Picture research by Helen Robson and Jan Sewell. Grateful acknowledgment is made to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for assistance with picture research (special thanks to Helen Hargest) and reproduction fees.
Images of RSC productions are supplied by the Shakespeare Centre Library and Archive, Stratford-upon-Avon. This library, maintained by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, holds the most important collection of Shakespeare material in the UK, including the Royal Shakespeare Company’s official archives. It is open to the public free of charge.
For more information see www.shakespeare.org.uk.
1. Design for a knot garden, private collection © Bardbiz Limited
2. Directed by Peter Brook (1946). Angus McBean © Royal Shakespeare Company
3. Old Vic (1949). © John Vickers Theatre Collection
4. Directed by Michael Kahn (2006). Malcolm Davies © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
5. Directed by Barry Kyle (1984). © Stephen Macmillan
6. Directed by Ian Judge (1993). Malcolm Davies © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
7. Directed by John Barton (1965). Tom Holte © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
8. Directed by Terry Hands (1990). Joe Cocks Studio Collection © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
9. Reconstructed Elizabethan playhouse © Charcoalblue
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1.1 Location: Navarre, in the king’s park. This is the location for the entire play Ferdinand in fact, the King of Navarre at the time of the play’s composition was Henri Berowne, Longaville the Duc de Berowne and the Duc de Longueville both fought for King Henri Dumaine perhaps based on Charles de Lorraine, Duc de Mayenne and initially King Henri’s opponent
1 fame renown
2 registered recorded
2 brazen brass-plated, enduring (plays on sense of “shameless”)
3 grace honor
3 disgrace disfigurement/shame
4 spite in spite
4 cormorant i.e. ravenous (literally, a greedy seabird)
5 breath i.e. life/speech
6 bate abate, blunt
6 his i.e. time’s
6 keen sharp/eager
9 affections passions
11 late recent
11 in force i.e. be binding
12 Navarre the place/the king
13 academe institution of learning (originally Plato’s academy near Athens)
14 Still … in calmly, constantly studying contemplative in meditating on
14 living art the art of living/vitality within scholarship
16 term period of time
17 keep observe
18 schedule document/list
19 subscribe sign
20 hand sword/handwriting
21 branch clause
22 armed prepared (plays on sense of “carrying weapons”)
23 deep solemn
23 it subscription (to the oath)
25 pine starve, languish
26 pates heads (i.e. wits)
26 dainty bits choice morsels of food
28 mortified dead to worldly pleasures
29 grosser coarser, earthier
30 gross whole/coarse
30 baser slaves those subject to inferior pleasures
32 in according to the tenets of/by the study of
33 say … over repeat their vows
36 observances requirements
37 As such as
38 enrollèd written
43 wink close one’s eyes/sleep
44 wont accustomed
44 think no harm i.e. sleep
49 pass away from renounce
50 an if if
52 space duration
54 By … nay a common oath
55 end aim
57 common sense ordinary understanding
58 recompense reward
59 Come on quibbles on common
65 too hard-a-keeping oath an oath too hard to keep
66 troth faith
70 stops impediments
70 quite completely
71 train entice
71 vain foolish, trifling, self-gratifying
73 pain effort, suffering, labor
73 purchased acquired
73 inherit bring about more
74 As for example
75 the while in the meantime
76 falsely treacherously
76 his look its sight
77 Light i.e. eyes, thought to produce the beams of light by which they saw
77 light intellectual enlightenment
77 light … beguile the eyes are cheated out of enlightenment (by excessive study)
78 ere before
78 darkness intellectual obscurity
80 Study me let me learn
81 fairer more beautiful (plays on sense of “lighter”)
