99 just honorable/true
99 sutler seller of provisions
100 camp military camp
103 justly exactly/fairly
105 come of were born of (may play on "come off"--i.e. dismount after sex) 107 quotidian tertian types of fever, a quotidian afflicting the patient daily, a tertian every third day; illness that combined fevers was deemed almost certainly fatal 109 run bad humours i.e. vented his bad temper/caused Falstaff's misery and illness 110 even of it i.e. the truth of the matter
112 fracted broken
112 corroborate strengthened; Pistol presumably errs, meaning the opposite 114 passes lets pass, indulges in
114 humours inclinations, whims
114 careers short gallops at full speed--i.e. sudden impulses 115 condole comfort, sympathize with
115 live i.e. outlive Falstaff
Act 2 Scene 2
2.2 Location: Southampton (a port on the south coast of England)
1 bold daring/overconfident
2 apprehended arrested
3 smooth in a pleasant, plausible manner
3 even steadily
3 bear present, conduct
6 hath note is informed, aware
7 interception i.e. intercepting their messages
8 bedfellow i.e. close companion
9 dulled dulled the appetite of
9 cloyed overfilled and sickened
10 a foreign purse i.e. French money
14 gentle noble
15 powers troops
17 execution action/killing
18 in head as an army
22 grows ... consent is not in total agreement, sympathy 24 attend on wait upon
25 feared revered, viewed with awe
27 heart-grief discontent, unhappiness
30 steeped ... honey soaked their bitterness in honey
31 create created
33 And ... merit i.e. I am more likely to forget how to use my own hand than to forget to repay what is due to people 33 office use, proper function
34 quittance repayment
35 weight and worthiness due proportion and worth (of the deserving deeds) 36 steeled hardened, steely
39 judge think
40 Enlarge release
40 committed imprisoned
41 railed ranted, spoke abusively
43 more advice thinking better of it (in sobriety)
44 security complacency, overconfidence
46 his sufferance i.e. your pardoning him
51 correction punishment
53 orisons pleas, prayers
54 on distemper from mental ill-health (in this case, drunkenness) 55 winked at i.e. ignored
55 how ... eye how wide must we open our eyes
56 capital punishable by death
56 chewed ... digested i.e. carefully planned and organized 58 dear worthy, tender (puns on the sense of "dire, grievous") 61 late commissioners officials recently appointed to act for the king in his absence 72 lose ... complexion grow so pale
74 paper i.e. white/easily read
76 Out of appearance away from sight/out of your faces 80 quick alive/prompt
83 reasons i.e. the arguments you made about showing no mercy 84 worrying biting at
87 accord agree
88 furnish provide
88 appertinents ... honour things appropriate for his dignified position 90 light of little value/immoral
90 lightly readily, easily
91 practices plots
93 This knight i.e. Grey
93 bounty (kingly) generosity
97 counsels secrets
99 coined ... gold i.e. used me to make as much gold as you liked 100 practised on worked on, deceived
100 use profit
103 annoy harm
104 off as gross out as plainly
107 yoke-devils devils yoked together in evil
108 grossly blatantly
108 natural i.e. natural to evil creatures
109 whoop exclaim
110 proportion natural order
111 wait on serve
113 wrought worked
113 preposterously unnaturally
114 voice vote
115 suggest tempt
115 treasons suggesting treasonous acts
116 botch ... up clumsily patch
117 patches pieces of material/fools/rogues
117 colours outward appearances/excuses, pretexts/military flags denoting allegiance 117 forms outward behavior
118 glist'ring shining, glittering
119 tempered shaped/made resolved (as a sword is hardened) 119 stand up make a stand, rebel
120 instance motive, evidence
121 dub invest, knight
122 gulled tricked
123 lion gait alludes to 1 Peter 5:8: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
124 vasty Tartar vast hell (Tartarus is hell in classical mythology) 125 legions multitudes of devils
