Troilus and cressida, p.29
Troilus and Cressida,
p.29
174 Instance evidence Pluto’s gates the gates of the underworld
177 slipped unloosed, let go (with connotations of moral failure)
178 five-finger-tied i.e. bound by human hands
179 fractions fragments, shreds orts scraps, leftovers (culinary term)
181 o’er-eaten gnawed at all over, eaten away (the sense of “surfeited” is possible but less likely)
182 May … express? Can worthy Troilus be half as seized by the emotion of events as his passionate words suggest?
185 red passionate/bloody (captures sense of sexual desire and the consequences of warfare) Mars his heart Mars’ heart
186 fancy love
189 by weight in equal proportion
191 casque helmet
192 spout waterspout, or the hurricane that produces it/heavy downpour
194 Constringed compressed, drawn together Fenne dragon of classical myth
196 his i.e. the spout’s prompted ready/provoked
198 He’ll … concupy Troilus will be provoked to violence on account of his own (or Diomedes’) lust/Diomedes will receive blows (or fight it out) for his (or Troilus’) lust tickle beat, chastise (or Thersites may mockingly employ the milder sense of “titillate, assault gently”; sexual connotations are probable) concupy concupiscence, lust/concubine, mistress
200 by next to
205 this this time
206 stays waits
207 Have with you I’ll come with you, let’s go lord i.e. Ulysses
208 revolted fair faithless beauty
209 Stand fast be prepared castle type of close helmet
211 distracted agitated, troubled, confused
213 raven a bird of ill omen, often associated with death bode prophesy
214 the intelligence of information about parrot proverbially fond of almonds
215 commodious drab accommodating whore
1 ungently tempered unkindly, roughly disposed
4 train induce offend pain, hurt/sin against, wrong
6 to with regard to
9 bloody bloodthirsty
10 Consort join dear heartfelt, earnest
15 trumpet trumpeter
16 sally sudden attack
18 peevish foolish/headstrong, obstinate
20 spotted tainted, discolored, diseased
22 just faithful to an oath is i.e. would be
23 For … much because we wish to be generous use engage in/make a habit of
25 purpose intention (i.e. cause for which the vow was taken)
26 every purpose any intention (i.e. unworthy, spurious reasons) hold be binding
29 keeps … of maintains the advantage over (literally, keeps to the windward side of)
30 Life … man every man considers life precious, but the honorable man
31 dear addressed to Cassandra? alternatively “precious-dear”
33 father father-in-law, i.e. Priam
34 doff take off harness armor
35 i’th’vein of in the mood for
37 tempt risk brushes collisions, hostile encounters
41 lion as the noblest of beasts, the lion was proverbially said to spare the defenseless
43 captive defeated, with no escape
44 fan and wind i.e. as he brandishes it, without even needing to strike fair noble, fine/even-handed, just
47 Fool’s play perhaps puns on “foul play” (to oppose fair play)
53 ruthful piteous, lamentable, causing woe ruth pity, compassion
55 then ’tis wars that (the abandonment of pity) is true war
59 truncheon thick staff (such as that used by a marshal to control procedure in an official duel) retire retreat
61 o’ergallèd heavily inflamed recourse repeated flowing
64 But … ruin except by killing me
66 loose thy stay release your support, prop; loose plays on “lose”—the two words were not always distinguished
72 enrapt carried away by prophetic inspiration
75 afield on the battlefield
76 engaged pledged
77 the … valour a warrior’s honorable pledge
82 shame respect i.e. violate my duty to respect your wishes
89 This … girl i.e. Cassandra
90 bodements prophecies, forebodings
95 shrills … forth shrieks out her grief
96 distraction madness amazement alarm, bewilderment
97 antics grotesque buffoons
100 soft wait a moment
101 deceive delude/betray
102 amazed stunned/confused/dismayed exclaim outcry
103 cheer encourage, urge on
105 with … about i.e. protect
112 tisick consumptive cough, infection of lungs and throat
114 o’th’s of these
115 rheum watery discharge (the eyes are affected by syphilis) ache … bones suggestive of syphilis, which causes bone decay
117 on’t of it
