| A term of address used to men or boys, expressing contempt, reprimand, or assumption of authority on the part of the speaker (OED) |
| A term of addressed used to men or boys, expressing contempt, reprimand, or assummption of authority on the part of the speaker (OED) |
| It was a Renaissance commonplace that the husband was the "head" (authority) of the wife, as taught by St. Paul in Ephesians: (Eph 5:23 KJV) For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. |
| Shakespeare may be punning on the term maidenhead, suggesting that a woman--one who has had sexual experience--would not have her virginity remaining. |
| a quibble, a captious argument (OED) |
| public |
| shackles or fetters, especially for the legs (here used figuratively to mean "imprisonment") |
| release from prison |
| merciless; done without pity |
| for longer than I can remember |
| Abhorson's name combines the sense of both "abhor" and "whoreson" (wretch, son of a whore) |
| come to terms, make an agreement about his annual wage |
| that is, Pompey can't claim that he is too respectable to carry out an execution (for, after all, he had been a bawd) |
| skilled trade, craft |
| the word play here is on "favour": the first instance means "permission" or "leave"; the second, "handsome face." |
| downcast expression (with a play on Abhorson's profession) |
| Pompey uses the term in two senses: 1) the occupation of an artist, and 2)the application of cosmetics. Prostitutes have long been known as "painted women." |
| honest |
| In the Arden edition, Lever notes: "The 'proof' that the true man's apparel "fits" (satisfies) the thief shows the thief to be a fitter of clothes, i.e., tailor, whose occupation is a 'mystery'. Executioners and thieves are associated because the clothes of the condemned man were the hangman's perquisite. Heath comments: "The argument of the Hangman is exactly similar to that of the Bawd . . . the former equally lays claim to the thieves, as members of his occupation, and in their right endeavours to rank his brethren, the hangmen, under the mystery of the fitters of apparel or tailors'." Lever goes on to note that "little" and "big" refer to both size and value. The twisted logic of Abhorson is a mirror of Pompey's argument about painting. |
| It was conventional for the executioner to ask the condemned man to forgive him just before the execution. |
| A term of addressed used to men or boys, expressing contempt, reprimand, or assummption of authority on the part of the speaker (OED) |
| that is, when it comes your time to be executed |
| Most editors emend this to "yare," meaning ready, prepared, or brisk. |
| Playing on the proverb "One good turn deserves another," Pompey may also be suggesting the turning of the ladder to hang a man. |
| full, absolute. There may also be the suggestion of "still and dark as death." |
| That is, by his execution Claudio will be made eternal (whether in heaven or hell). |
| Firmly fixed in its place; not easily moved or shaken; settled, stable (OED). The modern equivalent is "fast asleep." |
| stiffly |
| From the Bible: (Eccl 5:12 KJV) The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. The Geneva Bible reads, "The sleepe of him that trauaileth is sweete." "Travail" and "travel" were interchangeable spellings; consequently the "traveller" here is one who works hard, a laborer. |
| benefit, improve |
| "Just a minute" or "I'll be right there" The words are presumably yelled to the person knocking at the door. |
| The evening bell in the prison. The Oxford edition notes: "In London the curfew-bell rang at nine o¼clock at night as a signal that the regulations governing nocturnal behaviour had come into force." This, and the reference to the "spirits of the night" are important signals to the audience that it is night. |
| severe, cruel |
| The general sense is that Angelo's private and public life demonstrate a consistent justice. But the passage is complex. The Arden edition notes that "the line is capable of several interpretations. Johnson has `line made with a pen', i.e., au pied de la lettre. N.C.S. finds an ironical sense, with `stroke' as the blow of the executioner's axe and `line' the hangman's cord. The Oxford edition adds even more: "This phrase has a rich complexity of meaning. The primary sense is geometrical: stroke as `linear mark' (OED 17) is virtually a doublet for line, and Angelo's life and his behaviour as a judge are compared to a pair of parallel lines. The phrase can also refer to the marks and lines made on paper by Angelo in writing out his legal judgements. In addition, stroke can mean the infliction of punishment, including capital punishment (OED stroke sb.1 3a does not record the stroke of justice until 1665, but compare the blow of justice at 2.2.30), and line can mean `course, direction, conduct' (OED 26, 27). Dover Wilson ingeniously suggests that stroke is the blow of the executioner's axe, and line the hangman's cord, but OED does not support the latter interpretation. |
| To invest with a quality or qualities (OED). The Duke suggests that Angelo uses his power to make others as holy and pure (through abstinence) as he is himself. |
| spotted, stained |
| that is, his virtuous behavior just described |
| kind |
| hardened |
| jailer |
| possibly "unshifting." There is no good authority for the meaning of the word. |
| a back door; a private door; any door or gate distinct from the main entrance; a side way (OED) |
