First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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| Enter Angelo & Escalus. | Enter Angelo and Escalus | | MM IV.iv.1.1 | |
| Esc. | ESCALUS | | | |
| Euery Letter he hath writ, hath disuouch'd other. | Every letter he hath writ hath disvouched other. | disvouch (v.) disavow, contradict, refuse to acknowledge | MM IV.iv.1 | |
| An. | ANGELO | | | |
| In most vneuen and distracted manner, his | In most uneven and distracted manner. His | uneven (adj.)irregular, erratic | MM IV.iv.2 | |
| | distracted (adj.)perplexed, confused, agitated | | |
| actions show much like to madnesse, pray heauen his | actions show much like to madness. Pray heaven his | | MM IV.iv.3 | |
| wisedome bee not tainted: and why meet him at the gates | wisdom be not tainted. And why meet him at the gates, | taint (v.)lose vigour, become weak, wither | MM IV.iv.4 | |
| and deliuer our authorities there? | and reliver our authorities there? | reliver (v.)restore, hand over, give up again | MM IV.iv.5 | |
| Esc. | ESCALUS | | | |
| I ghesse not. | I guess not. | | MM IV.iv.6 | |
| Ang. | ANGELO | | | |
| And why should wee proclaime it in an howre before | And why should we proclaim it in an hour before | | MM IV.iv.7 | |
| his entring, that if any craue redresse of iniustice, they | his entering, that if any crave redress of injustice, they | crave (v.)need, demand, require | MM IV.iv.8 | |
| should exhibit their petitions in the street? | should exhibit their petitions in the street? | exhibit (v.)submit for inspection, produce for consideration, propose | MM IV.iv.9 | |
| Esc. | ESCALUS | | | |
| He showes his reason for that: to haue a dispatch | He shows his reason for that – to have a dispatch | dispatch, despatch (n.)prompt settlement, speedy handling | MM IV.iv.10 | |
| of Complaints, and to deliuer vs from deuices heereafter, | of complaints, and to deliver us from devices hereafter, | device (n.)plot, stratagem, trick | MM IV.iv.11 | |
| | deliver (v.)free, release, liberate | | |
| which shall then haue no power to stand against vs. | which shall then have no power to stand against us. | | MM IV.iv.12 | |
| Ang. | ANGELO | | | |
| Well: I beseech you let it bee proclaim'd | Well, I beseech you let it be proclaimed. | | MM IV.iv.13 | |
| betimes i'th' morne, Ile call you at your house: | Betimes i'th' morn I'll call you at your house. | morn (n.)morning, dawn | MM IV.iv.14 | |
| | betimes (adv.)early in the morning, at an early hour | | |
| giue notice to such men of sort and suite | Give notice to such men of sort and suit | sort (n.)class, level, social rank | MM IV.iv.15 | |
| | suit (n.)court attendance, personal retinue | | |
| as are to meete him. | As are to meet him. | | MM IV.iv.16.1 | |
| Esc. | ESCALUS | | | |
| I shall sir: fareyouwell. Exit. | I shall, sir. Fare you well. | fare ... well (int.)goodbye [to an individual] | MM IV.iv.16.2 | |
| Ang. | ANGELO | | | |
| Good night. | Good night. | | MM IV.iv.17 | |
| Exit Escalus | | MM IV.iv.17 | |
| This deede vnshapes me quite, makes me vnpregnant | This deed unshapes me quite, makes me unpregnant | unshape (v.)deform, disfigure, destroy | MM IV.iv.18 | |
| | unpregnant (adj.)unready, uninclined, unreceptive | | |
| And dull to all proceedings. A deflowred maid, | And dull to all proceedings. A deflowered maid, | dull (adj.)dead, lifeless, sluggish, inactive | MM IV.iv.19 | |
| And by an eminent body, that enforc'd | And by an eminent body that enforced | body (n.)person, individual | MM IV.iv.20 | |
| The Law against it? But that her tender shame | The law against it! But that her tender shame | | MM IV.iv.21 | |
| Will not proclaime against her maiden losse, | Will not proclaim against her maiden loss, | | MM IV.iv.22 | |
| How might she tongue me? yet reason dares her no, | How might she tongue me? Yet reason dares her no, | tongue (v.)reproach, censure, berate | MM IV.iv.23 | |
| For my Authority beares of a credent bulke, | For my authority bears of a credent bulk | bulk (n.)weight, magnitude, capacity | MM IV.iv.24 | |
| | credent (adj.)believable, credible, trustworthy | | |
| That no particular scandall once can touch | That no particular scandal once can touch | particular (adj.)personal, special, private | MM IV.iv.25 | |
| But it confounds the breather. He should haue liu'd, | But it confounds the breather. He should have lived, | breather (n.)speaker, utterer | MM IV.iv.26 | |
| | confound (v.)discomfit, defeat, put to shame | | |
| Saue that his riotous youth with dangerous sense | Save that his riotous youth with dangerous sense | sense (n.)opinion, view, judgement | MM IV.iv.27 | |
| Might in the times to come haue ta'ne reuenge | Might in the times to come have ta'en revenge, | | MM IV.iv.28 | |
| By so receiuing a dishonor'd life | By so receiving a dishonoured life | | MM IV.iv.29 | |
| With ransome of such shame: would yet he had liued. | With ransom of such shame. Would yet he had lived. | | MM IV.iv.30 | |
| Alack, when once our grace we haue forgot, | Alack, when once our grace we have forgot, | | MM IV.iv.31 | |
| Nothing goes right, we would, and we would not. | Nothing goes right. We would, and we would not. | | MM IV.iv.32 | |
| Exit. | Exit | | MM IV.iv.32 | |