her

312
hot
eager

312
do somebody good
i.e. help Edward to the crown

313
cold
ungrateful, indifferent

315
franked … fatting
penned in to be fattened up (for slaughter)

318
scathe
harm

319
well advised
cautious

324
wait upon
attend

326
mischiefs
wicked, evil deeds

326
abroach
in motion

327
lay … of
impose as a serious accusation against (i.e. blame on)

328
cast in darkness
caused to be imprisoned (with connotations of death)

329
beweep
cry over

329
gulls
idiots, gullible people

331
allies
supporters, relatives

332
stir
incite, stir up

333
whet
encourage, incite

338
ends
scraps

341
hardy
bold

342
dispatch
carry out (plays on the sense of “kill”)

346
repair
make your way

347
sudden
swift

348
obdurate
inflexible, determined

349
well-spoken
articulate, persuasive

350
mark
pay attention to, listen to

351
prate
chat

354
eyes drop
millstones proverbial image of hard-heartedness

354
fall
let fall, drop

355
straight
straightaway

Act 1 Scene 4

1.4
Location: the Tower of London

1.4
Keeper
guard (this role could be conflated with Brackenbury)

1
heavily
sadly

5
spend
pass/expend (like money)

6
Though ’twere
even if it were

7
dismal
ominous, sinister

13
hatches
deck

14
cited up
recalled

17
giddy
swaying, unstable

19
stay
steady, restrain

20
main
sea

27
Inestimable
impossible to count or value

27
unvalued
priceless

37
yield the ghost
die

37
envious flood
malicious sea

38
Stopped in
shut up, blocked in

39
vast
boundless/empty

40
bulk
body

42
sore
serious, extreme

45
melancholy flood
the River Styx, which had to be crossed to get to Hades, the classical underworld

46
sour ferryman
Charon, who ferried souls to Hades

47
kingdom … night
Hades, the underworld

48
stranger
foreign, newly arrived

50
perjury
oath-breaking; Clarence broke his oath of allegiance to Warwick by returning to fight for the Yorkists after he and Warwick had changed sides to support the Lancastrians

51
monarchy
kingdom (the underworld)

51
afford
offer, give to

53
shadow
ghost (of Prince Edward, Henry VI’s son)

54
shrieked
ghosts were traditionally supposed to speak in shrill voices

55
fleeting
fickle, capricious

56
field
battlefield

57
Furies
in classical mythology, three female spirits of vengeance

58
legion
army

59
Environed
surrounded

61
season
while, time

64
though
if

68
requites
rewards, repays

73
prithee
beg you (literally “I pray thee”)

74
heavy
oppressed, burdened, sorrowful

76
breaks
cracks, disrupts

76
seasons
natural rhythms of time

76
reposing hours
time for rest

77
noontide
midday

78
for
as

79
for
at the cost of, as the result of

80
for
in exchange for

80
unfelt imaginations
abstract concepts that cannot actually be experienced, illusory glories

81
cares
anxieties

82
low name
those of ordinary humble status

83
fame
reputation, name

93
reason
deduce, work out

94
will
want to

96
signify to
inform

107
urging
of bringing forth/emphasis on

117
stay
wait

118
passionate humour
emotional mood

118
It … me
it usually lasts

119
tells twenty
counts to twenty

130
entertain
receive, be hospitable to

134
checks
rebukes

134
lie
have sex

137
restore
return