23 notwithstanding nevertheless
26 assured shifts sense to "guaranteed against risks"
27 bethink me consider it
29 habitation i.e. the body of a pig
30 Nazarite someone from Nazareth, i.e. Jesus
32 following forth
36 publican tax collector
38 low simplicity humble naivete/foolishness
39 gratis for nothing (i.e. without charging interest)
40 usance lending money at interest
41 upon the hip at a disadvantage (wrestling term)
42 fat until fat
43 our sacred nation i.e. the Jewish people
rails rants/is abusive (about) 44 there ... congregate i.e. on the Rialto
45 thrift profit
46 tribe i.e. one of the twelve tribes of Israel, from which all Jews were descended 49 debating ... store considering my supply of ready money
51 gross total
53 Tubal name found in Genesis 10:2
54 furnish supply
soft wait a moment
55 Rest you fair form of greeting ("may you remain well")
56 Your ... mouths i.e. we were just talking about you
58 excess i.e. interest
59 ripe wants pressing needs
60 possessed notified of
61 would want
65 bond contract/pledge
67 advantage interest
68 use employ (puns on the sense of "interest")
69 Jacob ... sheep with his mother's help, Jacob tricked his father into making him heir; fleeing his brother Esau's wrath, he went to work for his uncle Laban (Genesis 27 and 30) 70 from descended from
Abram Abraham
71 wrought brought about, arranged
72 third possessor i.e. of the birthright (after Abraham and Isaac) 75 Mark pay attention to
76 were compromised had reached agreement
77 eanlings newborn lambs
pied spotted with another color 78 fall as become
hire wages
rank lustful/in heat 80 generation procreation
82 peeled ... wands stripped the bark off particular sticks
83 in ... kind while the sheep were engaged in their natural act (i.e. breeding) 84 stuck ... ewes refers to the idea that what the mother sees during conception influences the appearance of the offspring
fulsome lustful 85 eaning lambing
86 Fall drop, give birth to
87 thrive profit
89 venture enterprise
served served God
91 fashioned arranged, created
92 inserted introduced, brought up
good i.e. justifiable 100 goodly wholesome-looking
104 beholding indebted
106 rated berated, reproached (puns on rate)
109 sufferance endurance
111 gaberdine loose cloak or coat
112 use employment (puns on sense of "financial interest")
114 Go to expression of impatient dismissal
116 void discharge, empty
rheum spittle
117 foot kick
spurn despise/reject/strike
stranger cur unknown dog 118 suit request
122 bondman's key serf's tone
123 bated subdued
128 like likely
132 A ... metal an unnatural increase of money--i.e. interest
barren unable to reproduce naturally
of from 134 break i.e. fail to repay the sum
better more willing 139 doit small coin (i.e. tiny amount)
141 kind kindness/natural behavior
142 were would be (indeed)
144 notary person authorized to draw up contracts
145 single particular/bond that specifies that a sum of money must be paid on an appointed day 148 condition contract
149 nominated for named as
equal exact
155 dwell remain/exist
necessity need
161 suspect i.e. to doubt
163 break his day miss the appointed date (for repayment)
164 exaction enforcement
166 estimable valuable
169 so so be it
172 forthwith at once
173 direction instruction
174 purse bag up
175 See attend
fearful fear-inducing
176 unthrifty profligate/careless
knave scoundrel/servant
presently soon 178 Hie hurry
gentle courteous (may pun on "gentile") 179 kind agreeable/generous/natural
tawny dark-skinned/of yellowish-brown skin
Moor person of either African or Middle Eastern origin
Flourish fanfare 2 livery uniform/badge
burnished shining like polished metal 3 near bred closely related
5 Phoebus Roman sun god
6 make incision i.e. to let blood
7 reddest suggestive of courage and vigor
8 aspect face
9 feared frightened
10 clime land
