Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

If, 1) hypothetical conjunction, == in case that<*> followed by an indic. to express absolute assurance and certainty: “if I have ranged, like him that travels I return again,” Sonn. 109, 5 (== it being so that I have ranged; having, as I confess, ranged). “O sweet-suggesting love, if thou hast sinned, teach me to excuse it,” Gent. II, 6, 7. “if every one knows us and we know none, 'tis time to trudge,” Err. III, 2, 157. “if I stand here, I saw him,” Mcb. III, 4, 74 (== as sure as I stand here). cf. “if he had spoke, the wolf would leave his prey,” Ven. 1097 (almost == when, and alternating with when). Followed indiscriminately, or at least with a difference merely theoretical, by the indic. or subj., when the supposition admits of doubt; f.i. by the indic.: “if no harder than a stone thou art, melt at my tears,” Lucr. 593. “if thou more murmurest, I will rend an oak,” Tp. I, 2, 294. “if thou art changed to aught, 'tis to an ass,” Err. II, 2, 201. “if she lives till doomsday she'll burn a week longer than the whole world,” Err. III, 2, 100. “arrest me if thou darest,” IV, 1, 75; cf. Mids. III, 2, 422; R2 IV, 48; 56; 71; H6B III, 2, 201; H6B III, 2, 201 “if thou lovest me, steal forth thy father's house,” Mids. I, 1, 163. “if truth holds true contents,” As V, 4, 136. “if she dares trust me with her little babe,” Wint. II, 2, 37. “if thou dost love thy lord, banish the canker of ambitious thoughts,” H6B I, 2, 17. “if thou dost nod, thou breakest thy instrument,” Caes. IV, 3, 271. Subjunctive: if the first heir of my invention prove deformed, I shall be sorry it had so noble a god-father, Ven. Ded. Caes. IV, 3, 271 “that posterity which thou must have, if thou destroy them not,” Ven. 760. “if love have lent you twenty thousand tongues, yet from my ear the tempting tune is blown,” Ven. 760 “if Collatinus dream of my intent, will he not wake?” Lucr. 218. “thus I forestall thee, if thou mean to chide,” Lucr. 218 “if he mount he dies,” Lucr. 218 “if thou deny, then force must work my way,” Lucr. 218 “if thou yield, I rest thy secret friend,” Lucr. 218 “lasting shame on thee I will inflict, if thou my love's desire do contradict,” Lucr. 218 “if it so hap,” Tp. I, 1, 28. “if the ill spirit have so fair a house, good things will strive to dwell with it,” I, 2, 458. “if he have never drunk wine before, it will go near to remove his fit,” II, 2, 77. “if he awake, from toe to crown he'll fill our skins with pinches,” IV, 232. “if he make this good, he is as worthy for an empress,” Gent. II, 4, 75. “if he say Ay, it will,” II, 5, 36. “win her with gifts, if she respect not words.” III, 1, 89. “if she do frown, 'tis not in hate of you,” III, 1, 89 III, 1, 89 “no Valentine, if Silvia have forsworn me,” III, 1, 89 “here if thou stay, thou canst not see thy love,” III, 1, 89 “she'll think that it is spoke in hate. Ay, if his enemy deliver it,” III, 2, 35. “if thou scorn our courtesy, thou diest,” IV, 1, 68. “which, if my augury deceive me not, witness good bringing up,” IV, 4, 73. “if shame live in a disguise of love,” V, 4, 106. “if money go before, all ways do lie open,” Wiv. II, 2, 174. “if he start, it is the flesh of a corrupted heart,” V, 5, 90. “if power change purpose,” Meas. I, 3, 54. “if it confess a natural guiltiness,” II, 2, 138. “if ever he return,” III, 1, 197. “if the encounter acknowledge itself hereafter,” III, 1, 197 “if he entreat you to his bed,” III, 1, 197 “if the devil have given thee proofs for sin, thou wilt prove his,” III, 2, 31. “if he chance to fail, he hath sentenced himself,” III, 2, 31 “if any thing fall to you upon this, I will plead against it,” IV, 2, 190. “if any Syracusian born come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies,” Err. I, 1, 19. “if it prove so, I will be gone the sooner,” I, 2, 103. if thou live to see like right bereft, this fool-begged “patience in thee will be left,” II, 1, 40. “if aught possess thee from me, it is dross,” II, 2, 179. “if a crow help us in, we'll pluck a crow together,” III, 1, 83. “let love be drowned, if she sink,” III, 2, 52. “an if the wind blow any way from shore, I will not harbour in this town to-night,” III, 2, 52 “if any hour meet a sergeant, a' turns back,” IV, 2, 56. “if thou follow me, I shall do thee mischief,” Mids. II, 1, 236. “if but once thou show me thy grey light, I'll find Demetrius,” III, 2, 419. “if he come not, the play is marred,” IV, 2, 5. “if this young gentleman have done