110 brook permit
110 man any man
112 ward custody
113 enfranchisement liberty
114 amain quickly
115 if that whether
117 blood-bespotted warmongering, bloodthirsty
117 Neapolitan Margaret was the daughter of Reignier, the titular King of Naples 118 scourge punishment, whip
120 bane destruction, poison
131 Bedlam the hospital of Saint Mary of Bethlehem in London, an institution for the insane 132 bedlam mad
132 humour mood, temperament
134 to be sent to
135 factious pate rebellious head
142 glass mirror
143 false-heart treacherous, disloyal
144 stake ... bears an image from bear-baiting, a popular entertainment at which a bear was chained to a stake and set upon by dogs 146 astonish terrify
146 fell-lurking curs fierce dogs waiting to attack
149 bearherd bear keeper, handler (i.e. York)
150 baiting place bear pit
151 o'erweening overexcited, presumptuous
152 Run ... bite i.e. twist round and bite the dog handler 153 suffered released/hurt
153 fell savage, fierce
155 piece of service sort of action
156 oppose yourselves set yourselves in opposition
156 match fight/equal the strength of
157 lump possibly continues bear imagery as newborn cubs were popularly supposed to be licked into shape by their mother 158 crooked ... shape Richard is famed for a hunched back and various other physical deformities or ailments 159 heat you make things hot for you/make you hot from fighting 165 spectacles eyes/eyeglasses (suggests the failing eyesight of Salisbury's old age) 167 frosty i.e. white-haired
168 harbour refuge
174 mickle great
177 repute consider
181 dispense with obtain dispensation from/disregard, do without 187 reave rob
188 wring force customed right legally sanctioned rights of inheritance 191 subtle cunning, skillful sophister one who makes skillful use of false logic, a specious reasoner 194 dignity honor, high rank, kingship
197 field battlefield
200 burgonet light helmet, often bearing a crest
201 know recognize, identify household badge family crest 202 father's father-in-law's
203 rampant rearing, on hind legs
203 ragged rough-hewn
204 aloft mounted on
204 burgonet visored helmet
205 shows is visible, shows itself
208 rend tear, rip
212 complices accomplices
215 stigmatic criminal who has been branded, i.e. deformed one Act 5 Scene 2
4 dead dying
8 afoot on foot
11 carrion kites birds of prey that feed on dead flesh
13 Of for
14 chase prey
16 nobly i.e. may you fight nobly
21 fast firmly
25 it i.e. my prowess
26 on ... both I lay upon the outcome of the action
27 lay wager, bet
27 Address prepare
28 La ... oeuvres "The end crowns the works" (French) 31 confusion overthrow, ruin
31 on the rout in disorderly retreat
32 frames creates
35 frozen inactive, frozen with fear
35 part party, side
36 fly flee
37 dedicate dedicated
38 self-love self-interest, concern for preserving himself
39 essentially inherently
39 circumstance accident, chance events
41 premised preordained last day Judgment Day 42 Knit unite, join
43 general trumpet the trumpet sounding doomsday to all men
44 Particularities individual trifles
45 ordained Folio reads "ordain'd"--final syllable may or may not be sounded 46 lose spend
47 livery i.e. hair advised cautious/experienced, prudent 48 chair-days infirm or inactive old age
52 tears virginal virgins' tears
53 dew to fire it was thought that dew encouraged fire to burn more fiercely 54 reclaims calms, subdues
55 oil and flax both highly flammable
58 gobbets chunks of raw flesh
59 Medea young Absyrtus daughter of the King of Colchis, Medea fell in love with Jason, and ran away with him; to delay her father's pursuit, she killed her brother Absyrtus and scattered pieces of his body in her wake 62 Aeneas ... bear in Virgil's Aeneid, Aeneas carried his elderly father, Anchises, on his back as they escaped from burning Troy 64 bare bore
65 heavy sorrowful/weighty
69 wizard Roger Bullingbrook, who raised a spirit that predicted that Somerset would die "where castles mounted stand" (Act 1 Scene 4) 70 temper hardness
