The Taming of the Shrew (31 page)
Read The Taming of the Shrew Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
299
Lucrece
raped by the Roman king Tarquin, Lucrece was so ashamed she committed suicide
300
’greed
got along
304
speeding
progress/success
goodnight our part
our part in this business is over
307
’twixt us twain
between we two
312
vied
redoubled (gambling term for raising the stakes)
protesting
declaring
313
twink
twinkling
314
a … see
wonderful to see
316
meacock
feeble
318
gainst
in preparation for
319
bid
invite
320
fine
finely dressed
321
hands … witnesses
joining of hands in front of witnesses (the “pre-contract”) prevented either party from becoming engaged to another
325
apace
swiftly
328
clapped up
settled
330
desperate mart
risky business endeavor
331
’Twas … you
it (Kate) was a piece of merchandise that was losing its value (
fretting
plays on the sense of “aggravating”)
333
quiet
peace of mind
334
quiet catch
(ironic)
341
freeze
possibly implies impotence
342
fry
burn lecherously
343
Skipper
frivolous wastrel
nourisheth
sustains life
345
compound
settle
346
deeds
actions/legal deeds
he of both
whichever of the two of you
347
dower
settlement made to the wife on the death of the husband
351
plate
gold or silver tableware
352
lave
wash
353
hangings
wall coverings
Tyrian
from Tyre, an ancient trading city on the Mediterranean
354
coffers
chests
355
cypress
made from cypress wood
arras counterpoints
tapestried bed coverings from Arras
356
tents
hangings for a bed
357
Turkey
Turkish
bossed
embossed, adorned
358
Valance … needlework
valences (borders on the sides or canopy of a bed) embroidered with Venetian gold thread
361
milch-kine
dairy cows
to the pail
(specifically) for milking
363
answerable … portion
appropriate to an estate of this size
364
struck
old
367
came well in
is to the point
list
listen
371
walls
i.e. the walls forming the city limits
373
two … land
i.e. the land brings in an annual income of two thousand
ducats
(gold coins)
374
jointure
widow’s settlement
375
pinched
distressed/belittled
378
argosy
large merchant ship
379
Marseillis’ road
the harbor at Marseilles
382
galliases
heavy low-built vessels
383
tight
efficient, seaworthy
389
out-vied
outbid (card-playing term)
391
let
providing
assurance
(financial) guarantee
392
else
otherwise
394
cavil
quibble
404
gamester
gambler, foolish adventurer
were
would be
406
Set … table
i.e. become dependent upon you
toy
piece of nonsense
409
faced … ten
bluffed, brazened it out with a card only worth ten
410
’Tis … head
I have a plan
412
get
beget, conceive
415
sire
father
1
Fiddler … sir
implies that Hortensio is holding Bianca’s fingers as he teaches her the lute
2
entertainment
reception
3
withal
with
6
prerogative
priority
8
lecture
lesson
9
Preposterous
unreasonable/placing last what should be first
10
ordained
created
12
usual pain
habitual labor
14
serve in
serve up (contemptuous)
15
braves
blustering threats
17
resteth … choice
is up to me
18
breeching … schools
schoolboy liable to be whipped (breeched)
19
’pointed
appointed
22
the whiles
in the meantime
28
‘
Hic … senis
’
“here ran the [river] Simois; here is the Sigeian land [Troy]; here stood the lofty palace of old Priam [King of Troy]” (from Ovid’s
Heroides
)
30
Conster
translate/analyze grammatically/expound
35
port
station, dignity
pantaloon
foolish old man (i.e. Gremio)
37
fie
expression of impatience or disgust
jars
sounds discordant
38
Spit … again
possibly a perversion of the proverb “spit in your hands and take a better hold” (sequence
instrument’s … spit in the hole … tune … fingering
may have sexual connotations)
45
jars
quarrels
46
pedant
schoolmaster/quibbler
48
Pedascule
little pedant
50
Aeacides … grandfather
the Greek hero Ajax was also known as Aeacides, after his grandfather Aeacus (Lucentio has moved to the next line of Ovid’s
Heroides
)
52
master
tutor
53
doubt
point
56
pleasant
merry, playful
57
give me leave
leave me
58
three parts
i.e. the company of three people
59
formal
punctilious
60
withal
at the same time
but
unless
63
order
method
65
gamut
the musical scale
briefer sort
quicker way
68
fairly drawn
neatly set out
71
ground … accord
basis of all harmony
75
one … I
perhaps Hortensio’s love (
one clef
) and his real and assumed personalities (
two notes
); may also have sexual connotations (“one vagina,” “two testicles”—
notes
playing on “nuts”) leading to play on
die
in next line
78
Old
established
nice
capricious
79
true
legitimate, constant
85
pry into
spy on, investigate
88
stale
decoy (specifically, one that distracts a poorly trained hawk)
89
Seize … list
let those who want you have you
ranging
straying (like a hawk)/unfaithful
90
quit with
rid of/even with
5
want
lack
8
forsooth
in truth
10
rudesby
insolent ruffian
spleen
temper, passion
11
wooed … leisure
varies the proverbial “he who marries in haste repents at leisure”
12
frantic
insane, frenzied
14
noted for
known as
19
Lo
look
23
fortune … word
event prevents him from keeping his word
29
humour
temperament
30
Old
plentiful (Baptista plays on the more familiar sense)
40
to
of
42
jerkin
close-fitting jacket
turned
i.e. inside out (to make them last longer)
43
candle-cases
containers for candle ends (i.e. too worn out to wear)
45
chapeless
without a sheath
points
laces for fastening the doublet to the hose
46
hipped
lame, with an injured hip
of no kindred
that do not match
47
glanders
horse disease affecting the nostrils and jaws
like … chine
of unclear meaning; perhaps a corruption of “like to mourn in the
chine”
—i.e. likely to be in the final stages of the
glanders
—or possibly “likely to have a weak spine (
chine
)”
48
lampass
horse disease affecting the mouth
fashions
farcins (horse disease causing tumors)
49
windgalls
tumors on a horse’s leg
sped with spavins
rendered useless by swelling of the leg joints
rayed
disfigured
yellows
jaundice
50
fives
horse disease affecting the parotid glands
stark
utterly
staggers
horse disease marked by a staggering movement
begnawn
gnawed at
51
bots
intestinal worms
swayed … back
with a bowed spine
shoulder-shotten
with a dislocated shoulder
near-legged before
knock-kneed in the front legs
52
half-checked bit
restraining bit with a broken side-ring (so, ineffective)
head-stall
part of the horse’s bridle that goes over the head
53
sheep’s leather
i.e. weak leather
restrained
pulled tight
55
girth
leather band that goes under the horse’s stomach to hold the saddle in place
pieced
mended
crupper
leather strap that prevents the saddle from slipping
56
velure
velvet
hath … studs
is adorned with her initials in (brass or silver) studs
57
packthread
string
59
lackey
servant
caparisoned
dressed
60
stock
stocking
kersey
coarse cloth
boot-hose
over-stocking covering the whole of the lower leg
61
list
strip of cloth
62
humour … fancies
unclear; possibly refers to an old ballad, or to a fanciful ornament—the general sense is that the hat is adorned in an elaborate and whimsical manner
pricked … feather
pinned in it in place of
64
footboy
page, servant on foot