82 dazzling blinding (my eyes)
82 that eye i.e. of the fairer woman
82 heed focus of attention/guardian
85 saucy insolent
86 Small little
87 Save except
87 base lowly, secondhand
88 godfathers … lights astronomers who name the stars, as godparents name children at baptism
90 profit of benefit from
90 shining i.e. starlit
91 wot know
91 they the stars/the walkers
92 Too … fame an excess of knowledge brings only a vainglorious reputation
93 every godfather i.e. any ordinary person
95 Proceeded argued (plays on sense of “taking a university degree”)
95 proceeding intellectual advancement
96 weeds pulls up
96 lets … weeding allows the weeds to flourish
97 green geese innocent simpletons/geese fed on grass
99 Fit in his in a manner appropriate to its
101 reason
100 In reason nothing i.e. it doesn’t follow logically
101 rhyme i.e. the opposite of
102 envious malicious
102 sneaping biting/nipping (rhyme puns on “rime”—i.e. frost)
103 first-born infants youngest plants
104 proud glorious/arrogant
106 abortive premature, unnatural
108 new-fangled shows newly created, elaborate displays (of flowers)
109 like of I delight in
109 in season i.e. at its proper time
110 too late i.e. in life
111 climb … gate i.e. pointless
112 sit you out don’t take part
114 barbarism uncivilized ignorance
117 bide endure
117 three years’ day day of three years
126 Marry by the Virgin Mary
128 hence away from here
128 dread dreadful/frightening
129 gentility civilized behavior
133 article clause
134 in embassy as an ambassador
136 complete perfect
140 vainly pointlessly
142 overshot wide of the mark (i.e. mistaken)
143 would wants
146 towns … lost i.e. a town that is burnt down as part of a military campaign is no gain at all
147 force necessity
148 lie lodge
148 on mere out of absolute
149 forsworn perjured, oath breakers
151 affects passions, desires
152 might personal strength
152 grace divine favor
153 word phrase
155 at large as a whole
157 in attainder accused/convicted
158 Suggestions … me I am as susceptible to temptation as any man
160 the … oath the last one to swear, but the one who will keep his word the longest/the least likely to keep my oath the longest
161 quick lively
162 haunted With frequented by
164 in … planted involved in whatever is fashionable
165 mint creative source/wealth (literally, place where money is coined)
168 compliments accomplishments, courtesy
169 mutiny discord
170 child of fancy flamboyant, fanciful creature
170 hight is called
171 For interim as an interval
172 high-born noble/lofty
173 tawny browned (by sun)
173 debate strife
174 delight take pleasure
176 for my minstrelsy as my minstrel (i.e. musician, entertainer)
177 wight person
179 Costard literally “large apple”; slang for “head”
179 he i.e. Armado
179 swain low-ranking man/rustic
179 sport entertainment
181 duke’s i.e. king’s
183 reprehend malapropism for “represent”
184 tharborough thirdborough (i.e. parish constable)
187 commends you commends himself to you (i.e. greets you respectfully)
188 abroad at large
189 contempts malapropism for “contents”
189 touching concerning
190 magnificent ostentatious/splendid (joking allusion to the 1588 Spanish Armada, often referred to as “magnificent”)
191 How … matter however debased the content
191 high lofty
193 high hope great expectation
193 low heaven i.e. small blessing
195 forbear refrain from
198 be it let it be
198 style puns on “stile” to climb
200 to about
201 manner nature, way it is expressed
201 taken … manner caught in the act/with the stolen goods
203 In … following a commonly used legal phrase
203 form bench
203 those three i.e. words (manner, form, following; punned on in the ensuing explanation)
205 park enclosed land used for hunting
207 manner custom, nature
210 correction punishment
210 God … right a formal prayer said before trial by combat
214 simplicity stupidity/simple nature
216 welkin’s heavens’