offence, I take the fault on me,” Tw. III, 4, 343. “if the rascal have not given me medicines, I'll be hanged,” H4A II, 2, 18. “if thou love me, practise an answer,” II, 4, 411. “if thou have power to raise him, bring him hither,” III, 1, 60. “that you shall read in your own losses, if he stay in France,” H5 II, 4, 139. “what dares not Warwick, if false Suffolk dare him?” H6B III, 2, 203. “if she have restrained the riots of your followers, 'tis on such grounds as clears her,” Lr. II, 4, 144. Be and were, as ambiguous forms (see Be), may be only mentioned by the way: Ven. 417. Lucr. 158. Tp. I, 1, 35. III, 2, 7. IV, 161. Gent. I, 1, 107. II, 4, 103. III, 1, 174. III, 1, 174 IV, 2, 120. IV, 4, 195. V, 4, 74. Meas. I, 1, 23. Err. II, 2, 144. H4B V, 2, 65. Lucr. 587. Sonn. 127, 2. Gent. IV, 1, 30 etc. Indic. and subjunctive alternating: “if there be nothing new, but that which is hath been before, how are our brains beguiled,” Sonn. 59, 1. “if thou dost him any slight disgrace or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee,” As I, 1, 154; cf. Meas. III, 2, 37. The same uncertainty, as of a thought conceived, not a fact ascertained, expressed by shall, should and may following: “if all these petty ills shall change thy good, thy sea within a puddle's womb is hearsed,” Lucr. 656. “and much please the absent duke, if peradventure he shall ever return,” Meas. III, 1, 210. “if we shall stand still, we should take root here,” H8 I, 2, 85. “if it should thunder as it did before, I know not where to hide my head,” Tp. II, 2, 22. “if in Naples I should report this, would they believe me?” III, 3, 27. “if I should take a displeasure against you, look you,” IV, 202. “'twere false, if I should speak it,” Gent. IV, 2, 107. I would not spare my brother in this case, if he should scorn me so apparently, Err. IV. 1, 78. “beshrew my hand, if it should give your age such cause of fear,” Ado V, 1, 56. Shr. Ind. 1, 99. H4B I, 3, 78. Cor. IV, 6, 111. “he shall know you better, if I may live to report you,” Meas. III, 2, 171. -- A supposition contrary to reality and fact expressed by the subjunctive of the imperf. or pluperf.: “if thou wert the lion, the fox would beguile thee,” Tim. IV, 3, 330; cf. Merch. II, 1, 17. Cor. II, 2, 18 etc. -- if not == or even: “one word more shall make me chide thee, if not hate thee,” Tp. I, 2, 476. If that, see That.
Omitted, with inversion of the subject: “did I tell this, who would believe me?” Meas. II, 4, 171. “prove you that any man with me conversed, refuse me,” Ado IV, 1, 183. “prove it so, let fortune go to hell for it, not I,” Merch. III, 2, 20. “live thou, I live,” Merch. III, 2, 20 we will persuade him, be it possible, to put on better (attire) Shr. III, 2, 127. “you'll be found, be you beneath the sky,” Wint. I, 2, 180. “be she honour-flawed, they'll pay for it,” II, 1, 143. “hold out my horse, and I will first be there,” R2 II, 1, 300. “were growing time once ripened to my will,” H6A II, 4, 99. “within thine eye sat twenty thousand deaths, I would say thou liest,” Cor. III, 3, 70. “wert thou a bear, thou wouldst be killed by the horse,” Tim. IV, 3, 341. “go not my horse the better, I must become a borrower of the night,” Mcb. III, 1, 26. “do we but find the tyrant's power to-night, let us be beaten, if we cannot fight,” V, 6, 7. “live Roderigo, he calls me to a restitution,” Oth. V, 1, 14. “prove this a prosperous day, the world shall bear the olive freely,” Ant. IV, 6, 6. “come more, for more you're ready,” Cymb. IV, 3, 30. “take I your wish, I leap into the seas,” Per. II, 4, 43. Indicative: “pleaseth you walk with me down to his house, I will discharge my bond,” Err. IV, 1, 12 (cf. Please).
2) concessive particle, == allowing that, though: “I will give him some relief, if it be but for that,” Tp. II, 2, 70. cf. sub 1, indic. after if.
3) whether: “my love's sweet face survey, if time have any wrinkle graven there,” Sonn. 100, 10. “in doubt if best were as it was,” Compl. 98. “my prayer may know if you remain upon this island,” Tp. I, 2, 423. Tp. I, 2, 423 Meas. II, 3, 22. III, 2, 180. IV, 3, 112. Mids. III, 2, 1. Merch. II, 7, 10. As I, 1, 110. H4A II, 2, 34 (Q1 canst, the other O. Edd. can) etc. If . . . or == whether . . . or: “if friend or foe, let him be gently used,” H6C II, 6, 45. “they know if dearth or foison follow,” Ant. II, 7, 22. Omitted: “he left this ring behind him, would I or not,” Tw. I, 5, 321. “dost thou or dost thou not, heaven's curse upon thee,” Tim. IV, 3, 131.