King Lear

¹⁵⁶noiseless silent, inactive

¹⁵⁷plumèd helm (soldiers’) helmets adorned with feathers

¹⁵⁷thy … threat begins to threaten the state

¹⁵⁸moral moralizing

¹⁶⁰self-covered self-concealing

¹⁶¹Bemonster … feature do not make your beauty hideous by revealing your true fiend’s face

¹⁶¹Were’t my fitness if it were proper for me

¹⁶²blood anger

¹⁶⁴howe’er however much, although

¹⁶⁶Marry by the Virgin Mary

¹⁶⁶mew a contemptuous and belittling cat’s meow

¹⁶⁸back i.e. to France

¹⁷⁰imperfect unfinished

¹⁷¹imports signifies, brings with it

¹⁷⁹trilled trickled

¹⁸¹passion strong emotion/grief

¹⁸⁵goodliest best, most effectively

¹⁸⁷smilets little smiles, half-smiles

¹⁹²so become it grace it so well, make it seem so attractive

¹⁹⁸Let … believed! Put no trust in pity!

²⁰⁰clamour moistened her the expression of her grief moistened her with tears

²⁰⁰started hastened, went abruptly

²⁰⁴mate and make husband and wife

²⁰⁵issues children

²¹⁰sometime sometimes

²¹⁰tune i.e. frame of mind

²¹⁴sovereign overpowering (plays on the related literal sense of “kingly”)

²¹⁴elbows pushes, jostles

²¹⁶casualties chance, uncertainties

²²²afoot on the move

²²⁴attend wait on, look after

²²⁴dear cause important reason

²²⁶aright rightly, as myself

²²⁶grieve regret

²³¹deep rumbling, deep-voiced

²³¹dread-bolted hurling terrifying thunderbolts

²³³cross forked

²³³watch remain awake/be on guard

²³⁴perdu “lost one” (French), the name given to a guard placed in an extremely open, dangerous position

²³⁴helm helmet/covering of hair

²³⁸conductor … people commander of his forces

²⁴²Report rumor

²⁴³powers … kingdom British forces

²⁴³apace rapidly

²⁴⁴arbitrament deciding of the dispute

²⁴⁶point … wrought the conclusion of my aims will be thoroughly brought about

²⁴⁷Or either

²⁴⁸abuses dishonors, wrongs

²⁴⁹doubtful fearful

²⁴⁹conjunct And bosomed sexually intimate

²⁵⁰as … hers to the fullest extent

²⁵³honest honorable

²⁵⁴For as for

²⁵⁵touches us as i.e. affects our honor insofar as

²⁵⁶bolds insofar as it emboldens

²⁵⁶with (who) along with

²⁵⁷Most … oppose has most just and weighty grounds for hostility

²⁶¹the … sharpness i.e. in the heat of emotion even the best grounds for hostility are cursed by those who have suffered the losses and afflictions of battle (Edmund pretends to be anxious that Lear and Cordelia receive a fair trial)

²⁶⁵period limit, extreme point

²⁶⁶such … not those who do not love

²⁶⁶another … extremity to enlarge upon another sorrowful tale (that of Kent) would increase sorrow even further and exceed all limits

²⁶⁹big in clamour loud in lamentation

²⁷⁰estate condition

²⁷³fastened … neck i.e. embraced me

²⁷⁴As as if

²⁷⁷puissant powerful

²⁷⁷strings of life i.e. heartstrings

²⁷⁹’tranced absorbed by grief/in a faint, unconscious

²⁸²enemy king i.e. the king who had treated him as an enemy

²⁸³Improper for unfitting even for