83 strange unnatural
83 fastened confirmed, determined
85 where why
86 ports seaports/gates of walled towns
87 picture could also mean “description”
90 natural naturally loyal and loving to one’s family (plays on the sense of “illegitimate”)
90 work the means find a way
91 capable able to inherit
101 tended upon attended, waited on
103 consort company (often pejorative)
104 though … affected if he is ill-disposed
105 put him on incited him to
106 th’expense the spending
113 child-like i.e. obedient, loving
113 office duty/service
115 bewray inform on, expose
115 his practice Edgar’s plot
120 make … please to achieve your ends, use my means and authority in any way you wish
121 For as for
123 be ours i.e. work for us, join our household
125 seize on take possession of (legal term)
129 out of season inconveniently, unconventionally
129 threading finding a way through (sewing image)
129 dark-eyed quibbling on the idea of a needle’s eye
130 occasions events/circumstances
130 prize importance
133 differences disputes
134 from away from
135 attend dispatch wait to be dispatched
138 craves … use requires immediate action.
Act 2 Scene 2
2.2 Location: outside the Earl of Gloucester’s residence
2.2 severally separately
1 dawning it is actually before dawn; we later learn that the moon shines
2 Ay in fact, Kent is not a servant at this house; perhaps Kent opens up an opportunity to abuse Oswald
3 set put, lodge (Kent plays on the sense of “fix, make stuck”)
4 mire mud
5 if … me i.e. if you would be so kind (Kent pretends to take the expression literally)
8 Lipsbury pinfold the pound for stray animals in Lips-town (i.e. “between my teeth”)
10 use treat
12 for as
13 knave rogue (two lines later the sense shifts to “servant”)
13 broken meats scraps of food
14 three-suited servingmen were permitted to have three outfits a year
14 hundred-pound far more than a servingman’s income; possibly a contemptuous reference to those who bought knighthoods from James I for £100
15 worsted-stocking i.e. servant/unable to afford silk stockings (worsted is a woollen fabric)
15 lily-livered cowardly, with a bloodless liver (the organ thought to be the seat of strong emotions)
15 action-taking litigious
16 whoreson bastard
16 glass mirror
16 glass-gazing vain
16 super-serviceable ready to do any kind of service
16 finical fussy
17 one-trunk-inheriting owner (or heir to) no more than would fit in a single trunk
17 bawd pimp
18 service plays on the sense of “sex”
18 composition combination
19 pander go-between/pimp
21 addition attributes/title/mark of honor added to a coat of arms (ironic)
22 rail rant, heap abuse
24 varlet rogue
26 Draw draw your sword
27 sop o’th’moonshine i.e. beat you to a pulp (so that you resemble either a soggy piece of bread lying under the moon’s light, or the blancmange pudding called moonshine)
28 cullionly rascally
28 barber-monger frequenter of barbers (i.e. vain fop)
31 vanity the puppet i.e. Goneril, imagined as a puppet (or dressed-up woman) who is the personification of vanity
32 carbonado slash diagonally, like meat prepared for broiling or grilling
33 come your ways come on then
35 neat trim, foppish
39 With you i.e. I’ll fight with you
39 Goodman a man below the rank of gentleman
39 Goodman boy a contemptuous and belittling form of address (used to Edmund)
40 flesh ye initiate you (into fighting; from the practice of feeding dogs bits of freshly killed meat in order to excite them for prey)
45 difference argument
47 bestirred your valour worked up your courage (ironic)
48 disclaims in disowns
48 tailor made thee i.e. his only worth lies in his fancy clothes
51 ill badly
55 suit … beard his own request, because his old age required it
56 zed … letter “z” was regarded as unnecessary because “s” could be used instead and there was no “z” in the Latin alphabet
57 unbolted unsifted (plays on the sense of “unmanly/impotent”—a “bolt” was a term for the penis)
58 jakes privy, toilet
59 wagtail tail-wagger, obsequious person/womanizer
61 beastly brutish
62 a privilege license to express itself
65 honesty honor, integrity
66 holy cords sacred bonds (family or matrimonial ties)
66 a-twain in two
67 too intrinse t’unloose too intertwined to be disentangled
67 smooth flatter, indulge
68 rebel i.e. against reason
69 Being … fire i.e. feed the fire of their masters’ passions
70 halcyon beaks the kingfisher (halcyon) was thought to act as a weather vane if dried and hung up
71 gall irritation
71 vary change
73 epileptic visage seeing Oswald smiling away his insults, Kent compares his expression to that of an epileptic, grimacing involuntarily
74 my at my
74 as as if
75 Goose proverbially stupid bird; cackling suggests that Oswald may be laughing