126 easy easily
127 jealousy suspicion
128 affiance trust
128 Show appear
132 spare frugal, abstemious
133 gross passion powerful feeling, coarse emotion
134 Constant in spirit steadfast in disposition
134 blood passions
135 complement qualities, accomplishments/outward appearance 136 working ... ear i.e. without observing and listening together 137 purged purified, refined
138 bolted sifted
140 full-fraught fully laden (with virtues)
140 indued endowed
143 Another ... man i.e. the disobedience of the biblical Adam and Eve 143 open obvious/revealed
144 to ... of i.e. so that they will be answerable to the law 145 practices sinful plots, treacheries
146 by ... of you who go by the name of
151 discovered revealed
157 what I intended Cambridge's main intention was to make Edmund Mortimer king 159 sufferance patience/suffering
166 quit acquit, pardon
168 enemy proclaimed i.e. France, an officially designated enemy of the state 169 earnest advance payment
173 desolation ruin, destruction
174 Touching our person with regard to myself
175 tender hold dear, value
181 dear dire/costly
183 to ... glorious as glorious to you as to me
184 fair favored/honorable/just
184 lucky successful, fortunate
188 rub obstacle (bowling term)
190 puissance power
191 straight in expedition straight away to speedy action 192 Cheerly heartily, cheerfully
192 advance move forward/raise banners
Act 2 Scene 3
2.3 Location: in London, but unspecified, probably a street
1 bring accompany
2 Staines town seventeen miles west of London, on the way to Southampton 3 yearn grieve
4 blithe merry
4 rouse ... veins raise your lively spirits/drum up some courage 4 vaunting boasting
5 bristle arouse, cause to stand on end
6 earn make money/grieve
9 Arthur's bosom malapropism for "Abraham's bosom," i.e. heaven 10 A he
10 a finer end as fine a death as there could be
11 an as if
11 christom innocent, newly christened--literally, a child that died within a month of birth 12 e'en just
14 flowers used to keep the sickroom sweet-smelling
14 upon ... end at his own fingers
15 pen quill pen (i.e. white, cold and pointed)
15 table ... fields perhaps alluding to the fields on a green gaming (backgammon) table; also biblical in tone ("he maketh me to lie down in green pastures," Psalm 23:2); many editors emend to "and a babbled/talked of green fields"
20 clothes bedclothes, blankets
23 all ... stone plays on senses of "penis" ("awl") and "testicle"
24
of against
24 sack Spanish white wine
28 incarnate in human form
29 carnation shade of red
31 about concerning, because of
32 handle discuss/touch, feel
33 rheumatic feverish/malapropism for "lunatic" (plays on "Rome-atic," thus anticipating the whore of Babylon) 33 whore of Babylon a popular image for the Roman Catholic Church 34 stick upon cling to/pierce, bite
35 burning i.e. as Bardolph's nose is fiery red from drink 37 the fuel i.e. alcohol, supplied by Falstaff
39 shog be gone
42 chattels ... movables movable possessions
43 Let senses rule i.e. be sensible, keep your wits about you 43 world ... pay' i.e. in this world it's "cash down, no credit" (proverbial) 45 oaths promises (to pay)
45 straws i.e. worthless
45 wafer-cakes thin, lightweight cakes
46 hold-fast ... dog "Brag is a good dog, but Holdfast is a better" (proverbial); a brag is a large nail, a hold-fast a clamp or bolt, and a dog a vise or clamp 47 Caveto "beware" (Latin)
48 clear thy crystals wipe your eyes
48 Yoke-fellows comrades
49 horse-leeches large leeches
55 housewifery careful housekeeping
55 close indoors/reticent/chaste
Act 2 Scene 4
2.4 Location: the French royal court, at Rouen, northern France
2.4 French King i.e. Charles VI
2.4 Constable title of the commander-in-chief of the French army 2 more ... defences i.e. it is vitally important that we put up strong defenses 6 dispatch haste
7 line reinforce
8 defendant defensive
9 approaches attacks
