Macbeth (36 page)
Authors: William Shakespeare
90
cut off
kill
91
his
i.e. one man’s
92
more-having
greater wealth/greed for more
93
forge
fabricate, invent
98
summer-seeming
befitting summer, i.e. youth (lust may wane with age)
99
sword … kings
i.e. means by which they died (e.g. in wars motivated by greed)
100
foisons
plentiful resources
101
Of … own
of your very own, belonging entirely to you (as king)
these
i.e. these vices you mention
portable
bearable, endurable
102
weighed
counterbalanced
103
king-becoming
befitting a king (plays on the idea of one who is about to gain kingship)
104
verity
truthfulness
temp’rance
moderation, self-restraint
105
Bounty
kindness, generosity
lowliness
humility
107
relish
trace/taste for
108
division
category/variation
several
individual
abound … crime
i.e. I am full of all possible aspects of vice
110
concord
harmony, peace
111
Uproar
bring into a state of uproar
118
untitled
without rightful title
119
wholesome
healthy
121
interdiction
prohibition
122
blaspheme
slanders/commits sacrilege (to the
sainted
Duncan)
breed
his family line
123
sainted
saintly, holy
124
upon her knees
i.e. in prayer
125
Died … lived
spent every day of her life in a state of holy readiness for death
126
repeat’st upon
utter against/recount about
127
Hath … Scotland
have destroyed any hope I had of returning to Scotland/are exactly those, which, in Macbeth, caused me to flee Scotland
131
scruples
doubts
133
trains
tricks, stratagems (i.e. sending an apparently sympathetic nobleman to try and lure Malcolm back to Scotland)
134
plucks
withholds
135
over-credulous
too readily believing
137
direction
guidance
138
Unspeak … detraction
take back the harmful things I said about myself
abjure
renounce
139
taints
(moral) stains
140
For
as being
141
Unknown to woman
i.e. a virgin
forsworn
perjured, a breaker of oaths
142
Scarcely … own
have hardly ever desired even what I myself owned
146
this upon myself
i.e. the false statements he made about his character
148
here-approach
arrival here
150
at a point
prepared, ready
151
we’ll
we’ll set forth
the … quarrel
may our success match the degree to which our cause is justified
157
stay
await
cure
kings were believed to possess a healing touch
convinces
defeats
158
assay of art
efforts of medical practitioners
159
sanctity
holiness
160
presently amend
immediately recover
163
the evil
“the king’s evil,” i.e. scrofula, an inflammation of the lymph nodes, which the monarch’s touch was believed to cure
165
here-remain
stay
166
solicits
entreats (through prayer)
167
strangely-visited
severely afflicted
169
mere
absolute
170
stamp
coin
171
’tis spoken
it is said
172
succeeding royalty
king’s successors
173
benediction
grace, blessing
strange
inexplicable
176
speak him
declare him to be
178
countryman
i.e. fellow Scot
know
recognize (presumably Ross’s clothing identifies him as Malcolm’s countryman, or perhaps Malcolm means that sorrow has so altered Ross that he seems like a different man)
179
ever-gentle
ever noble
180
betimes
hastily
181
means
circumstances (more specifically, Macbeth)
186
nothing … nothing
no one other than a fool
189
marked
paid attention to
190
modern ecstasy
commonplace frenzy
The … who
i.e. no one bothers to inquire about who has died when they hear the funeral bell toll as death has become so common
193
or … sicken
before becoming ill
194
relation
report, account
nice
detailed/accurate/extraordinary, strange
196
hiss the speaker
mock the speaker (as the news is already out of date)
197
teems
gives rise to, breeds
203
at peace
i.e. dead (though Macduff continues to understand the sense of “untroubled”)
204
niggard of
miser in
206
heavily
sorrowfully/as a burden
207
out
i.e. preparing for war/committed to rebellion
208
witnessed the rather
further confirmed
209
power
army
afoot
on the march
210
eye
i.e. you, your presence
212
doff
cast off (as one would a garment)
213
Be’t
let it be
217
gives out
reports, proclaims
216
An … out
i.e. there is not an older or better soldier in all Christendom
219
the like
i.e. similarly encouraging news
220
would
should
desert
lonely, desolate
221
latch
take hold of, receive
223
general cause
i.e. the woes of Scotland
fee-grief
grief owned by one person only (a term derived from legal language relating to property)
231
possess them with
put them in possession of/cause them to become (demonically) possessed by
heaviest
most sorrowful, grievous
234
surprised
ambushed
235
manner
way in which they were killed, details
236
quarry
heap of deer killed at a hunt
deer
puns on “dear”
239
pull … brows
a conventional gesture of grief
241
Whispers
whispers to
o’er-fraught
overburdened
244
must … thence
had to be away from home
249
He
refers either to Macbeth or to Malcolm
250
hell-kite
bird of prey from hell
251
dam
mother
252
fell swoop
cruel swooping down of the
hell-kite
253
Dispute
fight against
259
struck
killed violently and suddenly
Naught
wicked, sinful person
260
demerits
faults
261
Fell
quibbles on the adjectival sense of “cruel”
262
whetstone
stone on which swords are sharpened
264
play … eyes
i.e. weep
265
braggart
play one who brags, i.e. gives out a braying cry/talks emptily and ceaselessly
266
intermission
pause in action
Front to front
face to face
268
scape
escape
270
tune
style (of speech)/tone/frame of mind
271
power
army
272
Our … leave
it remains only to obtain formal permission to depart (from the English king)
273
ripe for shaking
i.e. ready to fall (like ripe fruit from a tree)
powers above
heavenly powers
274
Put … instruments
urge on their agents (us)/put on their weapons
Physic
medicine
1
watched
remained awake
3
walked
sleepwalked
4
field
battlefield (i.e. prepared for war)
6
closet
cabinet
9
perturbation
disturbance
10
effects of watching
appearance and actions of waking
11
agitation
disturbed state of mind/nervous activity
15
meet
suitable
taper
candle
18
guise
custom/manner
19
close
concealed
31
set down
write down
32
satisfy
meets the needs of, confirm
remembrance
memory
33
One: two
Lady Macbeth imagines she hears the striking of a clock or perhaps the bell she was to strike as a signal to Macbeth
36
none … account
no one can hold us responsible as we are now so powerful
39
Thane of Fife
Macduff
41
mar
spoil
42
starting
nervousness/fits, outbursts
43
Go to
expression of reproof similar to “come come” (probably directed at Lady Macbeth)
48
sorely charged
grievously burdened
50
dignity
worth, high status
52
be
i.e. be well
53
practice
medical skill
58
on’s
of his
59
Even so?
i.e. is that how it is
68
divine
priest