Vulgar words in Notes to Shakespeare, Volume III: The Tragedies (Page 1)

This book at a glance

ass x 2
bastard x 3
buffoon x 1
damn x 5
whore x 14
            

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~   ~   ~   Sentence 554   ~   ~   ~

III.ii.56 (378,9) bastards, and syllables/Of no allowance, to your bosom's truth] I read, Of no alliance,- therefore bastards .

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,089   ~   ~   ~

IV.xii.13 (226,1) Triple turn'd whore!]

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,530   ~   ~   ~

IV.iii.82 (354,2) Be a whore still!

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,534   ~   ~   ~

IV.iii.120 (356,7) Think it a bastard, whom the oracle Hath doubtfully prunounc'd thy throat shall cut] An allusion to the tale of OEdipus.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,535   ~   ~   ~

IV.iii.134 (357,8) And to make whores a bawd] [W: make whole] The old edition reads, And to make whores a bawd.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,536   ~   ~   ~

That is, enough to make a whore leave whoring, and a bawd leave making whores .

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,537   ~   ~   ~

IV.iii.139 (357,9) I'll trust to your conditions] You need not swear to continue whores, I will trust to your inclinations.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,539   ~   ~   ~

We may read, - Yet may your pains six months Be quite contraried.- Timon is wishing ill to mankind, but is afraid lest the whores should imagine that he wishes well to them; to obviate which he lets them know, that he imprecates upon them influence enough to plague others, and disappointments enough to plague themselves.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,682   ~   ~   ~

So of a buffoon, in Love's Labour lost , it is said, that he is allowed , that is, at liberty to say what he will, a privileged scoffer.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,947   ~   ~   ~

IV.i.65 (93,6) Both merits pois'd, each weighs no less nor more, But he as he, the heavier for a whore] I read, But he as he, each heavier for a whore.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,949   ~   ~   ~

The quarto reads, But he as he, the heavier for a whore.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,952   ~   ~   ~

Which heavier for a whore?

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,953   ~   ~   ~

That is, for a whore staked down, which is the heavier .

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,251   ~   ~   ~

III.iv.15 (224,2) drug-damn'd Italy] This is another allusion to Italian poisons.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,251   ~   ~   ~

Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn'd, Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell, Be thy intents wicked or charitable, Thou com'st in such a questionable shape, That I will speak to thee.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,367   ~   ~   ~

II.ii.598 (229,8) A damn'd defeat was made] [ Defeat , for destruction .

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,485   ~   ~   ~

III.iii.94 (265,3) his soul may be as damn'd and black/As hell, whereto it goes] This speech, in which Hamlet, represented as a virtuous character, is not content vith taking blood for blood, but contrives damnation for the man that he would punish, is too horrible to be read or to be uttered.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,592   ~   ~   ~

V.i.87 (313,1) which this ass now o'er-reaches] In the quarto, for over-offices is, over-reaches , which agrees better with the sentence: it is a strong exaggeration to remark that an ass can over-reach him who would once have tried to circumvent .-I believe both the words were Shakespeare's.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,633   ~   ~   ~

A quibble is intended between as the conditional particle, and ass the beast of burthen.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,719   ~   ~   ~

OTHELLO I.i.20 (358,4) One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife] This is one of the passages which must for the present be resigned to corruption and obscurity.

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