10 gulf whirlpool
11 fits us is appropriate
11 provident forward-thinking
12 late examples i.e. former French defeats, such as Crecy (1346) and Poitiers (1356) 13 neglected underestimated by the French
15 redoubted revered
16 meet right, fit
18 Though even if
19 musters lists or recruitment of soldiers
26 Whitsun morris-dance folk-dance, traditionally held at Whitsun (the seventh Sunday after Easter) 27 idly frivolously, uselessly
27 kinged ruled (by Henry)
28 sceptre staff carried as a symbol of sovereignty/baton carried by the fool of a morris troupe, or possibly scepter carried by the mock figure of a king that the troupe used 28 fantastically fancifully, bizarrely
29 humorous capricious, whimsical
30 attends accompanies, waits on
33 late recent
34 state dignity/ceremony/demeanor
36 modest moderate, mild
36 exception i.e. taking exception, objecting 36 withal in addition
37 terrible frightening, inspiring dread
38 forespent previous used up
39 Roman ... folly Lucius Junius Brutus feigned stupidity to dupe and expel Tarquinius Superbus, king of Rome 41 ordure manure
44 though even if
45 weigh judge, estimate
47 So ... filled so that the defenses will be on an adequate scale 48 of ... projection if planned in too miserly a fashion 49 scanting withholding
51 Think we let us think
52 look you be prepared, make sure you
53 fleshed hunting term referring to feeding hounds raw meat to excite them for the chase 54 bloody strain bloodthirsty breed
55 haunted pursued
55 familiar habitual/familial
57 struck fought/stricken
60 mountain i.e. ascendant/immovable, sturdy; may also refer to Edward's birth in mountainous Wales 60 sire father
62 seed offspring
63 Mangle wound, hack at
64 patterns exemplary models
65 This i.e. Henry
67 native inborn
67 fate destiny
70 present immediate
71 chase ... followed hunt is urgently pursued
72 Turn head turn and face your pursuers (hunting term) 73 spend their mouths bark, cry
75 Take ... short take quick and decisive action toward the English 78 self-neglecting a lack of self-respect
81 wills urges, demands
82 divest undress
82 apart aside
83 borrowed glories i.e. the glories of kingship that are not rightfully his 84 longs appertains
86 wide-stretched far-reaching
87 ordinance of times law established through long tradition 89 sinister irregular, unjust, deceitful
89 awkward oblique
90 worm-holes decay, incomplete remains
92 line family tree
95 evenly derived directly descended
98 indirectly dishonestly, wrongfully
99 native natural/rightful by birth
101 Bloody constraint violent force, military compulsion 104 Jove ruler of the Roman gods, whose weapon was a thunderbolt 105 requiring demanding
106 bowels inmost mercy
109 on ... Turning places responsibility with you for 122 slight disdainful
123 misbecome be unbecoming to
124 prize you at consider you worth
125 an if if
126 at large in full
129 womby womb-like, hollow
129 vaultages vaults, caverns
131 second accent echo
131 ordinance artillery (ordnance)/decree
132 fair return an agreeable reply
134 odds conflict
137 Louvre palace in Paris/puns on "lover"
138 mistress-court principal court/mistress, lover
141 greener days i.e. his wild youth
142 masters possesses/rules
142 weighs ... grain i.e. makes careful use of his time 143 read see, learn
148 footed present, disembarked
150 breath breathing space, break
Act 3
1 with imagined wing i.e. the wings of imagination 2 celerity speed
4 well-appointed well-equipped
4 Dover port on the south coast of England: Shakespeare seems to have forgotten that he had previously specified Southampton 5 his royalty his royal person, himself
5 brave bold/impressive, splendid
6 streamers banners, pennants
6 the ... fanning fanning the hot face of the sun (Phoebus, Roman god of the sun) 7 Play with indulge, exercise
7 fancies imaginations
8 hempen tackle rigging made from hemp
9 whistle i.e. that of the ship's chief officer
9 order command/harmony