70 still always Excursions bouts of fighting across the stage 73 stay wait
74 nor neither
75 is it it is
76 secure us save ourselves
77 what whatever (means)
78 ta'en captured
79 haply scape by chance escape
82 breach hole (literally, gap in defensive fortifications)
84 mischief harm (to the enemy)
85 ere before I would, rather than
86 discomfit discouragement, defeat
87 present parts surviving forces
88 relief safety
89 their ... give a day of victory like theirs and to make them suffer our misfortunes Act 5 Scene 3
2 winter i.e. aged
3 Aged contusions the bruises of old age
3 brush hostile encounters, collisions
4 gallant fashionable young man
4 brow i.e. height, prime
5 Repairs ... occasion restores himself with opportunity (for action) 6 foot i.e. of ground
9 holp helped
10 bestrid him stood over him to defend him when he was down
12 still always
13 hangings wall hangings, tapestries
13 homely humble
21 got ... have secured what we in essence possess (refers either to the gains of the battle or to York's kingship) 23 Being ... nature since they are enemies who can recover swiftly (repairing plays on the sense of "returning") 24 safety best means of safeguard
26 a present an immediate
27 writs summons to parliament
32 eternized immortalized
Act 1 Scene 1
1.1 Location: the Parliament House at Westminster, London
1.1 Alarum trumpet call to arms
1.1 white roses emblems of the House of York 5 brook retreat tolerate the sound of a trumpet call signaling retreat 6 drooping flagging, spiritless
8 battle's army's, battalion's
11 dangerous dangerously, potentially fatally
12 cleft split
12 beaver face-guard, helmet visor
12 downright directed from above, straight down 14 brother historically. Montague was Warwick's brother; his father was York's brother-in-law 15 encountered fought with
16 thou Richard addresses Somerset's head
19 Such ... Gaunt may all the descendants of Gaunt have such a fate 22 Before until
25 fearful anxious, frightened
26 possess sit in (literally)/seize (metaphorically) 31 gentle noble
33 offer attempt, start
34 perforce by force
41 bashful timorous
42 bywords proverbial
46 holds up supports
47 shake his bells i.e. move, make to swoop on (an image from falconry: bells attached to the bird's legs served to terrify its prey) 48 plant establish, install (puns on Plantagenet) Flourish trumpet fanfare signaling the arrival of a person of authority 48 red roses emblems of the House of Lancaster 50 sturdy uncompromising, obstinate, defiant
51 chair of state throne
51 belike presumably, probably
52 false peer disloyal lord
57 be
not i.e. be not avenged
58 steel armor (rather than the traditional black cloth; i.e. ready for revenge) 59 suffer allow
60 brook endure
62 poltroons cowards, worthless men
63 durst not would not have dared
65 assail attack, assault
66 cousin kinsman; a common form of address among the nobility 67 city i.e. citizens of London
68 beck command, call
71 shambles slaughterhouse
74 factious rebellious, generator of division
78 He ... York in 1 Henry VI (Act 3 Scene 1), Henry restores Richard to a noble title (previously denied him because his father had been executed for treason) 79 earldom York inherited the earldom of March through his mother, through whom he claimed a right to the throne 80 traitor ... crown the Earl of Cambridge, York's father, was executed for treason (Henry V, Act 2 Scene 2) 86 Content thyself accept it
89 maintain defend, support
91 field battlefield
92 colours military flags
95 his i.e. Northumberland's father, slain in the battle 99 Urge claim, insist on
100 messenger perhaps Clifford means an avenging angel 103 Will you we do you want me to
104 plead make a case for
106 father ... York historically, York inherited the title from his uncle Edward, his father's elder brother 109 dauphin title of the French king's eldest son, heir to the throne 109 stoop submit, bow down
