Notes to Shakespeare, Volume III: The TragediesJohnson, Samuel
General
Notes to Shakespeare, Volume III: The Tragedies
Johnson, Samuel
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Criticism and interpretation
I.i.190 (322,6) He'll shape his old course] He will follow his old
maxims; he will continue to act upon the same principles.
I.i.201 (323,7) If aught within that little, seeming, substance]
_Seeming_ is _beautiful_.
I.i.209 (323,9) Election makes not up on such conditions] To _make up_
signifies to complete, to conclude; as, _they made up the bargain_; but
in this sense it has, I think, always the subject noun after it. To
_make up_, in familiar language, is, neutrally, _to come forward_, to
_make advances_, which, I think, is meant here.
I.i.221 (324,2)
Sure her offence
Must be of such unnatural degree,
That monsters it: or your fore-vouch'd affection
Fall into taint]
The common books read,
--or your fore-vouch'd affection
Fall'n into taint:--
This line has no clear or strong sense, nor is this reading authorized
by any copy, though it has crept into all the late editions. The early
quarto reads,
--or you for vouch'd affections
Fall'n into taint.--
The folio,
--or your fore-vouch'd affection
Fall into taint.--
_Taint_ is used for _corruption_ and for _disgrace_. If therefore we
take the oldest reading it may be reformed thus:
--sure her offence
Must be of such unnatural degree,
That monsters it; or you for vouch'd affection
Fall into taint.
Her offence must be prodigious, or _you_ must _fal1 into reproach_ for
having _vouched affection_ which you did not feel. If the reading of the
folio be preferred, we may with a very slight change produce the same
sense:
--sure her offence
Must be of such unnatural degree,
That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd affection
_Falls_ into taint.--
That is, _falls into reproach_ or _censure_. But there is another
possible sense. _Or_ signifies _before_, and _or ever_ is _before ever_;
the meaning in the folio may therefore be, _Sure her crime must be
monstrous_ before _your affection can be affected with hatred_. Let the
reader determine.--As I am not much a friend to conjectural emendation,
I should prefer the latter sense, which requires no change of reading.
I.i.243 (325,3) from the intire point] _Intire_, for right, true. WARB.]
Rather, single, unmixed with other considerations.
I.i.264 (326,5) Thou losest here, better where to find] _Here_ and
_where_ have the power of nouns. Thou losest this residence to find a
better residence in another place.
I.i.282 (326,6) And well are worth the want that you have wanted] [This
I take to be the poet's meaning, stript of the jingle which makes it
dark: "You well deserve to meet with that _want_ of love from your
husband, which you have professed to _want_ for our father." THEOBALD.]
[W: have vaunted] I think the common reading very suitable to the manner
of our author, and well enough explained by Theobald.
I.i.283 (327,7) plaited cunning] i.e. _complicated, involved_ cunning.
(1773)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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