12 Draw move, drag (perhaps with play on the sense of "create, represent") 12 bottoms i.e. ships (literally hulls or keels) 13 lofty surge high, swelling waves
14 rivage shore
15 inconstant billows shifting waves
17 Harfleur French port at the mouth of the River Seine 18 Grapple fasten (nautical term; grappling hooks were used to attach one ship to another) 18 sternage the sterns of ships
21 pith strength
22 whose ... hair i.e. who has only just reached early manhood (when stubble appears) 24 culled chosen
24 choice-drawn specially selected
24 cavaliers military gentlemen
25 Work be industrious/create, fashion
26 ordnance cannons
26 carriages wheeled frames that cannons are mounted on 27 girded besieged, surrounded
28 Suppose imagine
32 likes not displeases
33 linstock stick for holding the gunner's lighted match 33 Alarum a call to arms by trumpets or drums 33 chambers pieces of artillery, such as cannon 35 eke out supplement
Act 3 Scene 1
3.1 Location: Harfleur, northern France
3.1 scaling-ladders used by soldiers to climb defensive fortifications 1 breach gap in defensive fortifications
7 the blood i.e. heat, courage, and ferocity
8 hard-fa
voured ugly
9 lend give
9 terrible terrifying
9 aspect appearance, gaze
10 portage porthole
11 o'erwhelm overhang, project over
12 fearfully frighteningly
12 galled battered
13 jutty jut out over
13 confounded ruined
14 Swilled washed
14 wasteful destructive
15 set the teeth i.e. bare/grit your teeth
16 bend up strain (from archery: to bring tension to the string of a bow) 18 fet derived
18 of war-proof tested and proved in war
19 Alexanders i.e. Alexander the Great, who lamented that he had no more worlds to conquer 21 sheathed ... argument only stopped fighting because there was no opposition left 22 Dishonour ... mothers i.e. by suggesting that they were unfaithful to your fathers 23 beget conceive
24 copy an example
24 grosser lesser, coarser
25 yeoman man of property who is not a gentleman
27 mettle quality
27 your pasture the land you were raised on i.e. your breeding 29 so ... base of such low social status
31 slips leashes designed for quick release
32 upon the start in anticipation of release
33 charge order/report of the cannon
34 Harry i.e. Henry
34 Saint George patron saint of England
Act 3 Scene 2
2 knocks hard blows
3 case box/set, pair (of pistols)
4 plainsong i.e. truth (literally, simple melody)
5 humours dampness, mist/emotions/bodily fluids, especially blood 6 vassals servants
11 fame reputation, honor
13 prevail succeed
14 My ... me i.e. I would get what I want
15 hie hurry
17 truly honorably/in tune
18 Fluellen anglicized spelling of Llewellyn
19 Avaunt begone
20 cullions rascals/testicles
21 duke captain, leader
21 mould clay (perhaps with play on the sense of "decay, rottenness") 24 bawcock fine fellow (from French beau coq)
24 lenity mildness
24 chuck chick
25 Your ... humours perhaps "you are making everyone unhappy, distempered"; many editors emend "wins" to "runs"
28 swashers swashbucklers, boasters
28 boy servant/youth
29 man manservant/manly
30 antics buffoons
31 white-livered i.e. cowardly (the liver was thought to be the seat of the passions) 32 a faces he brazens, blusters
34 breaks words exchanges words/breaks promises/mangles vocabulary (puns on "break swords," which Pistol fails to do) 34 whole i.e. unused
40 purchase plunder, booty
41 twelve leagues approximately thirty-six miles (a league was about three miles) 42 sworn brothers brothers-in-arms
42 filching stealing
42 Calais port on the northern coast of France, occupied by the English 1347-1558
43 fire-shovel shovel for placing coals on the fire
43 piece of service military exploit
44 carry coals show cowardice/submit to insults/do degrading work 44 familiar ... pockets i.e. by picking them
46 manhood manliness
47 pocketing ... wrongs pocketing stolen goods/accepting insults 49 goes ... stomach makes me sick/goes against my valor