Macbeth (37 page)
Authors: William Shakespeare
70
annoyance
injury (here self-harm)
71
still
continually
72
mated
bewildered
Drum and Colours
drummer and bearer of military flags
3
dear
heartfelt/noble/grievous
causes
motives for revenge, grounds for action
4
bleeding
shedding of blood/bloody (
alarm
)
alarm
call to arms
5
Excite … man
rouse even a dead or insensible man
9
file
list
11
unrough
beardless, i.e. young
12
Protest
declare, assert
14
Dunsinane
i.e. the castle
distempered
disordered/diseased
cause
grounds for action/illness
17
buckle … rule
i.e. legally (or morally) justify his grounds for fighting; the image is of a diseased and bloated belly one cannot buckle a belt around
20
sticking
i.e. with blood
21
minutely
every minute
upbraid
reproach, censure
faith-breach
breaking of (secular and spiritual) loyalty
22
move … love
only obey because they are following orders, not out of love for their king
27
pestered
diseased/troubled
32
med’cine
cure/physician (i.e. Malcolm)
weal
commonwealth, state
33
purge
purgative medicine, used to cleanse the body
34
drop
of blood/medicine
36
dew
cover with dew
sovereign
royal/excelling/healing
1
them
i.e. the thanes who have deserted him
2
remove
move
3
taint
lose courage/become stained
5
mortal consequences
outcomes of human affairs
pronounced me
proclaimed/pronounced judgment on me
8
epicures
lovers of luxury
9
sway by
rule with/govern myself by
11
cream-faced
i.e. pale with fear
loon
rogue/idiot/lowly youth
12
goose
white, fearful/idiotic
16
over-red
cover over with red
17
lily-livered
with a liver as pale as a lily, i.e. cowardly (the liver was thought to be the seat of strong passions)
patch
fool/rogue
18
of
fall on
linen
i.e. white
19
counsellors to
i.e. teach, encourage others to
whey-face
face the color of whey (white)
21
Seyton
may be pronounced “Satan”
22
push
attack/crisis
23
cheer
comfort, encourage; puns on “chair,” i.e. (en)throne
disseat
dethrone
24
way
path/course/manner
25
sear
withered condition (if associated with
way of life
)/withered (if applied to
leaf
)
yellow
i.e. autumnal/decaying
27
As
such as
28
stead
place
29
mouth-honour
insincere verbal expressions of respect
30
fain
gladly
38
skirr
scour, pass speedily through
41
Not so sick
not so much physically ill
42
thick-coming
thronging
fancies
imaginings, delusions
47
Raze out
erase, wipe out
48
oblivious
inducing oblivion, forgetfulness
49
stuffed
over-full/oppressed
54
staff
rod of office/spear or clublike weapon
55
send out
i.e. send out
more horses
56
dispatch
hurry up
cast The water
make a diagnosis by examining the urine
58
pristine
original, former
60
Pull’t off
either an instruction to remove a piece of armor that is proving difficult to put on or has been put on incorrectly, or Macbeth has changed his mind about wearing his armor at all
61
rhubarb
plant used to make purgative drugs
cyme
senna, a plant used to make purgative drugs and sometimes mixed with rhubarb for this purpose
62
scour
cleanse, purge
63
preparation
mobilized army/military proceedings
65
it
probably the armor removed a few lines earlier
66
bane
murder/destruction
68
clear
safe/free/untroubled
69
hardly
with great difficulty
2
chambers
private rooms (like the bedchamber in which Duncan was murdered)
3
nothing
not at all
7
shadow
conceal
8
host
army
discovery
military reconnaissance
9
Err
be mistaken
12
Keeps
remains (with connotations of defensive preservation)
13
setting down
encampment for a siege
15
where … given
while they could have advantaged Macbeth (through loyalty)/wherever it is possible to advantage the English forces/where military advantage must be conceded to the English (who are about to besiege the castle)/when they had the opportunity (i.e. were not confined to the castle during a siege)
16
more … revolt
people of both high and low social status have deserted Macbeth
19
Let … event
let an exact assessment be made only after the outcome of the actual battle
23
due
appropriate, necessary (plays on the sense of “owing”)
24
owe
own/are required to repay
25
Thoughts … arbitrate
speculation deals with uncertain hopes; for a definitive outcome, combat must be the deciding factor
4
ague
fever
5
forced
reinforced
6
dareful
defiantly/boldly
11
fell of hair
entire head of hair
12
treatise
tale
13
As
as if
supped full
had my fill of horror/dined in the company of horrors (i.e. Banquo’s ghost)
14
Direness
dreadfulness, horror
15
start me
make me start
17
She … hereafter
she should have died at a future time/she would have died at some point anyway
18
such a word
i.e. news of her death
20
petty
slow/insignificant
21
syllable
most minute portion/basic element of a word
recorded
written/narrated/remembered
22
lighted
lit the way for (with a
candle
)
23
dusty
i.e. characterized by the dust to which all mortals return
24
shadow
insubstantial thing/ illusion/ghost/actor (the theatrical sense is picked up in
fools
and
player
)
poor
wretched/ unskilled
25
frets
wears out/worries his way through/rants and rages (in the manner of a bad actor)
27
fury
fierce passion/frenzy, madness/wild anger/violence
29
thy story quickly
relate your news at once
34
did … watch
was on guard
43
cling
shrivel
sooth
truth
44
dost … much
do the same for me
45
pull in resolution
(am forced to) rein in my firmness of purpose; some editors emend to “pall”
46
fiend
i.e. the Third Apparition
50
avouches
affirms
51
nor … here
no point either fleeing from here or remaining
52
’gin
begin
53
th’estate
the kingdom/condition/settled order
54
wrack
ruin, destruction
55
harness
armor
2
show
appear
uncle
i.e. Siward
4
battle
battalion
6
order
arrangement, battle plan
8
Do
i.e. if
power
army
11
harbingers
forerunners, messengers
2
bear-like
like a bear tied to a
stake
and baited with dogs, a popular form of entertainment
course
designated bout, during which the bear was attacked by dogs
8
is
that is
21
kerns
lightly armed foot soldiers
22
staves
staffs used as weapons
24
undeeded
without its having carried out any action
25
note
reputation/notoriety (plays on the sense of “musical note”)
26
bruited
loudly announced
28
gently rendered
calmly (or easily) surrendered
31
The … yours
i.e. you have almost won
33
strike beside us
fight alongside us/deliberately miss when they strike at us
35
play … sword
i.e. do as the Romans did and commit suicide when defeated
36
lives
anyone living
39
men else
other men
40
charged
burdened; plays on the senses of “blamed/accused (of a crime)”
44
terms … out
words can proclaim you to be
45
losest labour
waste time
46
intrenchant
unable to be cut
47
keen
sharp (plays on the sense of “eager, fervent”)
impress
make a physical impression, mark
48
crests
helmets, heads
52
angel
personal governing spirit/ Lucifer