11 hue color/appearance
14 nice scrupulous/whimsical
direction guidance 17 scanted limited
18 hedged protected/confined
wit wisdom
19 His as his
20 then would then have
fair i.e. fair a chance (puns on the sense of "fair-skinned/attractive") 22 For of gaining/hoping for
25 scimitar short, curved sword
26 Sophy ruler (shah) of Persia
27 fields battles
of from/against
Solyman Suleiman, sultan who fought against Persia 28 o'erstare outstare
33 Hercules Greek hero
Lichas Hercules' companion 36 Alcides another name for Hercules
44 advised warned
45 Nor will not break my word, i.e. speak to a woman
47 hazard risk/choice/fortune
Clown a rustic, and/or comic character
Lancelet i.e. "little lance" (type of spear/penis); Sir Lancelot was famous for adultery with King Arthur's wife; a "lance" was also a surgeon's instrument for piercing an abscess 1 serve allow
3 Gobbo hunchback (Italian)
5 start advantage
7 with thy heels firmly (plays on literal sense)
8 courageous purposeful/forceful/lusty
pack depart
Fia! Via! i.e. away (Italian) 9 For the heavens i.e. in heaven's name
12 honest honorable (sense then shifts to "chaste")
13 something somewhat/some thing (i.e. vagina)
14 smack have a taste for/taste literally/have sex with
grow to become one with/tend toward/become erect
taste preference/literal taste 19 God ... mark i.e. excuse my language
20 saving your reverence i.e. begging your pardon
22 incarnation slip for "incarnate" (ironic, given that the Incarnation refers to the making of Christ into flesh) 28 true-begotten honestly conceived (Lancelet means "real, true") 29 sand-blind half-blind (from "sam-blind," but Lancelet thinks "as if with sand in the eyes")
high-gravel-blind completely blind 30 confusions (appropriate) malapropism for "conclusions"--i.e. "experiment"
35 of no hand i.e. neither left or right
indirectly along a winding route (perhaps plays on the sense of "moral crookedness") 37 sonties saints
hit get right, find
41 raise the waters provoke tears
43 master gentleman or professional tradesperson
45 well to live well-to-do/managing satisfactorily/healthy
46 a he
48 friend and Lancelet Old Gobbo's polite way of rejecting the title "master" for Lancelet 49 ergo "therefore" (Latin)
51 an't if it
53 father respectful form of address for an old man
54 Sisters Three three Fates, goddesses who spin, measure, and cut the thread of a person's life 59 hovel-post doorpost of a hovel
66 of the knowin
g to recognize
67 it ... child reversal of the proverb "it is a wise child that knows its own father"
74 your boy ... be comic paraphrase of the Gloria from the Book of Common Prayer: "As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be"
80 Margery sometimes used as slang term for a whore, or vagina
83 fill-horse carthorse ("fills" were the shafts of a cart)
86 backward inward (i.e. is shorter)
of on
89 agree get on
91 set ... rest staked all
92 rest pause, stop
93 very thorough
94 halter hangman's noose
tell count
95 finger ... ribs Lancelet reverses ribs and finger
96 Give me give for me/give (me is emphatic)
97 rare splendid
liveries uniforms (for servants) 99 Jew i.e. villain
100 hasted hastened
101 farthest latest
103 anon shortly
106 Gramercy many thanks
aught anything
108 poor shifts sense from "unfortunate/humble" to "penniless"
110 infection malapropism for "affection" (i.e. desire)
115 scarce scarcely
cater-cousins good friends, close 118 frutify malapropism for "certify"
121 impertinent malapropism for "pertinent"
126 defect malapropism for "effect" (i.e. meaning, purport)
129 preferred recommended/promoted
132 old proverb "the grace of God is gear enough" (i.e. sufficient)
parted divided 136 inquire ... out find out where my house is
138 guarded ornamented by braid trimmings
141 table part of the palm
