Twelfth Night (35 page)

78
Legion
biblical reference to a multitude of devils; Sir Toby may mistakenly think it is the name of a specific devil

82
private
privacy, with possible play on “private parts”

83
Lo
look

83
hollow
echoingly

84
have a
take

87
Let me alone
leave him to me

91
La
look

93
water
urine, examined for diagnosis

93
wise woman
local healer, thought able to cure those bewitched

99
move
excite/provoke

102
bawcock
good fellow (from the French
beau coq
, i.e. “fine bird”)

103
chuck
chick

105
Biddy
hen

106
gravity
respectability

106
cherry-pit
children’s game in which cherrystones are thrown into a hole

106
foul collier
dirty coalman, i.e. the devil

112
idle
worthless/trivial

113
element
sphere/type

117
genius
soul/guardian spirit

119
take … taint
be spoiled (by exposure to air)

123
in … bound
conventional treatment for the insane

124
carry
manage/maintain

127
bar
open court, i.e. judgment

128
finder of madmen
juror who formally declared whether a man was mad

129
matter
substance/sport

129
May morning
i.e. festive time

130
warrant
assure you/confirm

132
saucy
spicy/insolent

133
warrant
assure

135
scurvy
worthless/contemptible

137
admire
marvel

139
note
remark

139
keeps
protects

139
blow … law
legal punishment (for breaching the peace)

142
liest … throat
lie outrageously

149
o’th’windy
on the windward, i.e. safe

152
hope
i.e. of success

152
as … him
insofar as you treat him as such

155
move
provoke/set in motion

157
commerce
transaction/conversational exchange

158
Scout me
keep watch (for me)

159
bumbaily
bailiff who crept up on the debtor from behind

160
horrible
terribly/exceedingly

162
twanged off
uttered ringingly/said with a snide nasal intonation

162
approbation
credit

163
proof
testing out

164
let me alone
i.e. you can rely on me

166
capacity
intelligence

170
clodpole
idiot

173
youth
inexperience

173
aptly receive
readily believe

173
hideous
terrifying

175
cockatrices
basilisks, mythical reptiles whose gaze had the power to kill

176
Give them way
keep out of their way

177
presently
immediately

178
horrid
terrifying

181
laid
laid down/exposed

181
unchary
carelessly

185
’haviour … bears
behavior that characterizes your passion

187
jewel
piece of jewelry, here a miniature portrait of Olivia

191
honour saved
i.e. apart from my virginity

195
acquit
excuse, release (from obligation to love)

200
That
whatever

200
betake
resort

202
intercepter
one lying in wait

202
despite
contempt

202
bloody
bloodthirsty

203
Dismount
draw

203
tuck
sword

203
yare
quick

206
to
with

206
remembrance
memory

209
price
value

210
opposite
opponent

211
withal
with

213
dubbed
invested with knightly status

213
unhatched
unhacked, unmarked (in battle)

213
on carpet consideration
for courtly, rather than military, reasons

215
incensement
fury

216
satisfaction
recompense for offense to one’s honor

217
sepulchre
tomb

217
Hob, nob
have or have not, i.e. come what may

217
word
motto

220
conduct
protection

221
taste
test

222
quirk
peculiarity

224
competent
sufficient

226
that
i.e. the duel

228
meddle
get involved

228
forswear … you
cease to wear a sword

231
office
task

231
know of
inquire from

238
mortal arbitrement
fight to the death

240
Nothing … promise
not at all as extraordinary

240
read
judge

241
form
appearance

241
like
likely

248
mettle
spirit/courage

250
firago
virago, female fighter

250
pass
bout (of fencing)

251
stuck in
fencing thrust

251
mortal
fatal

251
motion
fencing maneuver

252
inevitable
unavoidable

252
answer
return hit

252
pays you
strikes you in return

254
to
in the service of

254
Sophy
Shah of Persia

255
Pox
plague

257
hold
restrain

259
cunning
skillful

259
fence
fencing

259
ere
before

262
motion
offer

263
perdition
destruction, damnation

263
perdition of souls
i.e. loss of life

264
ride
i.e. make a fool of

265
take up
settle

267
horribly conceited
has just as terrifying an idea

270
for’s oath
for his oath’s

271
quarrel
cause of complaint

272
supportance
upholding

272
protests
declares/vows

274
A … would
it wouldn’t take much to
(thing
plays on the sense of “penis”)

279
duello
established dueling code

283
up
away

289
undertaker
one who takes on a task/challenger

289
for
ready for

291
anon
shortly

293
for that
as for what

294
He
i.e. Capilet, the horse

294
reins
is obedient, responds to the reins

296
suit
order/request

299
favour
face

303
answer
be accountable for

307
amazed
shocked/bewildered

313
part
in part

315
having
fortune

316
present
available resources

317
coffer
money

318
deny
reject/disown

319
deserts
worthy deeds

320
lack persuasion
fail to persuade you to help me

320
tempt
try

321
unsound
morally weak/inadequate

327
vainness
ostentation

334
sanctity
holiness

335
image
appearance (plays on the sense of “religious icon”)

336
venerable worth
worthy to be venerated

339
feature
physical appearance

341
unkind
cruel/unnatural

343
trunks
chests/bodies

343
o’erflourished
richly decorated/made outwardly beautiful

352
sage
solemn/dignified

353
saws
sayings

355
glass
mirrored reflection/image

356
favour
appearance

356
went
went about

357
Still
always

357
ornament
clothing, adornments

358
prove
i.e. to be true

360
dishonest
dishonorable

360
a coward
cowardly

364
religious
devout

365
’Slid
by God’s eyelid (common oath)

368
event
outcome

369
yet
after all

Act 4 Scene 1

4
held out
kept up

8
vent
utter, let out

10
of
from

12
lubber
clumsy idiot

12
cockney
pampered child/affected, effeminate fellow

13
ungird
take off

13
strangeness
aloofness

15
Greek
buffoon/speaker of gibberish

16
tarry
linger

17
worse payment
i.e. blows

18
open
generous (with money or blows)

19
report
reputation

20
fourteen years’ purchase
i.e. a large investment of time and money

26
straight
at once

26
in … coats
in your position

28
hold
restrain yourself

30
action of battery
lawsuit for assault

35
iron
dagger/sword

35
fleshed
initiated into fighting

39
malapert
impudent

46
Rudesby
ruffian

46
friend
friend/lover

48
uncivil
barbarous

48
extent
assault

51
botched up
patched together

53
Beshrew
curse

54
started
startled/drove from cover

54
heart
puns on “hart”

55
relish
meaning (literally, “taste”)

56
Or
either

57
fancy
imagination

57
Lethe
river of forgetfulness in the classical underworld

58
still
always

59
Would thou’dst
if only you would

Act 4 Scene 2

2
Sir
respectful title for priest

2
Topas
topaz, a precious stone, was supposed to cure madness; also proverbial for a puritan priest