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 ordainèd Folio reads “ordain’d”—final syllable may or may not be sounded

  46 lose spend

  47 livery i.e. hair advisèd 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 Agèd 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 environèd 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 bechancèd 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

  39 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

  160 heavy sorrowful, terrible

  163 piteous worthy of pity

  171 inly inward

  171 gripes grips

  172 weeping-ripe on the verge of tears

  176 gentle-hearted noble-hearted/tender-hearted

  Act 2 Scene 1

  2.1 Location: the borders of Wales

  2.1 power army

  4 ta’en taken, captured

  9 resolved satisfied, informed

  10 Where … become what has become of our very valiant father

  11 range move, wander

  12 forth out

  13 bore him conducted himself

  14 neat cattle

  16 pinched bitten, tormented

  17 aloof at a distance

  20 prize privilege, reward

  21 opes opens

  24 Trimmed adorned, decked out

  24 younker fashionable young man

  24 prancing posturing, nimbly dancing for

  25 suns the emblem of Edward III and Richard II consisted of the sun’s rays emerging above clouds

  27 racking drifting, scudding

  28 severed separate

  32 figures foretells, prefigures

  34 cites summons