King Lear

¹¹⁵trowest believe

¹¹⁶Set … throwest don’t stake everything on the throw of the dice

¹¹⁹have … score i.e. make a profit

¹²⁰score twenty

¹²²unfee’d unpaid

¹²³use employment/profit

¹³⁴crowns coins (the sense then shifts to “eggshells,” “royal headgear,” and “head”)

¹³⁶meat edible contents

¹³⁶clovest split

¹⁴⁰like myself i.e. foolishly

¹⁴¹grace favor, patronage

¹⁴²foppish foolish

¹⁴⁴apish silly

¹⁴⁶used it made it my custom

¹⁴⁷rod punishment cane

¹⁵¹bo-peep a child’s game (in which an adult alternately conceals and reveals his or her face)

¹⁵²the fool among among fools

¹⁵⁴fain gladly

¹⁵⁵An if

¹⁵⁶marvel wonder

¹⁶⁰pared trimmed

¹⁶³frontlet ornamental headband/band worn round forehead at night to smooth wrinkles

¹⁶⁶figure accompanying digit (to make it a number higher than zero)

¹⁶⁸forsooth in truth

¹⁷¹nor … crumb i.e. no part of the loaf

¹⁷²want some need something/experience need

¹⁷³peascod peapod

¹⁷⁴all-licensed licensed to speak entirely freely

¹⁷⁶carp complain

¹⁷⁷rank excessive, uncontrolled

¹⁷⁹safe certain

¹⁸⁰too late all too recently

¹⁸¹course behavior

¹⁸¹put it on encourage it

¹⁸³scape escape

¹⁸³redresses sleep punishments be neglected

¹⁸⁴in … proceeding might offend and shame you but which, in the interests of maintaining a healthy state, must be deemed a prudent course of action

¹⁸⁹cuckoo young cuckoo, hatched from an egg its mother had laid in another bird’s nest

¹⁹⁰it’s had it it had its

¹⁹⁰it young the young cuckoo

¹⁹¹darkling in darkness

¹⁹⁴fraught equipped (literally “freighted”)

¹⁹⁵dispositions moods

¹⁹⁸Jug a form of “Joan,” often used as a generic name for a prostitute

²⁰¹notion understanding

²⁰¹discernings Are lethargied power of discernment is asleep

²⁰²Waking? Am I awake?

²⁰⁴shadow reflection/ghost/shadow cast by the sun/imitator, actor

²⁰⁶admiration air of wonder

²⁰⁶o’th’savour of the flavor

²⁰⁹should i.e. you should

²¹¹bold presumptuous, audacious

²¹³epicurism gluttony/pleasure-seeking

²¹⁵graced honorable

²¹⁵speak call

²¹⁶desired requested, entreated

²¹⁸disquantity your train reduce your retinue

²¹⁹depend be your dependants, serve you

²²⁰besort befit, suit

²²¹know … you i.e. know their place, and yours

²²⁴Degenerate having lost the qualities proper to a family member

²²⁸that to he who

²³⁴kite bird of prey, scavenger

²³⁵rarest parts splendid qualities

²³⁷in … name uphold the honor of their names with the most careful consideration (or “… in every respect”)

²⁴⁰engine piece of machinery

²⁴²gall bitterness

²⁴⁶moved provoked, angered

²⁵²increase procreation

²⁵³derogate degenerate, debased

²⁵⁴teem be fertile, have children

²⁵⁵spleen malice

²⁵⁶thwart perverse, obstinate

²⁵⁶disnatured unnatural

²⁵⁸cadent falling

²⁵⁸fret erode, wear

²⁵⁹pains efforts (also suggests labor pains)

²⁵⁹benefits kindnesses

²⁶⁶dotage foolish old age

²⁶⁷at a clap with one blow

²⁷²perforce by force, uncontrollably

²⁷³Blasts violent gusts of winds

²⁷⁴Th’untented the festering (literally, not probed and cleaned surgically)

²⁷⁵fond foolish/doting

²⁷⁷waters … loose i.e. tears

²⁷⁸temper moisten

²⁷⁸clay i.e. earth, the ground

²⁸⁰kind benevolent/possessed of natural familial love

²⁸⁰comfortable comforting

²⁸²visage face

²⁸⁶partial biased

²⁸⁸content content yourself, i.e. be quiet

²⁹⁵halter hangman’s noose

²⁹⁸politic prudent, shrewd

²⁹⁹At point armed and ready

²⁹⁹that so that

³⁰⁰buzz rumor

³⁰⁰fancy whim

³⁰¹enguard protect, defend

³⁰²in at (his)

³⁰⁵still always

³⁰⁶taken defeated, captured

³¹⁵compact confirm, consolidate

³¹⁸under pardon if you’ll pardon my saying so

³¹⁹at task taken to task, blamed

³²⁴th’event the outcome (will tell)

Act 1 Scene 5

¹before ahead

³demand out of questions prompted by

⁸kibes chilblains

¹⁰wit intellect

¹⁰slip-shod in slippers (worn for chilblains)

¹³Shalt i.e. thou shalt

¹⁴crab sour-tasting crab apple

¹⁸on’s of his

²⁰side’s side of his

²²her i.e. Cordelia (though Goneril is just possible)

³¹asses idiots/donkeys (i.e. Lear’s servants)

³¹the seven stars the Pleiades

³²pretty ingenious