111 sith since
112 Lord Protector Duke of Gloucester, murdered in 2 Henry VI; the Protector ruled on behalf of a monarch who was too young to do so 114 yet still
118 cavilling disputing over details
121 leave permission, opportunity
127 unpeople depopulate
130 winding-sheet burial shroud
130 faint you do you lose heart
134 his king i.e. Richard II, whom Henry IV deposed 138 An if if
142 him, being Richard II, who was
144 unconstrained voluntarily
145 'twere ... crown it would invalidate his right (or that of his descendants) to the throne 147 heir i.e. heir who is next in line or has been specifically nominated (by Richard) 149 His i.e. York's
155 despite spite
156 deceived mistaken
156 power army, forces
159 up i.e. on the throne
170 usurping blood i.e. the blood of Henry VI 179 Base dishonorable, unworthy
181 articles conditions, terms of agreement
185 cold weak, cowardly, unnatural
187 bands bonds, chains
196 entail bequeath as a legally untransferable possession 198 Conditionally on the condition
202 put me down depose/murder me
205 forward precocious, promising/presumptuous, demanding 205.1 Sennet trumpet call signaling a procession 205.1 down i.e. from the throne, or a dais on which it sits 209 keep remain in/guard
211 unto the sea meaning obscure, since Montague did not have any particular connection with the sea; Shakespeare may be confusing him with Falconbridge 213 bewray betray, reveal
219 would I wish
219 maid a virgin, unmarried
224 pain i.e. of labor
225 blood i.e. breast milk, thought to be converted from blood, and popularly supposed to convey to the child some of the mother's temperament (another sense of "blood") 235 undone ruined
236 head free reign
237 sufferance permission, tolerance
239 sepulchre tomb
242 narrow seas i.e. the English Channel 243 duke i.e. of York
245 environed surrounded
246 silly helpless, defenseless
247 tossed impaled
247 pikes spears
248 granted agreed
251 I ... bed legally, a type of divorce known as mensa et thoro, in which partners were free from the duty to cohabit, but not permitted to remarry 254 forsworn rejected their oaths to serve under 271 cost cost me, deprive me of/accost, attack 271 empty hungry
272 Tire feed voraciously
274 fair courteously
Act 1 Scene 2
1.2 Location: the Duke of York's castle (historically Sandal Castle in Yorkshire, northern England)
1 leave permission (to speak)
3 forcible compelling
13 breathe rest, recover itself
14 outrun escape, elude
15 quietly peacefully
18 forsworn guilty of perjury, an oath breaker
22 moment significance
26 depose take an oath
27 vain worthless frivolous paltry 30 circuit circumference
30 Elysium in Greek mythology, a paradise inhabited by the good or distinguished after death 31 feign conjure up, imagine (plays on "fain," i.e. to make glad, rejoice in) 33 dyed puns on "died"
36 presently immediately
37 whet on encourage, sharpen the inclination of 39 privily privately, secretly
41 rise rebel, rise up in arms
43 Witty intelligent
43 liberal generous hearted
43 spirit courage, vigor
44 resteth more else remains
45 occasion opportunity
46 privy ... drift aware of my intentions
48 stay wait post haste
51 hard close
52 hold stronghold, fortress
55 post ride swiftly
58 policy strategy/cunning
59 simple foolish
63 happy fortunate
65 need need to
67 for a need if necessary
70 straight straightaway
74 Whenas when, although
75 like same
Act 1 Scene 3
1.3 Location: the battlefield, near Sandal Castle, Yorkshire
1 scape escape
2 bloody bloodthirsty, warmongering
4 duke i.e. York, who killed Clifford's father in 2 Henry VI (Act 5 Scene 2) 9 of by
12 So thus
12 pent-up caged (furious and ravenous)
14 insulting exulting scornfully
15 rend tear
15 asunder apart
19 mean unworthy, small, young
22 the ... enter i.e. the route to compassion 24 cope fight
29 slake reduce, abate
31 fury avenging spirit (in classical mythology, the Furies were the goddesses of vengeance) 37 rapier light sharp-pointed sword