book i.e. Bible (on which oaths are sworn) 142 simple ordinary/unremarkable
line of life the life-line on the palm supposedly records the length and nature of a person's life 143 trifle insignificant amount
144 simple humble
coming-in income (puns on the sense of "having sex") 145 scape escape
146 edge ... feather-bed perhaps refers to the dangers of marriage (i.e. a wife's infidelity) 147 scapes escapes/adventures/wrongdoings
148 gear matter
the i.e. a
151 bestowed stowed away (on the ship bound for Belmont)
152 feast lay on a feast for
154 herein in this matter
160 obtained it i.e. been granted your request
164 rude raucous/coarse
165 Parts qualities
become suit
167 show appear
168 liberal licentious
take pain make an effort 169 allay diminish
modesty restraint/ propriety 170 skipping frivolous
171 misconstered misconstrued, misunderstood
174 habit demeanor/behavior/clothing
175 but only
177 saying being said
180 studied ... ostent practiced in a solemn appearance
181 grandam grandmother
183 bar exclude
gauge assess
188 purpose intend
Jessica probably a form of "Iscah," daughter of Abraham's brother, Haran (Genesis 11:29) 10 exhibit express (malapropism for "inhibit," i.e. restrain) 12 get beget, conceive
18 manners behavior/character
19 strife i.e. internal conflict, turmoil
1 in during
5 spoke ... of discussed/hired
6 vile degrading/worthless
quaintly skillfully
ordered arranged 9 furnish us prepare
10 An if
this i.e. the letter's seal 11 seem to signify i.e. tell you something
12 hand handwriting
fair hand attractive handwriting (sense then shifts to "beautiful pale hand") 16 By your leave with your permission (to go)
18 sup have supper
22 Go i.e. come
23 masque theatrical entertainment, usually involving music and dancing 24 of with
28 some about an
31 must needs must
directed instructed/described 36 gentle puns on "gentile"
37 foot step/path
38 she i.e. misfortune
39 she i.e. Jessica
issue child
faithless pagan/dishonest 2 of between
3 gormandize eat excessively
5 rend apparel out wear out your clothes
9 wont accustomed
12 bid forth invited out
13 wherefore why
15 upon i.e. at the expense of
16 prodigal wastefully extravagant
17 to after
right loath very reluctant
18 ill harm/trouble
19 tonight last night
20 expect await
21 reproach malapropism for "approach"; Shylock responds to what Lancelet has actually said 25 nose fell a-bleeding considered to be a bad omen
Black ... th'afternoon a deliberately nonsensical series of details; Lancelet pokes fun at superstitious attitudes such as Shylock's
Black Monday Easter Monday 30 wry-necked played with the musician's head twisted away from the instrument 31 casements windows
33 varnished faces i.e. wearing masks
34 stop shut
35 fopp'ry foolishness
36 Jacob's staff in the Bible, the only possession Jacob started out with 37 mind of inclination for
forth away from home 41 for despite
43 a Jewes eye proverbial phrase for something very valuable; also plays on Jessica (a "Jewess") eyeing Lorenzo 44 Hagar's offspring Abraham's Egyptian concubine Hagar gave birth to Ishmael; both mother and son were outcast at Abraham's wife Sarah's request 46 patch fool, clown
47 profit progress
48 Drones non-workers (literally, bees whose only role is to impregnate the queen)
hive live (in a hive) 54 Fast ... find keep possessions securely and they'll always be found quickly (proverbial) 56 crossed thwarted
1 penthouse projecting roof of a building
2 make a stand i.e. wait
3 His ... past i.e. he is almost late
4 marvel surprising
out-dwells his hour i.e. is late 5 ever always
run ... clock i.e. are early 6 Venus' pigeons doves that draw Venus' chariot
8 obliged contracted, pledged
unforfeited unbroken 9 ever always
holds holds true
10 that with which
11 untread retrace
12 measures paces
