Macbeth (30 page)
Authors: William Shakespeare
beguile
deceive
68
Look … time
look ordinary, appear to be like everyone else
71
provided for
prepared for, taken care of (relates to hospitality and to murder)
72
dispatch
management
74
solely
entirely, exclusively
sway
rule
76
look up clear
appear to be untroubled and innocent
77
alter favour
change your accustomed facial expression
Hautboys
players of oboe-like instruments
Torches
torchbearers
1
seat
setting
3
gentle
noble/made gentle by the air
5
temple-haunting
nesting in or frequenting places of worship
martlet
swift (type of bird)
approve
prove, demonstrate
6
mansionry
mansions, i.e. nests
7
wooingly
enticingly
jutty
projecting part of a building
frieze
decorative section underneath the cornice of a building
8
Buttress
support built against a main wall
coign of vantage
advantageous corner
9
pendent
hanging
procreant
fertile
11
delicate
pleasant, delightful
13
The … love
while I am always appreciative of the love behind it, such devoted service can be troublesome (to me/to you)
14
Herein … pains
by saying this I am encouraging you to ask God to reward me for your efforts (said in a lighthearted or self-deprecating manner)
15
yield
reward
18
point
aspect, detail
19
single
weak
business
affair/effort
contend Against
compete with
21
those of old
honors previously bestowed
22
late
recent
23
rest your hermits
remain your beadsmen (i.e. those who pray on behalf of others)
25
coursed
chased
26
purveyor
official sent ahead to make arrangements for his master’s food, lodging, etc.
27
holp
helped
31
theirs
i.e. their own servants
in compt
held in trust (from the king)
32
audit
account
33
Still … own
always ready to return to you what is yours
36
graces
favors
37
By your leave
with your permission
Sewer
butlerlike official in charge of serving meals
divers
various
service
portions of food
1
If … done
if it were truly over and finished with when the action itself has been completed
3
trammel up
entangle, trap (as in a net; may play on sense of “bind up a corpse”)
catch
seize/ensnare
4
surcease
ending, death
success
a final outcome/good fortune (plays on sense of “succession of heirs”)
that but
if only
6
bank and shoal
riverbank and shallow (though Folio’s “Banke and Schoole” could alternatively mean “bench and school,” pointing forward to the court and schoolroom imagery that follows, whereas “shoal,” an alternative spelling of “school,” emerges from the preceding fishing nets of “trammel” and “catch”)
7
jump
risk/overleap
8
still
always
here
i.e. in this life
that
in that
9
instructions
lessons
10
th’inventor
the teacher, he who composed the
instructions
11
Commends
presents, offers
chalice
goblet (perhaps recalling the cup used in Holy Communion; Macbeth’s is
poisoned
because of the unholy nature of murdering a king)
14
Strong both
i.e. both strong reasons
17
faculties
kingly powers
18
clear
faultless
20
taking-off
murder
22
Striding
sitting astride (as on a horse)/standing over to defend
blast
storm/gale
cherubin
cherubs (angels traditionally associated with the winds)
horsed
on horseback
23
sightless couriers
invisible messengers (i.e. the winds)
25
That
so that
tears … wind
tears (of sorrow but also a reaction to having the
deed
blown into the
eye
) will be so plentiful that they will calm the wind
27
Vaulting … th’other
like a rider attempting to vault into his saddle, ambition leaps too far and crashes to the ground on the other side of the horse/ambition spurs the horse over an obstacle and horse and rider fall
33
bought
won
35
would
should
newest gloss
freshest luster
41
Such
i.e. you are like the drunkard, bold only when inebriated
account
deem, consider
Art … desire?
Are you now afraid to be as brave and active as you would like to be (and claimed to be)?;
act
and
desire
suggest a reference to sexual potency
44
esteem’st
value as
ornament
distinction/adornment
ornament of life
i.e. the crown
46
wait upon
follow
adage
proverb
47
cat i’th’adage
“the cat would eat fish but she will not wet her feet”
49
do
the verb can also mean “to have sex”
50
none
i.e. no man (because killing the king would be dishonorable and unnatural; in the following line, however, Lady Macbeth understands “beastlike, irrational”)
52
break
broach, reveal
53
durst
dared
56
adhere
agree, fit
make both
i.e. make time and place adhere, create an opportunity
57
that their fitness
their very suitability
58
unmake
make incapable/destroy
given suck
i.e. breast-fed a baby
66
But
only
sticking-place
the point at which something is made tightly secure (here the metaphor may refer to the groove on a crossbow into which its cord is fitted, or to the peg on a musical instrument around which string is tightened)
screw … sticking-place
wind up your courage to the limit
68
Whereto the rather
to which all the more readily
69
chamberlains
servants who attended the royal bedchamber
70
wassail
liquor/revelry
convince
overcome
71
warder
keeper, guard
72
fume
vapor
receipt
receptacle
73
limbeck
apparatus for distilling (i.e. extracting the essence of a liquid)
swinish
piglike/coarse/ drunken
76
put upon
blame on/impose on
77
spongy
i.e. absorbent, saturated with drink
officers
servants
78
quell
murder
80
undaunted mettle
fearless/intrepid temperament (
mettle
was undistinguished from “metal,” which may lead to a pun on
males
/(chain)mails in the next line)
81
received
understood, thought
85
other
otherwise
86
As
seeing as, given that
88
settled
committed/determined/steady
bend up
tighten
89
corporal agent
bodily faculty/muscle
90
mock
deceive/imitate
91
False
deceptive/treacherous/artificial
1
How … night
how much of the night has passed, what time is it
5
husbandry
thrift, economy
6
Their … out
i.e. the stars are not visible
7
summons
urge to sleep
15
largess
gifts
offices
servants’ quarters
17
shut up
concluded his speech/went to bed/was wrapped up
19
Being … wrought
i.e. being unprepared for Duncan’s visit, my desire to entertain the king nobly and generously was hampered by a lack of provisions
30
cleave … consent
agree with me, support me
when ’tis
when the time comes
32
So
provided that
34
bosom franchised
heart free (of guilt)
35
counselled
guided/open to your opinions
36
the while
in the meantime
43
sensible
perceptible (to the senses)
46
heat-oppressèd
overwhelmed by heat/feverish
47
yet
still
palpable
tangible, capable of being touched
49
marshall’st
guide
the … going
i.e. toward my intention/to Duncan’s chamber
52
worth … rest
more reliable than the other senses
53
dudgeon
hilt
gouts
drops
55
informs
takes on a shape
56
the one halfworld
one half of the world
58
curtained
screened by the eyelids/veiled by bed curtains
59
Hecate’s off’rings
sacrifices to Hecate, Greek goddess of witchcraft and night, associated with the moon (hence
pale
)
60
Alarumed
moved to action
sentinel
guard, watchman
61
watch
signal, watchman’s call
62
Tarquin
Roman who raped Lucrece; he was the king’s son and this deed led to the overthrow of the Roman monarchy
ravishing
intent on rape
design
undertaking/scheme
63
sure
stable