King Lear

⁸⁵mar spoil (i.e. water down for their own profit)

⁸⁶are … tutors i.e. teach their tailors about fashion

⁸⁷heretics religious dissenters, conventionally punished with burning at the stake

⁸⁷wenches’ suitors i.e. who are afflicted with the burning effects of syphilis

⁸⁸right just

⁹¹cutpurses thieves who cut the strings of moneybags hanging at their victims’ waists

⁹¹throngs crowds

⁹²usurers moneylenders, notorious for charging excessively high interest

⁹²tell … i’th’field count their money openly

⁹³bawds pimps

⁹⁴Albion ancient name for Britain

⁹⁵confusion destruction, overthrow

⁹⁶who whoever

⁹⁷going … feet walking will be done on foot (perhaps simply meaning “things will return to normal”)

⁹⁸Merlin in the legendary history of Britain, the reign of Lear precedes that of Arthur by centuries

Act 3 Scene 3

^3.3Location: the Earl of Gloucester’s residence

²leave … pity permission to help, take pity on

⁷Go to expression of impatient dismissal

¹⁰closet private room/cabinet

¹¹home thoroughly

¹¹power army

¹²footed ashore

¹²incline to support, side with

¹²look look for

¹³privily relieve secretly help

¹⁴that so that

¹⁴of by

¹⁷toward imminent

¹⁸courtesy forbid thee forbidden kindness (to Lear)

²⁰This … deserving i.e. my action should be worth a good reward

Act 3 Scene 4

^3.4Location: outside a hovel somewhere out in the open, not far from the Earl of Gloucester’s residence

³nature human nature

¹⁰greater malady i.e. mental suffering

¹³i’th’mouth face to face

¹³free free of worry, untroubled

¹⁴delicate sensitive

¹⁷as as if

¹⁸home soundly

²²frank generous

³²bide endure

³³sides bodies (with visible ribs)

³⁴lopped and windowed full of holes

³⁶physic medicine (often a purgative)

³⁶pomp splendor, ostentatious display (i.e. rich and powerful people)

³⁸superflux superfluity, excess (flux was used for a discharge of excrement from the bowels, the result of a purgative)

⁴⁰Fathom about six feet

⁴⁰Fathom and half Edgar calls as though he is measuring the depth of the water in the hovel, as a sailor might in a leaking ship

⁴¹spirit evil spirit, demon

⁴⁵grumble mutter, mumble

⁵²foul wicked

⁵⁴knives … pew the devil was believed to tempt men to damnation by leaving them the means of committing suicide (even in church)

⁵⁵ratsbane rat poison

⁵⁶porridge vegetable or meat soup

⁵⁶bay reddish-brown

⁵⁷four-inched four inches wide (the devil gives one the arrogance to try and perform extremely difficult feats)

⁵⁷for as

⁵⁷course hunt

⁵⁸five wits five mental faculties (common wit, imagination, fantasy, estimation, and memory)

⁵⁸do … de the sound of chattering teeth?

⁵⁹star-blasting being afflicted by the malign influence of the stars

⁵⁹taking being infected with disease/malign influence of the stars

⁶⁰vexes torments

⁶⁰there … there perhaps Edgar snatches at parts of his body as he tries to catch lice or the devil; or he may grab or point at the air around him

⁶³pass state, predicament

⁶⁵reserved a blanket kept a blanket (to cover himself)

⁶⁷pendulous overhanging

⁶⁸fated … faults destined to punish men’s faults

⁷⁰subdued nature reduced human nature

⁷³thus … flesh refers to Edgar’s self-mutilation

⁷⁵pelican young pelicans supposedly fed on their mother’s blood; they were proverbial for filial cruelty

⁷⁶Pillicock … Pillicock-hill possibly part of an old nursery rhyme, but Pillicock is slang for penis and Pillycock-hill the female genitals

⁷⁶alow … loo possibly from “halloo” (cry to incite dogs in a hunt), perhaps an imitation of a cock’s crow, or simply a nonsensical sound

⁷⁸obey Edgar begins a paraphrased version of five of the Ten Commandments

⁷⁹commit not i.e. do not commit adultery

⁸⁰on proud array in overly fine clothes

⁸³gloves i.e. a mistress’ gift, displayed by being worn in one’s cap

⁸⁶slept in i.e. dreamed of

⁸⁷dice i.e. gambling

⁸⁸out-paramoured the Turk had more lovers than the Turkish Sultan, famous for his harem

⁸⁸light of ear eager to listen to gossip

⁹⁰creaking … silks i.e. the sounds of a fashionable woman walking

⁹²plackets openings in skirts/vaginas

⁹²pen … books i.e. do not sign a loan agreement