40 ere before
42 sith since
45 occasion instance/cause
49 Di ... tuae! (Latin) "The gods grant that this may be the height of your glory" (Ovid, Heroides 2.66) Act 1 Scene 4
1 got won
2 uncles i.e. Sir John and Sir Hugh Mortimer 3 to compared to/faced with
3 eager fierce, savage/impatient
6 bechanced happened to
7 demeaned behaved
9 lane path, passage
11 full as oft just as frequently
12 purple bloodied, bloodred
12 falchion curved sword
13 encountered fought with
14 hardiest boldest
18 out, alas exclamation of dismay
19 bodged budged, gave way/botched, bungled
20 bootless pointless
21 spend expend, use up
21 overmatching overwhelming, more powerful
22 fatal death-bringing
25 sands i.e. grains of sand in an hourglass 29 butt target (archery term)
29 abide await, will endure
32 payment dealing out of death
33 Phaethon ... car in Greek mythology, Phaethon was the son of the sun god Apollo/Phoebus; he drove his father's sun-chariot (car), but could not control it, burned part of the earth, and was killed with a thunderbolt hurled by Zeus 34 noontide prick mark of noon on a sundial
35 phoenix mythical Arabian bird that was consumed by fire every five hundred years, then resurrected from the ashes; only one existed at a time 36 bird i.e. child
3
9 fear still afraid
44 bethink thee remind yourself/think
45 o'er-run recollect, go over
46 for in spite of
49 bandy exchange (insults)
50 buckler fight at close quarters/ward off (blows) 51 Hold wait, desist
51 causes reasons
55 though to even though it
56 cur doth grin dog bears its teeth
58 spurn kick
59 prize benefit, privilege
59 vantages advantages, opportunities
60 ten ... valour for ten men to attack one is no disgrace 61 woodcock a proverbially stupid, and easily captured, bird 61 gin trap
62 cony rabbit
64 true honest o'ermatched outnumbered 68 That raught he who reached
69 parted took as his share/divided (as he reached for something illusory) 71 revelled made merry
72 preachment sermon
73 mess group of four
74 wanton wild/lascivious
74 lusty vigorous, lively/lustful
75 prodigy monster, abnormal child (considered ominous) 76 grumbling growling, deep/discontented
77 wont accustomed
79 napkin handkerchief
81 issue flow, spring forth
83 withal with
84 but were it not
86 prithee beg, pray you
87 parched dried up, shriveled
87 entrails insides, intestines
91 fret rage
92 fee'd paid
92 sport entertainment
96 marry by the Virgin Mary
97 chair throne
103 pale encircle
104 diadem crown
108 breathe pause for breath
109 office duty, task
110 orisons prayers
113 ill-beseeming unbecoming
114 triumph exult (literally, return home in great ceremony, displaying one's captives) 114 Amazonian the Amazons were a mythical race of female warriors 114 trull whore
115 captivates captures
116 vizard-like masklike, expressionless
117 impudent shameless
117 use habitual practice
118 assay attempt
119 whence from where
119 derived descended
121 type title
122 both the Sicils i.e. Naples and Sicily 123 yeoman man who owns properly but is not a gentleman 124 insult be insolent, scornful
125 boots profits
126 adage maxim, saying
127 mounted on horseback/socially elevated
131 wondered marveled
132 government self-control
133 want lack
133 abominable loathsome (often popularly "inhuman, unnatural") 135 Antipodes the other side of the world
136 Septentrion i.e. the north (literally, the seven stars that make up the Plough or Big Dipper constellation) 139 withal with it (the handkerchief stained with Rutland's blood) 141 pitiful full of pity, compassionate
141 flexible yielding, easily moved
142 obdurate stubborn, unmovable
142 flinty hard, stony
142 rough violent, harsh
147 obsequies funeral rites
149 fell cruel, savage
149 false treacherous
150 Beshrew curse
151 check restrain
155 Hyrcania in ancient times the region south of the Caspian Sea; its tigers were proverbially fierce 156 hapless unfortunate