| The officer who has been acting as a gatekeeper has now been summoned to open the door for the messenger. |
| haply, perhaps |
| seat |
| deviate |
| pl. the logical surroundings or `adjuncts' of an action; the time, place, manner, cause, occasion, etc. amid which it takes place; in sing. any one of these conditioning adjuncts. (OED) The wording here instructs the Provost to follow the message to the letter in all its details and all the logical consequences of the instructions. |
| that is, Angelo (the "pardoner") has committed the same sin as Claudio. The Oxford edition gives a long gloss on the passage: "In can mean `in prison' ... as in 4.3.4 below ... but the pardoner can only be Angelo, so in must mean `engaged, entangled in' (OED 6b), and the phrase can be glossed as `sin of a kind which the pardoner himself has become involved in'. If this is what Shakespeare intended, such sin / For which is a cumbersome way of putting it, and pardoner must be a misreading of prisoner (perhaps influenced by pardon in the line above). If so, the meaning would be `sin of the same kind as that for which the prisoner himself in in gaol', and this would bring out the parallelism between Claudio and Angelo. |
| a tautology, as many have noted. Lever, in the Arden edition suggests that the phrase "seems to be a tautology; but `quick' combines with `borne', line 109, and `makes', line 110, to seat deviate from a submerged image of propogation: 'Offence is soon pardoned when it is the child of high authority.'" But such tautologies are common in Shakespeare and other Renaissance authors, perhaps in part because of Biblical style: in biblical Hebrew, the tautology becomes a form of intensification, making "quick celerity" mean "exceeding swiftness." |
| The primary sense here is "carried" or "sustained," but it may also, as Lever suggests, have the sense of "give birth to." |
| widened in scope; stretched forcibly, strained (OED) |
| When evil doers produce mercy, they stretch mercy out and befriend other evil doers because they love the vice or the offence of the other. |
| probably; perhaps, possibly (OED) |
| to rouse into activity (OED) |
| not wonted, usual, or habitual; not commonly heard, seen, practised, etc.; infrequent (OED) |
| urging, pressure to act |
| To keep me better informed (or to assure me that the instructions were carried out). There may also be a sense of "to fulfill my desires." |
| can make known for now |
| a prisoner who has been in jail for nine years |
| that is, Barnardine's friends |
| produced, obtained |
| crime |
| period of rule or authority |
| certain evidence. That is, up until Angelo's time in office, there was no clear evidence that Barnardine was guilty of the crimes he was accused of. |
| clear, obvious, evident |
| affected |
| to anticipate, look forward to, expect (OED) |
| Unable to understand that he will die, and yet doomed to death (by execution). Various editors comment on the passage--Arden: "`with no sensibilities in regard to death, and no hope of escaping it'. Perhaps 'desperately mortal¼ means 'without hope of immortality¼." Oxford: "incapable of being moved by the idea of death, and at the same time irretrievably doomed to die (desperately may also imply 'with no hope of salvation')." New Cambridge: "(1) unconscious of his own imminent death and hopelessly committed to this world, (2) indifferent to the full meaning of death and in a state entailing spiritual death. A complex play is made upon different senses of 'mortal': (1) alive, pertaining to man as a creature of this earth ..., (2) subject to or doomed to die ..., (3) of sin, entailing spiritual death... Here 'desperately' means 'enough to make one despare because so extreme' as well as 'hopelessly'. A further play may be supposed on 'insensible' as 'incapable of physical or mental feeling'." |
| needs or lacks spiritual counsel |
| always |
| the freedom to go wherever he wanted in the prison |
| later, at another time |
| steadfastness, faithfulness, determination (OED) |
| deceives |
| Because my skill (in being able to perceive human character well) gives me confidence and boldness, I will take a personal risk. |
| no more a criminal |
| clear demonstration |
| immediate |
| service, favour (OED) |
| specified, fixed |
| explicitly stated, clear and unambiguous |
| that is, "I will find myself in Claudio's position (in prison)" |
| to go counter to |
| I guarantee your safety |
| recognize the face |
| shaved. The reference is most probably to the shaving of the head. Editors argue over whether the beard was "tied" (that is, braided or neatly tied) or whether "tie" is a mistake of the printer (in which case the instructions would be to shave both the head and the beard). |
| practice |
| befall, happen to |
| to whose religious order I have made vows |
| A polite way of refusing to do what the Duke/friar has asked him to do. |
| those duly appointed to serve in the duke's stead and having his authority |
| uphold, acknowledge, confirm |
| likelihood, probability |
| friar's robes, clerical dress |
| the attempts I have made to persuade you |
| tempt, try to win over or persuade |
| handwriting |
| handwriting |
| the personal seal of the duke, used for official business |
| unfamiliar |
| soon, shortly |
| meaning |
| the morning star that tells the shepherd it is time to let the sheep out of the fold |
| confession (a preparation for his execution) |
| the information in the letter from the duke |
| do away with any of your misgivings; clear up your doubts |