Book Read Free

Henry IV, Part 2

Page 27

by William Shakespeare

squire of a rank just below that of knight

  284 John of Gaunt father of King Henry IV

  sworn brother avowed companion in arms, intimate friend

  Tilt-yard area for jousting tournaments near Whitehall, London

  286 burst…men got his head beaten trying to get past the guards

  288 gaunt, very thin person

  his own name i.e. a

  him i.e. Shallow

  289 eel-skin i.e. because he is so thin

  treble hautboy oboe

  290 beefs cattle

  291 acquainted familiar

  go…will be hard luck if I do not

  292 philosopher’s two stones the philosopher’s stone supposedly turned base metal into gold; Falstaff intends to make money out of Shallow (two stones plays on the sense of “testicles”)

  293 dace small freshwater fish

  pike large, voracious freshwater fish (also, appropriately enough, known as a jack)

  294 shape shape matters

  124 wrought the mure made the wall

  66 carriage behavior, bearing

  2 vent of hearing i.e. ear

  3 orient east

  drooping declining, where the sun sets

  4 post-horse horse kept at a post-house or inn for the use of messengers or travelers

  still always, continually

  unfold reveal

  5 acts actions, events/divisions of a play

  12 fearful…defence enrollment of troops and preparations for defense inspired by fear

  13 big pregnant

  griefs suffering, hardship

  15 And…matter which is not the case

  pipe small wind instrument, recorder

  16 jealousies suspicions

  17 of…stop so easy and straightforward to play

  stop finger-hole of a wind instrument

  18 blunt stupid, dull

  19 still-discordant constantly quarreling

  21 anatomize dissect, analyze

  22 household domestic intimates, i.e. audience

  23 King Harry’s victory Henry IV’s troops defeated Hotspur and the other rebels at the Battle of Shrewsbury (dramatized in 1 Henry IV)

  24 field battlefield

  Shrewsbury town on the Welsh-English border

  25 Hotspur Sir Henry (or Harry) Percy, the Earl of Northumberland’s son

  28 office duty, task

  29 Harry Monmouth Prince Henry (or Harry, or Hal), named after the town on the Welsh-English border where he was born

  31 the Douglas Archibald, Earl of Douglas;

  the signifies the head of a Scottish clan

  32 anointed i.e. royal, legitimate (having been marked with holy oil as part of the coronation ceremony)

  33 peasant country, rustic (with connotations of “unsophisticated, credulous”)

  35 hold fortress; Warkworth Castle was the Earl of Northumberland’s residence

  ragged rough, eroded

  37 crafty-sick feigning illness

  posts messengers on horseback tiring on in tearing haste/exhausting themselves and their horses

  39 Than except what

  40 true wrongs the painful truth

  2 Gaultree Forest ancient royal forest to the north of York

  an’t if it

  3 discoverers scouts

  9 New-dated of recent date

  11 powers forces

  12 hold sortance with correspond, agree

  quality rank

  13 levy raise, muster

  14 retired withdrawn

  ripe ripen, develop

  16 overlive survive

  17 opposite adversary

  18 touch ground run aground

  22 form formation

  24 rate estimate, number

  25 just…out exact number we estimated

  26 sway on move forward

  27 well-appointed well-equipped

  fronts faces, confronts

  30 prince…Lancaster Prince John, although born at Lancaster, was actually Duke of Bedford

  32 doth…coming does your arrival mean

  35 If that if

  36 like itselfin its true colors

  routs mobs, gangs

  37 bloody bloodthirsty

  guarded adorned, trimmed/protected, flanked by

  38 countenanced approved, supported

  39 commotion insurrection, rebellion

  40 most proper own true

  41 reverend respected

  42 Had not would not have been

  dress dress up, adorn

  44 honours noble selves

  45 see diocese

  47 letters scholarship

  48 investments ecclesiastical robes

  figure symbolize

  55 point musical signal (perhaps plays on the sense of “sword”)

  58 wanton uncontrolled/idle/self-indulgent/lascivious

  60 bleed let blood as a medical cure/shed blood in battle

  63 take…me do not take on the role of

  66 show appear

  67 rank coarse, gross/corrupt

  70 justly exactly/fairly

  72 griefs sufferings, grievances

  74 most quiet there former peacefulness in the

  stream of time

  75 occasion circumstances

  77 articles account of charges, list of grievances

  79 suit supplication/legal petition

  gain our audience be granted a hearing

  80 unfold disclose, explain

  83 but newly gone only recently passed

  84 memory…earth i.e. the land bears scars of battle

  85 yet appearing still visible

  86 Of…instance of which every minute gives us evidence/which each moment urges upon us

  87 ill-beseeming unbecoming

  92 gallèd vexed, wounded

  93 suborned bribed

  grate on harass

  94 seal approve, ratify by affixing a wax seal

  96 commonwealth state, general good

  103 unequal unjust

  106 Construe make sense of/judge

  to their necessities according to what is urgent and immediate

  109 not appears doesn’t appear

  113 signories estates

  116 breathed reanimated

  117 the state circumstances

  118 force perforce with violent compulsion

  banish him Richard II banished both Mowbray’s father and

  Henry Bullingbrook (Henry IV), rather than allow them to meet in combat, in events dramatized in Richard II