unbated fire undiminished keenness 15 younger younger son, as the prodigal was (sometimes emended to "younker," fashionable youth) 16 scarfed bark ship decorated with flags
puts from leaves 17 strumpet lascivious/wild/changeable
19 over-withered ribs over-weathered ship's timbers (i.e. damaged by waves) 20 rent torn
beggared made destitute
22 your I beg your
abode delay
25 watch wait/keep watch
26 father father-in-law
28 tongue i.e. voice
36 exchange change (into boy's clothes)
38 pretty clever, artful
39 Cupid Roman god of love
42 hold ... to stand and observe/illuminate
43 sooth truth
light immoral/evident/luminous 44 office of discovery i.e. torchbearing, because it involves revealing things 47 garnish outfit/trimming (some editors emend "lovely" to "lowly") 49 close secretive/concealing
play the runaway i.e. pass quickly 50 stayed for awaited
51 make fast i.e. shut securely, lock
gild equip, adorn (literally, cover with gold) 53 gentle dear one/gentile
54 Beshrew curse
56 true reliable
57 true constant
65 stay wait
66 is come about i.e. has changed (favorably for sailing) trains retinues
1 discover reveal
2 several various, individual
>
4 who which
5 Who whoever
8 dull not bright/blunt
blunt forthright/unrefined 12 withal with it
14 back over
20 dross rubbish/residue from melted metal
21 nor neither
22 virgin hue possibly because silver is the color of the moon, ruled over by Diana, goddess of chastity 25 weigh weigh up, assess
even fair/impartial 26 rated valued/estimated
estimation reputation/value 30 disabling belittling
36 graved engraved
40 mortal breathing i.e. living
41 Hyrcanian deserts Persian region south of the Caspian Sea known for its wildness
desert deserted/isolated place
vasty vast 44 watery kingdom i.e. the sea
ambitious head i.e. waves 46 spirits courageous men
49 like likely
50 base unworthy (puns on lead as a base metal)
gross inferior/coarse/ earthly 51 rib enclose (as ribs do the internal organs)
cerecloth winding-sheet, shroud
obscure concealed/dark 52 immured enclosed
53 undervalued to less in value compared with
tried tested 55 set fixed, like a jewel
56 angel Archangel Michael who appeared on a coin known as an "angel"
57 insculped engraved
61 form image
64 carrion loathsome/skeletal/putrefying
Death death's head, skull 69 But only
72 in judgement old i.e. wise
73 inscrolled inscribed on a scroll
78 tedious lengthy
part depart
80 complexion temperament/skin color
4 raised roused, woke up
12 passion passionate outcry
13 outrageous excessively fierce
19 double ducats twice the value of single ducats
20 stones jewels
24 stones plays on the sense of "testicles"
25 look be sure
day i.e. date on which the loan is to be repaid 28 reasoned talked
29 narrow ... English i.e. the English Channel
30 miscarried came to harm/was destroyed
31 fraught laden
32 upon of
40 Slubber spoil/rush
41 stay wait (for)
riping ripening
42 for as for
43 of i.e. concerned with
45 ostents displays
46 become you be appropriate to you/dignify you
47 there i.e. then
49 affection wondrous sensible emotion extraordinarily evident
51 he ... him i.e. Bassanio is all he lives for
53 quicken revive/lighten
embraced heaviness adopted sadness Servitor servant
1 straight straight away
2 Aragon region of northeastern Spain
3 election choice
presently at once
9 enjoined bound
10 unfold reveal
12 Of i.e. to choose
18 addressed me prepared myself
Fortune good luck 25 By to signify
fool foolish
show appearance 26 fond foolish
27 pries peers closely
martlet swift/house-martin 28 in i.e. in a place exposed to
29 force turbulence/violence
road pathway
casualty mischance 31 jump agree
37 cozen cheat
40 estates, degrees status, rank
offices official roles 41 clear innocent, pure
42 purchased obtained
43 cover ... bare i.e. keep their hats on (social inferiors removed their hats in the presence of their superiors) 45 gleaned stripped, culled