Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Against (cf. 'Gainst), prep. 1) towards, to; denoting a direction in general, with or without contrariety; a) used of place: “a. my heart he set his sword,” Lucr. 1640. “the cry did knock a. my very heart,” Tp. I, 2, 9. “she is too bright to be looked a.” Wiv. II, 2, 254. “spurred his horse a. the steep uprising of the hill,” LLL IV, 1, 2. “thou a. the senseless winds shalt grin in vain,” H6B IV, 1, 77. “casts his eye a. the moon,” H8 III, 2, 118. “my duty, as doth a rock a. the chiding flood, should the approach of this wild river break,” H8 III, 2, 118 “just a. thy heart make thou a hole,” Tit. III, 2, 17. “the leafy shelter that abuts a. the island's side,” Per. V, 1, 51. Hence almost == at, before: “as soon decayed and done as is the dew a. the splendour of the sun,” Lucr. 25. “a. love's fire fear's frost hath dissolution,” Lucr. 25 “if aught in me worthy perusal stand a. thy sight,” Sonn. 38, 6. “boughs which shake a. the cold,” 73, 3. “make water a. a woman's farthingale,” Gent. IV, 4, 41. “beauty is a witch, a. whose charms faith melteth into blood,” Ado II, 1, 187. “till I break my shins a. it,” As II, 4, 60. “he shall be set a. a brickwall,” Wint. IV, 4, 818. “a. this fire do I shrink up,” John V, 7, 33. “lean thy back a. my arm,” H6A II, 5, 43. “set your knee a. my foot,” III, 1, 169 (kneel down at my feet). “a. the Capitol I met a lion,” Caes. I, 3, 20. “singeing his pate a. the burning zone,” Hml. V, 1, 305. “stood a. my fire,” Lr. IV, 7, 38. cf. Cor. I, 9, 30. Oth. II, 3, 382.
b) used of time, == shortly before, and usually in expectation of: “more clamorous than a parrot a. rain,” As IV, 1, 152. “every one doth so a. a change,” R2 III, 4, 28. “a. ill chances men are ever merry,” H4B IV, 2, 81. “I'll spring up in his tears, an 'twere a nettle a. May,” Troil. I, 2, 191. “men shut their doors a. a setting sun,” Tim. I, 2, 150 (quibbling). “to disfurnish myself a. such a good time,” III, 2, 50. “a. some storm, a silence in the heavens,” Hml. II, 2, 505. “with tristful visage, as a. the doom,” III, 4, 50. As denoting provision and care taken in expectation of an event, == for: “a. this coming end you should prepare,” Sonn. 13, 3. “a. that time do I ensconce me here,” 49, 1. 49, 1 49, 1 “I must employ you in some business a. our nuptial,” Mids. I, 1, 125. “have toiled their memories a. your nuptial,” V, 75. “I was promised them a. the feast,” Wint. IV, 4, 237. “prepare her a. this wedding-day,” Rom. III, 4, 32. “to prepare him up a. to-morrow,” IV, 2, 46.
c) in a moral sense, == towards, to: “my love and duty a. your sacred person,” H8 II, 4, 41. “it is hypocrisy a. the devil,” Oth. IV, 1, 6.
2) in opposition or repugnance to: Tp. I, 1, 62. I, 2, 158. II, 1, 106. III, 1, 31. III, 3, 75. IV, 141. IV, 141 Gent. I, 2, 43. Gent. I, 2, 43 I, 3, 83. III, 1, 247. III, 2, 26. 41 etc. etc. “the doors are made a. you,” Err. III, 1, 93. IV, 3, 90. Tw. V, 404. Tim. I, 2, 150. Mcb. I, 7, 15. Lr, II, 4, 180. “I'll stop mine ears a. the mermaid's song,” Err. III, 2, 169. Troil. V, 3, 2. Cor. V, 3, 6. “shut his bosom a. our prayers,” Alls III, 1, 9. “a. the blown rose may they stop their nose,” Ant. III, 13, 39. “we must do good a. evil,” Alls II, 5, 53. “let there be weighed your lady's love a. some other maid,” Rom. I, 2, 102. “myself, a. whom I know most faults,” As III, 2, 298 (i. e. against whom I know most faults to object). cf. Cor. III, 1, 10.