Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Ere, conj. (dissyll. in H6A I, 3, 88); 1) sooner than, before: “e. he says adieu,” Ven. 537. “the merchant fears e. rich at home he lands,” Lucr. 336. Ven. 462. Lucr. 567. Lucr. 567 Lucr. 567 Lucr. 567 Sonn. 68, 8. Tp. I, 2, 51. II, 1, 280. III, 2, 18. Gentl. II, 4, 31. III, 1, 253. V, 4, 29. V, 4, 29 Wiv. II, 1, 127. Meas. II, 2, 99. III, 2, 34. IV, 3, 92. V, 340. Err. I, 1, 95. Err. I, 1, 95 II, 1, 29. IV, 2, 54. IV, 4, 2. 122 etc. etc. Followed by the subjunctive: “treason works e. traitors be espied,” Lucr. 361. “e. he go to bed, knit clouds about his head,” Lucr. 361 “e. he arrive his weary noon-tide prick,” Lucr. 361 Sonn. 6, 2. “sexes both consents, e. he desire, have granted,” Compl. 131. Pilgr. 315. Gentl. I, 1, 46. Wiv. IV, 2, 51. V, 5, 54. Meas. II, 2, 38. Err. I, 2, 7. LLL I, 2, 152. R2 I, 3, 198. II, 1, 229. H4A IV, 4, 36. H6A II, 5, 62. IV, 2, 35. IV, 7, 24. H6B II, 3, 22. H6C II, 3, 35. R3 III, 2, 62. IV, 4, 184. Tit. III, 1, 192 etc. e. it be long == shortly: Meas. IV, 2, 79. H6A III, 2, 75. H6C III, 3, 232. IV, 1, 111. Elliptical phrases: “cancelled e. well begun,” Lucr. 26. “Priam found the fire e. he his tongue,” H4B I, 1, 74. “to fright them e. destroy,” Cor. IV, 5, 149. “there be many Caesars e. such another Julius,” Cymb. III, 1, 12. “to die e. sick,” IV, 2, 9.
2) rather than: “she will die, e. she make her love known,” Ado II, 3, 182. Usually followed by will, would, shall, should, according to the verbal form of the principal sentence: “I will be thrown into Etna, e. I will leave her,” Wiv. III, 5, 129. “so I will grow, so live, so die, e. I will yield my virgin patent up,” Mids. I, 1, 80. Merch. I, 2, 107. H6B V, 1, 112. R3 III, 2, 44 (Ff. before). cf. “let the frame of things disjoint, e. we will eat our meal in fear,” Mcb. III, 2, 17. “the impression of keen whips I'ld wear as rubies, ere I'ld yield my body up to shame,” Meas. II, 4, 103. “e. he would have hanged a man . . . he would have paid,” III, 2, 124. Oth. I, 3, 316. “the Jew shall have my flesh e. thou shalt lose . . .,” Merch. IV, 1, 113. John III, 1, 345. R2 I, 1, 190. “I should have given him tears, e. he should thus have ventured,” As I, 2, 251. H6A III, 1, 120. Elliptically: “I will find you twenty lascivious turtles e. one chaste man,” Wiv. II, 1, 83. “saw the lion's shadow e. himself,” Merch. V, 8. “a devil would have shed water out of fire e. done it,” Wint. III, 2, 194. “I will die a thousand deaths e. break . . .,” H4A III, 2, 159. H6B V, 2, 85. R3 III, 4, 40. Cor. I, 1, 247. Cor. I, 1, 247
Ere that, in both significations: “to be diseased e. that there was true needing,” Sonn. 118, 8. “e. that we will suffer such a prince to be disgraced, we will fight,” H6A III, 1, 97.
Or ere, likewise in both significations: 1) “return or e. your pulse twice beat,” Tp. V, 103. Shr. IV, 5, 8. “'twill be two days or e. we meet,” John IV, 3, 20. V, 6, 44. Mcb. IV, 3, 173. Hml. I, 2, 147. Cymb. III, 2, 67. 2) “I would have sunk the sea within the earth or e. it should the good ship so have swallowed,” Tp. I, 2, 11. “this heart shall break or e. I weep,” Lr. II, 4, 289. “those that would die or e. resist,” Cymb. V, 3, 50.