101bias of nature natural inclination (a bowling image: the bias refers to the curving path taken by a weighted ball)
104it … nothing i.e. it will advantage you
108excellent foppery supreme foolishness
109surfeits excesses
110disasters misfortunes
111on i.e. by
112treachers traitors
113spherical predominance the dominant influence of a particular planet at one’s birth
115divine celestial, supernatural
115evasion shuffling excuse
116whoremaster i.e. lecherous, whore-using
116goatish lustful
117charge responsibility
117compounded had sex
118the dragon’s tail the constellation Draco
118Ursa Major (constellation of) the Great Bear (or Plough)
119rough cruel, violent
120maidenliest most virginal
121firmament sky, heavens
121bastardizing conception out of wedlock
122Pat on cue
122catastrophe conclusion
122comedy play
122my cue could also mean “designated role”
123Tom o’Bedlam i.e. a madman (from the Saint Mary of Bethlehem hospital in London, an institution for the insane)
124divisions conflicts, discords (plays on the sense of “musical variations”)
124Fa … mi Edmund hums a musical scale to himself
127this the
130succeed follow
131unhappily unluckily, by misfortune
136countenance bearing, demeanor/facial expression
139forbear avoid
140qualified cooled, lessened
141mischief … person harm caused by your presence
142allay abate, calm
144have … forbearance i.e. restrain yourself and stay away from him
146fitly at an appropriate time
148abroad out of the house
151meaning intention
153image and horror horrific true picture
154anon soon
155serve help/trick, deceive
159practices plots
160wit intelligence, ingenuity
161meet fitting
161fashion fit shape to my purposes
Act 1 Scene 3
1.3
1gentleman man of gentle (i.e. noble) birth attached to a royal household
1chiding rebuking
5flashes breaks out
10come slack fall short
11answer be answerable for
14fellows fellow servants
14question conflict, a dispute
15distaste dislike
21straight straight away
21to i.e. and tell her to
Act 1 Scene 4
1as will I perhaps “as I intend” (but most editors opt for the Quarto “well”- i.e. “as well as being disguised”)
2defuse confuse, disorder
3full issue complete outcome
4razed my likeness erased my true appearance
8stay wait
11What … profess? What is your occupation? (Kent shifts the sense of profess to “claim, declare”)
11wouldst thou do you want
12us Lear continues to use the royal plural pronoun
16judgement i.e. God’s judgment/the judgment of fellow men
16cannot choose have no other option
16to eat … fish i.e. only to eat a hearty diet of meat/not to eat fish on Fridays like a Roman Catholic/not to have sex with prostitutes
31keep honest counsel keep secrets like an honorable man/keep secrets that are honorable
31mar … tale spoil an elaborate story
37anything “thing” plays on the sense of “vagina”
41knave rogue/servant
44So if it
45clotpoll idiot
49slave servant/villain
51roundest bluntest
55entertained received, treated hospitably
56wont accustomed (to receive)
57general dependants servants as a whole
63rememb’rest remind
63conception notion, thought
64faint slight/lazy, half-hearted
65jealous curiosity mistrustful fastidiousness
65very pretence real intention
77cur dog
79bandy exchange looks as an equal (literally, “bat to and fro” as in tennis)
80strucken struck, beaten
81football played by the lower classes (unlike tennis)
84differences class distinctions
85measure … length be knocked flat to the floor
85lubber clumsy lout
86tarry stay
86go to an expression of impatient dismissal
88earnest part-payment in advance
90coxcomb fool’s headgear with a crest like a cock’s comb
91pretty fine-looking/clever
95an … sits i.e. if you cannot please those in power
97on’s of his
98needs necessarily
99nuncle contraction of “mine uncle”
99Would I wish
102living property, possessions
106Brach bitch
107pestilent gall troublesome irritation
110Mark pay attention to
113owest own
114goest walk