25 More witnesseth is more certain testimony
26 constancy consistency, truth
27 admirable wondrous, extraordinary
32 board table
33 masques courtly entertainments involving music, dancing, and elaborate costumes 35 after-supper time after the evening meal
41 abridgement pastime (to shorten the evening)
44 brief summary
44 ripe fully prepared
46 battle ... Centaurs probably derived from Ovid's Metamorphoses, which tells of the battle of the Centaurs and the Lapithae; some versions say that Hercules was present 50 riot ... rage another tale from Ovid's Metamorphoses in which Orpheus was torn apart by female followers of Bacchus (Roman god of wine) 52 device show
54 thrice ... beggary possible reference to Spenser's poem "The Tears of the Muses"
56 critical judgmental
57 sorting with appropriate for
61 strange snow a word may be missing here, e.g. "strange black snow"
62 concord harmony
67 fitted suitable, apt
76 toiled exhausted, taxed
76 unbreathed unpracticed, inexperienced
77 against in preparation for
83 conned learned
87 simpleness unassuming simplicity
89 wretchedness o'er-charged humble people overburdened 90 his service its attempt to serve
92 kind respect
94 take accept, comprehend, value
95 noble respect dignity and consideration that comes with nobility 96 in ... merit in terms of effort rather than actual value 97 clerks scholars
100 Make periods full stops/rhetorical pauses
101 accent speech, intonation
104 picked extracted, detected
105 modesty propriety/shyness
105 fearful frightened
109 capacity understanding
110 addressed ready
112 will. Quince inadvertently inserts a full stop here and changes the meaning of the line 114 will. another misplaced full stop
115 end aim
116 despite malice
117 We ... you correctly punctuated, this would read "we come--but in despite we do not come--as minding to content you"
118 is. erroneous full stop
118 All exclusively
118 delight missing punctuation (e.g. full stop, semicolon) 119 here. erroneous full stop
120 show appearance/performance
121 like likely
122 stand upon points dwell on trivialities/insist on (correct) punctuation 123 rid dispensed with/ridden
123 rough untrained
124 stop pulling-up (of a horse)/full stop
127 government control
128 nothing not
135 sunder separate
140 scorn shame, disdain
142 hight is called
145 mantle loose cloak
145 fall let fall
147 tall fine/brave
150 broached pierced
153 twain two/separated
158 interlude short play
166 sinister left
167 fearful frightened
170 partition wall/section of a scholarly book
173 grim-looked grim-looking, forbidding
180 chink plays on sense of "vagina/anus"
181 Jove Roman supreme god
184 stones plays on sense of "testicles"
185 sensible capable of feeling
185 again in response
189 pat exactly
194 lime probably pronounced "limb," thus playing on sense of "penis"
194 hair plays on "pubic hair"
196 an if
197 thou ... love Thisbe misplaces the pause that should be after "love"
198 lover's grace i.e. gracious lover
199 Limander malapropism for "Leander," lover of Hero 200 Helen mistake for "Hero"
201 Shafalus to Procrus mistakes for "Cephalus," who was married to "Procris"
204 hole plays on "arsehole"
206 'Tide betide, i.e. come
209 mural wall
211 walls ... hear derived from the proverb "walls have ears"
211 wilful willing
214 in this kind of this sort
214 shadows images/reflections/actors
222 monstrous frightening/enormous
224 rough wild/cruel
226 fell fierce
226 dam mother
230 at i.e. at playing
230 beast puns on best
231 a very fox i.e. cunning
231 for i.e. for all
232 goose ... discretion i.e. foolish
232 discretion judgment/prudence
234 carries i.e. literally, as prey
238 horned i.e. crescent-shaped
239 horns ... head i.e. as a cuckold (men with unfaithful wives were said to grow horns) 240 no crescent no growing moon (presumably because he is so thin) 248 in snuff in need of blowing out/angry
251 in the wane decreasing/lacking
251 reason i.e. reasonable behavior
251 stay the time wait for the moment, sit it out 265 moused seized/shaken (refers to Thisbe's mantle) 274 dole sorrow, grievous occurrence
280 Furies three classical goddesses of vengeance
280 fell fierce
281 Fates three classical goddesses in control of human destiny (a thread which would be cut when death was due) 282 thrum end of warp-thread on a weaving loom, i.e. everything 283 Quail end, destroy
283 quell overcome, ruin
284 passion fit of grief
284 friend lover
285 go near to almost
286 Beshrew curse
287 frame create
288 deflowered presumably a mistake for "devoured"
290 cheer face/joy
293 pap breast (usually a woman's)
300 Tongue error for "eye"
303 die one of a pair of dice
303 ace one (single spot on a die)
307 ass puns on ace
311 passion sorrow/suffering (resulting in death)
312 long one i.e. fit of grief
314 mote tiny particle
318 means laments/intends
318 videlicet "that is to say" (Latin) 331 Sisters Three i.e. the Fates
335 shore shorn, cut
336 thread of silk i.e. life
339 imbrue pierce
347 Bergomask dance rustic dance, named after the people of Bergamo, Italy 347 between i.e. performed by
355 iron tongue clapper of a bell
355 told counted, i.e. rung (puns on "tolled") 358 overwatched stayed up late
359 palpable-gross obviously clumsy
359 beguiled whiled away
360 heavy gait slow/sleepy passage
361 solemnity celebration
365 heavy exhausted
366 fordone worn out
367 wasted brands burned logs
368 screech-owl the barn owl's cry was thought to be a bad omen 373 sprite spirit
376 triple Hecate classical goddess of witchcraft and night, associated with the moon; often represented in triple form, she was known as Luna/Cynthia in heaven, Diana on earth, and Proserpina in the underworld 376 team i.e. the creatures, probably dragons, pulling her chariot 379 frolic frolicsome, merry
381 hallowed blessed
382 behind out from behind/behind
383 give glimmering light probably a command to the fairies, who may have candles with them (perhaps carried on their heads to leave their hands free for dancing) 388 trippingly skillfully, lightly
389 rehearse recite
389 rote heart
395 best bride-bed i.e. that of Theseus and Hippolyta 397 issue children
397 create created
404 prodigious ominous
407 consecrate holy, blessed
408 gait (own) course
409 several individual
413 stay delay
419 weak deficient
419 idle foo
lish/trifling
420 yielding but meaningful than
421 Gentles ladies and gentlemen
421 reprehend reprove
422 mend improve, put it right
425 serpent's tongue i.e. audience hisses
429 Give ... hands i.e. applaud
430 restore amends make amends in return
William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream
(Series: # )
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