  120 rousèd raised/angry, roused

  121 coursers horses

  daring…spur i.e. eager to charge

  122 armèd…charge lances held in position

  beavers visors or face guards of their helmets

  123 sights of steel slits in their visors

  124 blowing them together giving them the signal to charge

  125 stayed kept, prevented

  127 warder staff held by one presiding over combat

  129 all their lives the lives of all those

  130 indictment legal accusation

  dint of sword force of arms

  131 miscarried come to grief

  133 Earl of Hereford i.e. Bullingbrook

  137 He…Coventry he would not have got away in safety from Coventry (Midlands town, the location of the combat)

  141 did did so, did bless and grace (him)

  145 wherein on those matters in which

  147 enjoy them have those requests granted

  set off put aside

  148 think you make you seem

  149 compel oblige him to make

  150 policy strategy, cunning

  151 overween go too far

  153 ken range of sight

  156 battle army

  names noblemen, famed soldiers

  157 perfect skilled

  159 reason will it stands to reason

  161 parley negotiation with the enemy

  163 rotten…handling som
ething putrid won’t stand close examination (rotten case plays on sense of “syphilitic vagina”)

  165 very ample virtue full authority

  166 determine Of decide on

  168 intended implied

  name title

  169 muse marvel

  170 schedule list

  172 Each several article provided that each separate charge

  173 hence elsewhere

  174 insinewed to an integral part of, bound to

  175 Acquitted provided that we are cleared

  true substantial form binding legal proceedings

  176 present…confined immediate carrying out of the demands relating to us and our intentions

  178 awful banks respectful (awe-full) boundaries

  179 knit bind, unite

  180 Please you if you’re content

  181 battles armies

  182 At either end on both sides

  frame arrange

  189 absolute unconditional

  190 consist upon insist upon/consist of

  192 valuation estimation in the eyes of the king

  193 false-derivèd wrongly attributed

  194 nice and wanton petty and frivolous

  196 were…

  love even if we were willing to die for love of the king

  197 winnowed separated, as is the

  corn from the worthless husks (chaff) by the action of the

  wind

  198 That…partition the king will be unable to distinguish the good from the bad in us

  201 dainty petty

  picking trifling

  202 doubt fear

  203 heirs of life survivors

  204 tables records

  206 history record, recount

  208 precisely completely

  209 misdoubts present occasion i.e. to the extent that he would like

  misdoubts suspicions, fears

  210 enrooted entangled by the roots

  214 enraged him on provoked him

  216 hangs resolved correction forestalls the determined punishment

  217 execution carry out the action

  218 wasted used up

  rods whipping rods

  219 late recent/dead

  222 offer threaten

  225 atonement reconciliation

  231 just at an equal

  233 Before lead on

  234 cousin form of address between nobles, not necessarily denoting kinship

  235 gentle noble

  237 better…you suited you better

  241 iron armored/unyielding

  243 word i.e. holy word of Scripture

  246 Would he were he to

  countenance favor, patronage

  247 set abroach unleash

  250 deep…heaven learned in Scripture/firmly in God’s grace

  251 speaker intermediary between monarch and parliament; here, between God and the people

  253 opener and intelligencer one who explains and informs

  254 sanctities holiness, sacred nature

  255 workings efforts/perceptions

  256 But you that you don’t

  place position

  257 countenance favor

  258 false dishonest, disloyal

  259 taken up raised

  260 zeal puns on “seal,” i.e. authority

  261 heaven’s substitute the monarch was regarded as God’s deputy on earth

  263 upswarmèd made them rise up like an angry swarm

  267 misordered confused

  in common sense as all acknowledge

  268 monstrous unnatural

  269 hold…up maintain our security

  270 parcels details

  271 shoved i.e. dismissed

  272 Hydra in Greek mythology, a monster that grew two heads for every one that was cut off

  273 dangerous eyes refers to another monster, Argus, whose hundred eyes kept permanent watch until charmed to sleep by Mercury

  280 supplies reinforcements

  second support, renew

  282 success succession

  284 Whiles…generation for as long as people continue to be born

  286 sound the bottom gauge the depth, i.e. foretell

  288 How far forth to what extent

  like approve of, agree to

  289 allow them well approve of them

  291 mistook misunderstood

  292 lavishly freely

  296 powers forces

  several various, separate

  299 tokens signs

  305 part depart

  306 Hie hurry

  308 pledge toast

  315 happy season opportune moment

  316 something somewhat

  317 Against in anticipation of

  318 heaviness…event sadness comes over men before a positive outcome

  319 coz abbreviation of “cousin”

