Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Question, subst. 1) the act of asking, and the thing asked: Tp. I, 2, 140. Tp. I, 2, 140 Ado V, 2, 84. LLL II, 119. Merch. III, 4, 79. As III, 2, 291. All's II, 2, 16. All's II, 2, 16 All's II, 2, 16 41 “(I will be a fool in q.).” II, 5, 42 “(suffer q. for your residence).” Tw. I, 5, 191. John I, 195, 199. H6B I, 2, 80. H6B I, 2, 80 H8 II, 4, 212. Troil. I, 2, 173. IV, 5, 248. Hml. II, 1, 10. III, 1, 56. III, 2, 212. Lr. II, 4, 66. “to ask a p. a q.:” Wiv. IV, 1, 16. LLL II, 117. All's I, 1, 123. III, 2, 7. H4A II, 3, 89. II, 4, 451. II, 4, 451 H6A I, 2, 87. Cor. IV, 5, 205. Tim. II, 2, 61. Hml. V, 1, 65. Cymb. I, 5, 11. “to make a q.” H4B IV, 1, 167. Oth. III, 4, 17. “let me but move one q. to your daughter,” Ado IV, 1, 74. “I'll put another q. to thee,” Hml. V, 1, 43 (the clown's speech). “the q. standeth thus,” H4B I, 3, 15. IV, 1, 53. in q. == in demand: “a commodily in q.” Ado III, 3, 192 (quibbling).
2) a thing disputed, a subject of debate: “a certain q. in the law,” H6A IV, 1, 95. “not ever the justice and the truth o' the q. carries the due o' the verdict with it,” H8 V, 1, 131. “the q. of his death is enrolled in the Capitol,” Caes. III, 2, 41. “debate the q. of this straw,” Hml. IV, 4, 26.
3) judicial trial: “a commodity in q.” Ado. III, 3, 192 (quibbling). “who now has these poor men in q.” Wint. V, 1, 198. “he that was in q. for the robbery,” H4B I, 2, 68.
Hence also a trial and decision by the force of arms, as the ultima ratio regum: so may he (the Turk) with more facile q. bear it (Cyprus) Oth. I, 3, 23.
4) controversy, doubt: “controversy hence a q. takes, whether . . . or . . .,” Compl. 110. “that is a q.: how shall we try it?” Err. V, 421. “breed a kind of q. in our cause,” H4A IV, 1, 68. “ay, there's the q.” H6B IV, 2, 149. “how that might change his nature, there's the q.” Caes. II, 1, 13. to call in q. == to doubt of: Tw. I, 4, 6. Troil. IV, 4, 86. to make q. == to doubt: “I fell; and yet do q. make, what I should do again for such a sake,” Compl. 321. “you do me now more wrong in making q. of my uttermost,” Merch. I, 1, 156. “I no q. make to have it,” Merch. I, 1, 156 “make that thy q. and go rot,” Wint. I, 2, 324. Troil. I, 2, 174. Cor. II, 1, 246. no q. == no doubt: “wise! why, no q. but he was,” Meas. III, 2, 146. “no q.” Tw. I, 3, 92. “no q. of that,” H6B IV, 2, 61. Troil. II, 3, 155. Oth. IV, 3, 63. out of q. == out of doubt: Ado II, 1, 346. V, 4, 117. LLL IV, 1, 30. Mids. III, 2, 279. Tw. V, 355. H5 V, 1, 48. past q., sans q., and in contempt of q., in the same sense: Tw. I, 3, 104. LLL V, 1, 91. Tw. II, 5, 98.
5) subject, matter, cause: “that is not the q.” Wiv. I, 1, 227. “as it appears in the true course of all the q.” Ado V, 4, 6. “since the first sword was drawn about this q.” Troil. II, 2, 18. “the cause and q. now in hand,” Troil. II, 2, 18 “I'll decline the whole q.” II, 3, 55. “we dare not move the q. of our place,” II, 3, 55 “the king that was and is the q. of these wars,” Hml. I, 1, 111. “little eyases that cry out on the top of q.” II, 2, 356 (above the subject, more and louder than the occasion requires).* there was no money bid for argument, unless the poet and the player went to cuffs in the q. 373 (obscure passage). “though some necessary q. of the play be then to be considered,” III, 2, 47. “so jump upon this bloody q.” V, 2, 386. “these domestic and particular brawls are not the q. here,” Lr. V, 1, 31. “the q. of Cordelia and her father requires a fitter place,” V, 3, 58. “if you there did practise on my state, your being in Egypt might be my q.” Ant. II, 2, 40. “he being the mered q.” III, 13, 10.
6) discussion, disquisition, consideration: “then of thy beauty do I q. make, that thou among the wastes of time must go,” Sonn. 12, 9. “all kind of arguments and q. deep,” Compl. 121. “Escalus, though first in q., is thy secondary,” Meas. I, 1, 47 (== first in consideration). “I subscribe not that, nor any other, but in the loss of q.” II, 4, 90 (cf. Loss). “the difference that holds this present q. in the court,” Merch. IV, 1, 172. “make the trial of it in any constant q.” Tw. IV, 2, 53. “this haste was hot in q.” H4A I, 1, 34. “the unquiet time did push it out of farther q.” H5 I, 1, 5. “though war nor no known quarrel were in q.” II, 4, 17. “laid any scruple in your way, which might induce you to the q. on't,” H8 II, 4, 151. “I'ld have it come to q.” Lr. I, 3, 13. “one thing of a queasy q.” II, 1, 19 (to be discussed, or treated, with nicety). “thy great employment will not bear q.” V, 3, 33. “if we contend, out of our q. wipe him,” Ant. II, 2, 81. “this gentleman in q.” Cymb. I, 1, 34. to call in q. == to take into consideration, to inquire into, to examine: “neither call the giddiness of it in q., nor . . .,” As V, 2, 6. 'tis the way to call hers (beauty) “in q. more,” Rom. I, 1, 235. “and call in q. our necessities,” Caes. IV, 3, 165. “I must call't in q.” Hml. IV, 5, 217. “she'll bereave you o' the deeds too, if she call your activity in q.” Troil. III, 2, 60 (== if she examines it by trying).
7) conversation, speech, talk: “I will not stay thy --s; let me go,” Mids. II, 1, 235. “you may as well use q. with the wolf why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb,” Merch. IV, 1, 73. “I'll stay no longer q.” Merch. IV, 1, 73 “I met the duke yesterday and had much q. with him,” As III, 4, 39. where meeting with an old religious man, “after some q. with him, was converted,” V, 4, 167. “where we will have some q. with the shepherd,” Wint. IV, 2, 55. “staying no longer q.” H4B I, 1, 48 (German: Rede stehen). “health to you during all q. of the gentle truce,” Troil. IV, 1, 11. “speak not . . .; q. enrages him,” Mcb. III, 4, 118. “niggard of q., but, of our demands, most free in his reply,” Hml. III, 1, 13. “made she no verbal q.?” Lr. IV, 3, 26 (== did she not speak?). “came it by request and such fair q. as soul to soul affordeth,” Oth. I, 3, 113.