216 vicegerent deputy
217 dominator ruler
218 fostering supporting
222 but so merely so-so, not saying much
224 peace be extended to
224 Be i.e.
226 Of … secrets Costard again extends the meaning of the king’s words
227 sable-coloured black
228 commend commit
228 black oppressing humour i.e. melancholy
228 humour mood (one of the four bodily “humours” that governed the disposition)
229 physic medicine
229 as I am on my word as
234 ycleped called
236 obscene repulsive
236 preposterous improper, perverse
237 snow-white pen i.e. goose quill
237 ebon-coloured black
240 curious-knotted with intricately designed flower beds
241 low-spirited base
241 minnow … mirth laughable, insignificant object
243 unlettered illiterate
245 vassal wretch
249 Sorted associated
249 consorted accompanied
250 continent canon law enforcing (especially sexual) restraint
251 passion grieve
251 wherewith with what
255 pricks spurs (may pun on sense of “penis”)
256 meed reward
257 carriage behavior
258 estimation reputation
259 an’t if it
260 weaker vessel i.e. woman
262 keep retain (may play on sense of “keep as a mistress”)
262 least … notice slightest notification
263 trial probably plays on sense of “sexual test”
266 looked for expected
268 for i.e. example of
268 sirrah sir (used to an inferior)
270 confess admit to having been involved with
273 marking of paying attention to
280 so varied expressed equivocally
283 maid i.e. use of the word
283 maid serve your turn get you out of trouble (Costard plays on the sense of “gratify me sexually”)
287 pray plays on sense of “have sex”
287 mutton and porridge mutton soup (mutton plays on the sense of “prostitute” and porridge on the sense of “sex/genitalia”)
290 delivered o’er handed over
293 lay wager
293 goodman title for someone below the rank of gentleman
294 idle worthless (matter for)
296 true honest, chaste, good
298 prosperity malapropism for “adversity”
298 Affliction Costard means “prosperity”
299 sit down i.e. be patient
1.2 Moth winged insect (puns on the similarly pronounced “mote”—i.e. dust speck; possible pun on mot, the French for “word”)
1 sign is it is it a sign of
5 imp sapling/child
7 part distinguish between
8 tender youthful, inexperienced
8 juvenal youth (plays on the name of the Roman satirist Juvenal)
9 familiar easily comprehended
9 working operation (of the emotions)
13 congruent epitheton fitting epithet
14 appertaining relating
14 nominate name
16 appertinent appropriate
2
1 Pretty neat, ingenious, fine-looking
21 pretty, because little proverbial
23 quick quick-witted
25 condign well-deserved
28 quick speedy
29 heat’st my blood make me angry
32 crossed contradicted
33 mere absolute
33 crosses coins (sometimes stamped with a cross)
35 duke i.e. the king
38 told counted
39 ill not good
39 reckoning calculation
39 tapster barman, tavern keeper
40 gamester gambler/merry person/lewd person
42 complete accomplished
44 deuce-ace a (poor) throw of two and one in dice
46 vulgar common people
48 piece masterpiece/example
51 dancing horse probably refers to Morocco, a trained horse performing in 1590s London that could beat out numbers with its hoof
52 figure figure of speech/numeral
53 cipher zero
54 base unbefitting (sense then shifts to “lowborn”)
56 humour of affection disposition to love
57 reprobate corrupt
59 new-devised curtsy newly invented (fashionable) bow
59 think scorn disdain
60 outswear overcome by swearing/swear to do without
60 Cupid Roman god of love
62 Hercules mythological Greek hero
65 carriage demeanor/bearing
66 Samson famously strong biblical character
66 carriage plays on the sense of “carrying ability”
67 he … porter Samson carried off the gates of Gaza (Judges 16:3)
69 well-knit well-constructed
70 rapier long, thin sword
74 complexion disposition/skin color
75 Of … four refers to the four humors (blood, phlegm, choler, and melancholy) thought to determine temperament
78 sea-water green refers to greensickness, an anemic condition affecting young women
81 Green i.e. because associated with spring and youthfulness
83 affected loved
83 wit intelligence
84 green immature
86 maculate spotted, polluted
87 colours plays on sense of “pretexts”
88 Define explain
91 pathetical moving
92 she … of her complexion is (made puns on “maid” as well as possibly suggesting cosmetic artifice)
97 this i.e. her complexion
98 still always
99 native naturally
99 owe own
100, 101 A … red i.e. a warning against real or cosmetic red and white complexions; plays on the familiar opposition between rhyme and reason
102 ballad … Beggar probably that relating the tale of King Cophetua, who fell in love with a beggar maid
105 ages since generations ago
106 serve be acceptable
108 example justify/provide an example of