119 Th’effect … way i.e. the effect of the letter goes quite against its aim/her actions contradict her words
120 wind empty, insubstantial words (sense then shifts to “gusts of air”) turn and change flutter, intermingle (turn plays on the senses of “deceive/alter/desert” and change on the sense of “alter, change loyalty”)
121 errors lies, deceit still yet/constantly
122 edifies builds up (plays on the idea of causing penile erection) deeds actions/sexual acts
124 Hence get away Ignomy ignominy, shame, dishonor
excursion bout of fighting (moving across the stage)
1 clapper-clawing beating up, thrashing
2 dissembling deceitful
4 fain gladly
6 whore-masterly lecherous, whore-using
7 luxurious drab lustful whore of on sleeveless fruitless, futile (plays on the literal sense of “without Troilus’ sleeve”)
8 policy strategy/cunning swearing i.e. uttering (grand or false) pledges and claims
10 dog-fox male fox (proverbially cunning)
11 set me set (me is used for emphasis)
14 proclaim barbarism declare a preference for lawlessness, ignorance (as opposed to policy, i.e. authoritative strategy)
15 grows … opinion becomes poorly regarded
17 take take to Styx river that departed souls had to cross in order to reach the classical underworld (i.e. Troilus would pursue Diomedes beyond death itself)
19 miscall retire wrongly term this withdrawal a retreat
20 advantageous care concern for my advantage
21 of multitude i.e. that were stacked against me
22 Have at thee! i.e. here I come (standard utterance at the opening of a fight)
23 Hold hold on to/defend for i.e. fight for
25 for Hector’s match a match for Hector
26 blood noble blood/spirit, passion
28 filthy low, scurvy, contemptible
30 God-a-mercy God have mercy on you plague blow/affliction
32 wenching whoring
33 sort way, manner eats itself is self-destructive; perhaps alludes to the corrosive effects of syphilis, which decays the bones
3 commend convey, present
5 proof trial in combat/evidence/the result
7 Renew i.e. renew the assault
8 bastard Margarelon illegitimate son of Priam (Margareton in the sources)
10 colossus-wise like the Colossus of Rhodes, a gigantic statue of Apollo that supposedly stood astride the entrance to the harbor beam staff/lance
11 pashèd smashed, battered
14 ta’en captured
15 dreadful fear-inducing sagittary centaur (half-man, half-horse) who supposedly fought for the Trojans; famed for his archery
16 Appals terrifies, makes pale
17 To reinforcement i.e. to reinforce our struggling troops/to renew our attack
22 anon shortly/at another time afoot on foot
23 scalèd sculls schools of scaly fish
24 belching spouting
25 edge sword edge
26 mower reaper swathe row of scythed crops
27 leaves and takes leaves one dead as he cuts down another/spares one man and kills another
28 appetite desire, will
30 proof … impossibility the deeds he carries out seem impossible
34 Myrmidons band of warriors from Thessaly, led by Achilles
36 Crying on crying out in complaint/calling for vengeance against
39 Mad furious fantastic extraordinary execution actions/slaughter
40 Engaging … himself entering into combat and emerging alive (financial language; to engage was to mortgage, to redeem to buy back)
41 careless … care casual attacking strength and effortless self-defense
42 luck fortune in … cunning i.e. in defiance of his enemy’s skills
46 draw together grow united, pull together (in contrast to the previous factional state)
48 boy-queller boy-killer (referring to the death of Patroclus)
50 none have nobody
4 correct punish, deliver retribution
5 office position, role
6 Ere that correction i.e. before I’d let you (rather than me) punish Troilus
10 stand stay put
11 prize reward, trophy/captive of war/booty seized in war look upon be an onlooker
12 cogging deceitful, cheating Greeks plays on the sense of “cunning people”
15 wilt would like to, need to (an honorable offer of pause to the presumably battle-weary Achilles)
17 arms limbs/weapons out of use not working, out of action (due to exhaustion)
18 rest and negligence i.e. need for rest and abandonment of the fight
19 anon shortly
25 flame i.e. sun
26 carry capture/prevail over
27 bring him off rescue him
28 reck care