  321 passing surpassingly, extremely

  323 rendered given

  324 had been cheerful would have been uplifting

  330 trains retinues, followers

  331 peruse look over

  332 coped withal had to fight with

  335 lie lodge

  341 steers unyoked calves freed from the yoke

  343 sporting-place place of entertainment, leisure

  347 Of for, on the grounds of

  attach arrest

  351 pawned pledged

  356 Meet appropriate

  357 shallowly foolishly, thoughtlessly

  358 Fondly stupidly

  359 stray stragglers

  363 condition rank

  370 Dale the sense now widens from “valley” to include “pit”

  373 drops tears

  374 lovers friends

  375 do observance show respect

  380 An if

  indifferency ordinary size

  378 I…name i.e. I am known by name everywhere on account of my vast stomach

  school crowd

  381 womb belly

  387 tardy tricks delaying dodges

  388 break…back i.e. get you hanged (and your weight will cause the gallows to break)

  389 but…be if it were not

  392 expedition speed

  393 with…possibility as fast as possible

  394 foundered lamed

  nine…posts over 180 horses

  396 furious violent, wrathful

  398 hook-nosed…Rome i.e. Julius Caesar

  402 booked recorded

  403 particular ballad special ballad written about me

  404 picture ballads were commonly illustrated with woodcuts

  406 gilt two-pences false coins, twopenny pieces gilded and passed off as gold half-crowns

  to compared to

  407 cinders…element i.e. stars

  410 desert mount merit be recognized

  411 heavy fat, weighty/heinous, dreadful

  413 thick fat/dim

  421 been…me taken my advice

  422 won them dearer they would have cost more, i.e. you would have had to fight for them

  423 sold presented/betrayed/bartered away

  425 left left off, given up

  426 execution stayed bloodshed halted

  428 present immediate

  429 sure carefully, securely

  431 sore seriously

  434 sober moderate, dignified

  438 in my condition according to my disposition/as military commander

  440 would wish

  444 come…proof turn out well

  445 making many fish-meals they eat such a lot of fish (as opposed to red meat)

  446 green-sickness anemia causing a greenish complexion; it often afflicted teenage girls

  447 get wenches father only daughters

  449 inflammation roused emotions resulting from drink/swelling weight sherry-sack sweet Spanish white wine

  450 ascends me ascends (me is used colloquially for emphasis)

  451 curdy thick, curdled

  vapours noxious exhalati
ons supposedly produced in the body and rising to the brain environ surround

  452 apprehensive intelligent, perceptive

  forgetive apt at forging, inventive

  456 liver considered the seat of the passions

  457 pusillanimity lack of courage, timidity

  459 parts extremes extremities

  461 vital…spirits the “vital spirits” were thought to be the essence of life

  462 muster me assemble

  465 a-work to work

  466 a mere is a mere

  467 commences initiates, unleashes (puns on “Commencement,” the formal term for the degree award ceremony at Cambridge University)

  470 husbanded cultivated

  474 potations liquors

  479 tempering becoming pliant, softening like wax

  480 seal with him come to an agreement/shape him to my purposes

  2 debate strife, conflict

  3 higher fields i.e. to Jerusalem, on a crusade

  4 sanctified consecrated, holy

  5 addressed ready

  6 substitutes…invested deputies installed in office

  7 level equal

  8 want lack

  9 pause us rest, wait

  19 in presence present/in the royal presence

  22 chance does it happen

  26 offices services

  28 brethren brothers

  29 omit neglect

  32 observed treated with respect

  34 melting tender

  35 flint i.e. hard, unyielding

  36 humorous moody, volatile

  37 flaws congealèdicy gusts of wind

  spring dawn/gentle warmth

  38 temper disposition/mood

  39 reverently respectfully

  41 line range, scope

  42 on ground beached

  43 Confound defeat, overthrow

  working exertion

  47 suggestion suspicion/incitement to evil

  48 force perforce of necessity

  50 aconitum aconite or wolfsbane, a poisonous plant

  rash hasty, violent

  55 other his continual his other constant

  56 fattest richest, most fertile

  60 blood…heart every sigh was thought to drain a drop of blood from the heart

  64 curb restraint (literally, chain passed under a horse’s jaw)

  66 lavish wild, unrestrained

  68 fronting advancing/confronting

  opposed hostile

  69 look…quite go too far in judging him

  76 perfectness fullness

  78 measure guide

  79 mete measure

  81 ’Tis…carrion i.e. people rarely give up their pleasures despite the corrupt surroundings; drawn from the biblical story of Samson, who found a bees’ nest in the carcass of a lion (Judges 14:8)

  87 Bishop Scroop i.e. the Archbishop of York, Richard Scroop

  91 borne carried out

  93 course…particular turn of events set out in detail

  95 haunch hindquarter, back end

 

‹ Prev