Page 12 of Macbeth

al





29withal with





35breath want of breath





40mortal deadly





43remorse pity





44nature natural feeling





45fell fierce 45-46keep peace...and it i.e., lull it from achieving its end





47take...gall exchange my milk for gall; ministers agents





48sightless invisible





49wait on aid





50pall thee shroud thyself; dunnest darkest





56ignorant unaware





62beguile deceive





63Look...time act as the occasion requires





67dispatch efficient management





70look up clear appear untroubled





71alter favor change your countenance





I.6 Before Inverness Castle s.d.Hautboys treble shawms (ancestors of the modern oboe)





1seat site





3gentle soothed





4temple-haunting nesting around churches; martlet swallow, house martin; approve demonstrate





5loved mansionry beloved nest





6jutty projection





7coign of vantage convenient corner





8procreant cradle cradle for breeding





12-13The love...as love our subjects' love sometimes inconveniences us, but we still acknowledge it as love





14God 'ield us God yield us-i.e., God reward me





17single business simple effort





20late recent





21hermits beadsmen (who are obligated to pray for a benefactor's welfare)





22-23had...purveyor (the purveyor was the chief logistical officer in the royal household, arranging for lodging and supplies; Duncan had wished to provide this service for Macbeth)





24holp helped





27Have theirs have their servants; what is theirs their possessions; in count in trust





29Still always





I.7 A room off the great hall in Macbeth's castle s.d.Sewer chief waiter





1done when 'tis done over and done with when the act is performed





3trammel...consequence entrap the consequences as in a net





4his surcease Duncan's death





6bank and shoal sandbank and shallows





7jump risk





8that because





9instructions lessons





10evenhanded impartial





11ingredience contents (the ingredients collectively)





17faculties power





18clear innocent





23sightless couriers invisible messengers (the winds)





25That so that





32bought acquired





37green bilious





44wait upon preempt





45cat i' th' adage (the adage says, "The cat would eat fish but will not wet her feet")





47none not a man





48break broach





52adhere agree





53that their fitness their very fitness





59fail?...fail? (F's punctuation mark could represent both modern? and!; it is thus not clear whether Lady Macbeth is acknowledging the possibility of failure)





60But (1) however, (2) merely; sticking place (the notch holding the string taut, on either a crossbow or a musical instrument)





62the rather the sooner





64wassail liquor; convince overwhelm





65warder guardian





66fume vapor; receipt receptacle





67limbeck distilling device





72quell killing





73mettle valor





77other otherwise





81mock delude





II.1 Another room in Macbeth's castle





5husbandry economy





7summons signal to sleep





15largess...offices gifts to your household staff





17shut up concluded





19will good will; defect deficient means





20should...wrought would have worked liberally





26cleave...'tis support my interests at the proper time





29franchised free of obligations





30be counseled take your advice





40heat-oppressed overheated





45made the fools o' playing tricks on





47dudgeon handle; gouts spots





49informs (1) reports, (2) takes shape





53Hecate's offerings worship of Hecate, goddess of the moon and of witchcraft





54Alarumed given the signal





56Tarquin Tarquin Sextus Tarquinius, son of the ancient Roman king Tarquinius Superbus, who raped the chaste Lucretia (the story is recounted in Shakespeare's poem Lucrece); side arrogance (see Note on the Text)





60take...time i.e., break the silence and thus disrupt the horror appropriate to the moment





II.2





3bellman night watchman





6possets warm milk with spices and liquor





7That so that





11Confounds defeats





26That so that





27addressed them prepared





30As as if; hangman's hands executioner's hands (hence, bloody)





40knits...sleave smooths the tangled skein





42second course the main, and most satisfying, course (sleep, after labor)





48unbend slacken





50witness evidence





59gild paint





65incarnadine redden





66the green one Neptune's ocean (l. 63); most editors, following Johnson, take "one" to mean "uniformly," but F has a comma after "one"





72left you unattended deserted you





73nightgown dressing gown





74watchers i.e., awake





II.3





2 old too much





4Beelzebub one of the biblical devils

4-5farmer...plenty (because a crop surplus would lower prices and diminish his profit)





5Come in time you've come at the right time

5-6napkins enow enough handkerchiefs (to wipe away the sweat caused by hellfire)





8equivocator deceiver, prevaricator (here alluding to the equivocating testimony given by the Jesuit conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot, 1605)





13stealing...hose (probably skimping on material in the making of French hose, which were tight-fitting, and hence would lead to discovery)





14roast your goose heat your iron (a goose is a long-handled tailor's iron)





19remember i.e., tip





22-23second cock second crowing of the cock (i.e., till early morning)





26nose-painting i.e., a red nose (from habitual drunkenness)





32stand to grow erect





33equivocates...sleep i.e., satisfies him only by putting him to sleep

33 -34giving...lie (1) deceiving him (because he cannot perform sexually), (2) overthrowing him, (3) making him lose his erection, (4) accusing him of lying





35gave...lie (1) made you a liar, (2) made you fall down





36i'...throat (to lie in the throat was to lie egregiously)





38took up my legs (1) made me fall down from drunkenness, (2) overthrew me in wrestling





39cast throw





44timely early





45slipped missed





48physics pain cures the trouble it gives us





50limited appointed





56combustion tumult





57obscure bird i.e., the owl





65Confusion destruction





71Gorgon Medusa, a mythical monster whose terrible aspect turned those who saw her to stone





77great doom the Last Judgment





78sprites ghosts





79countenance appear in keeping with





91mortality human life





92toys trifles





93lees dregs





94vault (1) world (with its vault the sky), (2) wine cellar





100badged marked





107Loyal and neutral loyal to Duncan and impartial on the question of the grooms' guilt





108expedition haste





114Unmannerly breeched indecently garbed





117Look to look after





118argument for ours matter as chiefly our concern





120auger hole i.e., any tiny cranny





123Upon...motion yet in motion





124frailties hid bodies clothed





126question discuss





127scruples doubts





129undivulged pretense secret purposes





138near nearer

138-39the near...bloody i.e., the closer we are to Duncan in blood, the more likely we are to be killed





140lighted landed





142dainty of scrupulous about





143shift steal; warrant justification





II.4 Somewhere outside the castle





1Threescore and ten seventy years





4trifled...knowings made former experiences seem trifling





5as...act as if troubled by the actions of men





7traveling lamp i.e., the sun





8predominance powerful influence





12tow'ring soaring





13mousing owl owl that preys on mice (a mere domestic predator); hawked at caught on the wing





15minions favorites (the most highly prized)





16flung out lunged about





24pretend expect; suborned bribed





28Thriftless wasteful; ravin up greedily devour





29like likely





31named chosen; Scone (where Scottish kings traditionally were crowned; near Perth)





32invested crowned





33Colmekill (the island of Iona, in the Hebrides, burial place of the ancient Scottish kings)





40benison blessing





III.1 The royal castle at Forres





4stand...posterity continue through your heirs





7shine look auspicious





10 s.d.Sennet trumpet salute





13allthing altogether





14solemn supper formal banquet





21still always; prosperous profitable





25Go...better i.e., unless my horse goes faster than anticipated





26borrower of i.e., borrower of time from





32invention falsehoods





33-34cause...jointly state business requiring our joint attention





43While until





44Sirrah form of address to an inferior)

44-45Attend...pleasure are those men awaiting my orders





48but unless





49in Banquo about Banquo; stick deep are deep-seated





50royalty of nature royal nature





51would be deserves to be





56genius is rebuked guiding spirit is daunted





57Mark Antony's...Caesar (see Antony and Cleopatra, II.3.20-22)





65filed defiled





67rancors hatreds





68eternal jewel immortal soul





69common enemy of man i.e., Satan





71list lists (the tournament field where knights answered challenges)





72champion...utterance (1) support me to the utmost, (2) fight with me to the death; champion (1) defend, (2) challenge





78under fortune out of favor with fortune





80passed in probation with proved to





81borne in hand manipulated, deceived; crossed thwarted; instruments agents





82wrought worked





83half a soul (even) a half-wit; notion crazed insane mind





86Our point of the point of our





88gospeled religious





91yours your families





92catalogue inventory, classification





93curs watchdogs or sheep dogs





94Shoughs lapdogs; waterrugs long-haired water dogs; clept called





95valued file list of valued qualities





97housekeeper watchdog





99closed incorporated





100addition...bill distinction, contrary to the catalogue





102station...file place on the list





104bosoms trust





105execution...off accomplishment kills your enemy





113set risk





114on't of it





116distance enmity





118near'st of life vital parts





120avouch justify





121For because of





122wail I must bewail





130Acquaint...time (a famous crux: the general sense is "spy out the perfect time and inform you of it," but the syntax has not been satisfactorily explained)





132something some distance; thought bearing in mind





133clearness alibi





134rubs nor botches problems or flaws





III.2 A private chamber in the castle





10sorriest fancies most painful delusions





12all any





14scorched slashed





15close heal; poor malice inadequate evil





17frame...disjoint structure of the universe collapse; both the worlds heaven and earth





22torture rack





23ecstasy frenzy





26Malice domestic native evil (rebellion)





31remembrance reminder





32Present him eminence do him honor





33Unsafe...that while we are unsafe; lave wash





35vizards masks





36leave leave off, stop





39Nature's copy Nature's copyhold (their lease on life); eterne eternal





43shard-born born in dung





46chuck chick (term of affection)





47seeling sewing up, hooding (from falconry)





48Scarf up blindfold; pitiful pitying, compassionate





50bond contract (Banquo's tenure of life)