29 mark target/notable sight
31 frush smash, bruise
33 hide (animal) skin, i.e. armor
2 attend follow/pay attention wheel range around/turn around, change direction (military term applying to the movement of troops)
3 in breath i.e. fit and ready
5 Empale enclose, fence (may pun on “impale” and possibly plays on the sense of “make pale”)
6 fellest cruelest, fiercest execute your arm use your weapons
7 proceedings actions
2 bull i.e. Menelaus (who has a cuckold’s horns) dog i.e. Paris; dogs were used in bull-baiting, a popular pastime; as an insult, “dog” implies base qualities ’Loo a call of encouragement to a dog double-henned sparrow i.e. Paris, as he has two women (Helen and his first wife, Oenone); the sparrow was associated with lechery and a “hen” is a derogatory term for a woman/whore
3 has the game is winning (ironically playing on the sense of game as “sexual quarry”) ’ware beware of
5 slave villain, wretch
6 What who
9 begot conceived
11 wherefore why quarrel cause of the war
13 judgement divine retribution
1 core body without on the outside (refers to the armor Hector admired in Act 5 Scene 6)
7 vail going down (literally, lowering a flag or weapons in submission; puns on “veil”) darking darkening
9 vantage advantage Greek again recalls the proverbial association between Greeks and cheats
13 amain loudly, with might
18 stickler-like like a tournament umpire
19 frankly freely, without restraint (perhaps with connotations of porcine greed; a “frank” was a sty, as well as a term for the process of fattening pigs)
20 dainty bait tasty morsel, fine snack
4 bruit news
5 bragless without boasting
7 patiently calmly, with quiet expectation
9 his i.e. Hector’s
10 sharp harsh, vicious, merciless
1 Yet still
2 starve we out let us endure
6 sort manner
8 smile at smile in mocking scorn at/be kind to (i.e. by meting out swift destruction)
9 at … mercy be merciful by making our afflictions immediate and brief
11 discomfort discourage host army
14 dare … in dare to face all impending evils that gods and men can prepare to endanger me
17 screech-owl thought to be birds of ill omen, their cry believed to herald death aye forever
19 will Priam turn that will turn Priam
20 Niobes Niobe boasted that having numerous children made her superior to Latona/Leto, mother to Apollo and Diana; as a punishment for her blasphemy, Niobe’s children were killed and she turned into a rock that forever shed tears
21 Cool statues i.e. struck dumb and frozen in grief
25 pight pitched
26 Titan Roman sun god
27 through and through i.e. rampage through wreaking havoc (perhaps with suggestion of running through with a sword) great-sized coward i.e. Achilles
28 sunder divide, part two hates mutual hatred
29 haunt frequent, hang around/pursue, molest in the manner of troubling thoughts/visit in the manner of a spirit still constantly
30 goblins demons frenzy’s thoughts the frenzied thoughts of madness
31 free unregimented, in no formal marching order (i.e. hasty)/unimpeded, direct comfort courage
34 broker-lackey pander, lowly go-between Ignomy ignominy, dishonor
36 aching bones suggestive of syphilis, which decays the bones
38 requited rewarded
39 endeavour efforts performance fulfillment, achievement
40 verse rhyme, song/biblical text instance illustrative example
41 humble-bee bumblebee
42 honey plays on the senses of “sexual joy/semen” sting plays on the sense of “erect penis”
43 subdued … tail having lost his sting/having lost his erection/having been infected by a diseased vagina
45 traders … flesh pimps/whores/fornicators painted cloths wall-hangings decorated with morally instructive scenes or mottos
46 hall guild, profession
47 out blind from either weeping or syphilis
49 aching bones symptom of syphilis
50 hold-door brothel-keeping
53 gallèd vexed, angered/inflamed and sore with venereal disease goose of Winchester prostitute, so called because of the many brothels of Southwark, which was under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Winchester
54 sweat the conventional treatment for syphilis involved inducing sweating eases treatments, means of easing symptoms
William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida
