Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Very, adj. originally == veritable, true, real: “there would appear the v. eyes of men through loopholes thrust,” Lucr. 1383. “thou art v. Trinculo indeed,” Tp. II, 2, 109. “two of them have the v. bent of honour,” Ado IV, 1, 188. “here is the v. remuneration I had of thy master,” LLL V, 1, 76. “this is the v. false gallop of verses,” As III, 2, 119. “what would you say to me now, an I were your v. v. Rosalind?” IV, 1, 71. “so many of his shadows thou hast met and not the v. king,” H4A V, 4, 31. “hath the Prince John a full commission, in v. ample virtue of his father, to hear and absolutely to determine . . . .?” H4B IV, 1, 163. “I have found the v. cause of Hamlet's lunacy,” Hml. II, 2, 49. Cor. IV, 6, 70. “rather blamed as mine own jealous curiosity than as a v. pretence and purpose of unkindness,” Lr. I, 4, 75. “I am absolute 'twas v. Cloten,” Cymb. IV, 2, 107. “she is thy v. princess,” Per. V, 1, 220. Hence == full, complete, perfect; cf. the following instances: “a bliss in proof, and proved, a v. woe,” Sonn. 129, 11. “v. rogues,” Wiv. II, 1, 182. “you have paid . . . the v. debt of your calling,” Meas. III, 2, 264. “he is a v. paramour for a sweet voice,” Mids. IV, 2, 12. “a v. fox for his valour,” V, 234. “a v. beadle to a humorous sigh,” LLL III, 177. “my master's a v. Jew,” Merch. II, 2, 112. “stay the v. riping of the time,” II, 8, 40. “thinkest thou any man is so v. a fool to be married to hell?” Shr. I, 1, 129. “such an injury would vex a v. saint,” III, 2, 28. “I find report a v. liar,” II, 246. “a v. monster in apparel,” III, 2, 71. “an I were not a v. coward,” All's IV, 3, 356. “thy mind is a v. opal,” Tw. II, 4, 77. “he's a v. fool,” I, 3, 25. “words are v. rascals since bonds disgraced them,” III, 1, 24. “he is a v. man per se, and stands alone,” Troil. I, 2, 15. “I should make v. forges of my cheeks,” Oth. IV, 2, 74 etc. Compar. and superl.: “was not my lord the --er wag o'the two?” Wint. I, 2, 66. “there are --er knaves desire to live,” Cymb. V, 4, 209. “were he the --est antic in the world,” Shr. Ind. 1, 101. “thou hast the --est shrew of all,” V, 2, 64. “I am the --est varlet that ever chewed with a tooth,” H4A II, 2, 25. “yield me to the --est hind that shall once touch my shoulder,” Cymb. V, 3, 77.
Generally placed before substantives to indicate that they must be understood in their full and unrestricted sense: “now is she in the v. lists of love,” Ven. 595. “so shall I state at first the v. worst of fortune's might,” Sonn. 90, 12. “the cry did knock against my v. heart,” Tp. I, 2, 9. “which touched the v. virtue of compassion in thee,” Tp. I, 2, 9 “he is a stone, a v. pebble stone,” Gent. II, 3, 11. “'tis an ill office for a gentleman, especially against his v. friend,” III, 2, 41 (one who is indeed, and in the full sense of the word, his friend. cf. Merch. III, 2, 226). “he grieves my v. heart-strings,” IV, 2, 62. “whom my v. soul abhors,” IV, 3, 17. “that with his v. heart despiseth me,” IV, 4, 99. “would I might be dead if I in thought felt not her v. sorrow,” IV, 4, 99 “there's the point, the v. point of it,” Wiv. I, 1, 230. “the v. yea and the no is . . .,” I, 4, 98. “those that know the v. nerves of state,” Meas. I, 4, 53. “a man whose blood is v. snowbroth,” Meas. I, 4, 53 “upon the v. siege of justice Lord Angelo hath professed the contrary,” IV, 2, 101. “time is a v. bankrupt,” Err. IV, 2, 58. “the v. sum of all is . . .,” LLL V, 1, 115. “the v. best at a beast,” Mids. V, 232. “the Jew is the v. devil incarnal,” Merch. II, 2, 28. “the boy was the v. staff of my age, my v. prop,” Merch. II, 2, 28 “'confess and love' had been the v. sum of my confession,” III, 2, 36. I bid my v. friends and countrymen, dear Portia, welcome, 226 (indeed my friends, though met here very unexpectedly). “to suffer . . . the v. tyranny and rage of his,” IV, 1, 13. “contrived against the v. life of the defendant,” IV, 1, 13 “he that did uphold the v. life of my dear friend,” V, 214. “till that the weary v. means do ebb,” As II, 7, 73. “they are in the v. wrath of love,” V, 2, 44. “I came thence for v. shame,” Shr. III, 2, 182. “in pure white robes, like v. sanctity,” Wint. III, 3, 23. “this is the v. sum of all,” John II, 151. “in v. sincerity of fear,” H4A II, 3, 32. “France should have torn and rent my v. heart,” H6B I, 1, 126. “it irks my v. soul,” H6C II, 2, 6. “in the v. pangs of death he cried,” II, 3, 17. “eyes sparkling for v. wrath,” II, 5, 131. “he shall split thy v. heart with sorrow,” R3 I, 3, 300. “even of your mettle, of your v. blood,” IV, 4, 302. “a curse begin at v. root on's heart,” Cor. II, 1, 202. “I hold it v. stuff o'the conscience to do no contrived murder,” Oth. I, 2, 2. “you could not lack . . . v. necessity of this thought,” Ant. II, 2, 58. “I think the king be touched at v. heart,” Cymb. I, 1, 10 etc. “very sooth,” Wint. I, 2, 17. “in v. truth,” H4B III, 2, 237. Before adjectives used substantively: “in v. brief, the suit is impertinent to myself,” Merch. II, 2, 146. “to grace him only . . . a v. little I have yielded too,” Cor. V, 3, 16 (== a mere trifle).
Similarly denoting exact conformity with what is expressed by the word: “when thou reviewest this, thou dost review the v. part was consecrate to thee,” Sonn. 74, 6 (exactly that part). “even her v. words didst thou deliver to me,” Err. II, 2, 165. “Hero was in this manner accused, in this v. manner refused,” Ado IV, 2, 65. “in v. likeness of a roasted crab,” Mids. II, 1, 48. “I dote on his v. absence,” Merch. I, 2, 120 (his absence is just what I wish for). “those are the v. words,” IV, 1, 254. H6C IV, 1, 92. “I will be point-devise the v. man,” Tw. II, 5, 177. “when we have marked with blood those sleepy two and used their v. daggers,” Mcb. I, 7, 76. “to hold my v. course,” Lr. I, 3, 26. Temporally: “the hour's now come; the v. minute bids thee ope thine ear,” Tp. I, 2, 37. “spring come to you at the farthest in the v. end of harvest,” IV, 115 (as soon as the harvest is ended). “the v. instant that I saw you, did my heart fly to your service,” III, 1, 64. “when would you use it? This v. night,” Gent. III, 1, 124. “it is about the v. hour that Silvia should meet me,” V, 1, 2. “at the v. instant of Falstaff's and our meeting,” Wiv. V, 3, 16. “he this v. day receives letters,” Meas. IV, 2, 215. “that v. hour,” Err. I, 1, 54. “this v. day,” I, 2, 3. “the v. night before the wedding,” Ado II, 2, 45 etc.
Hence denoting identity: “on this grass-plot, in this v. place,” Tp. IV, 73. “I am Prospero and that v. duke which was thrust forth of Milan,” V, 159. “all the kind of the Launces have this v. fault,” Gent. II, 3, 3. “that v. person,” Wiv. I, 1, 50. “this is the v. same, the v. hand, the v. words,” II, 1, 84. “Master Troth here, this v. man,” Meas. II, 1, 104. “we do condemn thee to the v. block where Claudio stooped to death,” V, 419. “unless you were the v. man,” Ado II, 1, 123. “that v. time I saw . . . Cupid all armed,” Mids. II, 1, 155. “this v. sword entrenched it,” All's II, 1, 45. “not three hours' travel from this v. place,” Tw. I, 2, 23. “whose fair flower being once displayed, doth fall that v. hour,” II, 4, 40 etc. the v. same (cf. Same): Sonn. 5, 3. 108, 6. All's II, 3, 29. Cymb. IV, 2, 380 etc. “with this same v. iron,” John IV, 1, 125. “this same v. day,” R3 III, 2, 49.
Equivalent to the adverb even: “thou away, the v. birds are mute,” Sonn. 97, 12. “in the v. refuse of thy deeds there is such strength,” 150, 6. “the v. rats instinctively had quit it,” Tp. I, 2, 147. “a life whose v. comfort is still a dying horror,” Meas. II, 3, 41. “the v. mercy of the law cries out,” V, 412. “my v. visor began to assume life,” Ado II, 1, 248. “I do affect the v. ground . . . where her shoe doth tread,” LLL I, 2, 172. “I have deceived even your v. eyes,” Ado V, 1, 238 (cf. Even, adv. 5). “swearing till my v. roof was dry,” Merch. III, 2, 206. “if we walk not in the trodden paths, our v. petticoats will catch them,” As I, 3, 15. “consumes itself to the v. paring,” All's I, 1, 155. “v. envy and the tongue of loss cried fame and honour on him,” Tw. V, 61. “v. infants prattle on thy pride,” H6A III, 1, 16. “the v. parings of our nails shall pitch a field,” H6A III, 1, 16 “chaste and immaculate in v. thought,” V, 4, 51. “v. force entangles itself with strength,” Ant. IV, 14, 48 etc.
Equivalent to alone, mere: “say that . . . nothing but the v. smell were left me,” Ven. 441. “now can I . . . dine upon the v. naked name of love,” Gent. II, 4, 142. “'tis the v. riches of thyself that now I aim at,” Wiv. III, 4, 17. “mine were the v. cypher of a function,” Meas. II, 2, 39. “the v. stream of his life . . . must give him a better proclamation,” III, 2, 150. “a' turns back for v. fear,” Err. IV, 2, 56. “thou feedest me with the v. name of meat,” Shr. IV, 3, 32. “whose v. naming punishes me,” Wint. IV, 2, 24. “may we cram within this wooden O the v. casques that did affright the air at Agincourt?” Wint. IV, 2, 24. “all our general force might with a sally of the v. town be buckled with,” H6A IV, 4, 4. “the v. train of her worst gown was better worth,” H6B I, 3, 88. “with the v. shaking of their chains they may astonish these curs,” V, 1, 145. “the v. beams will dry those vapours up,” H6C V, 3, 12. “with the v. noise I trembling waked,” R3 I, 4, 60. “this is the v. coinage of your brain,” Hml. III, 4, 137. “a v. riband in the cap of youth,” IV, 7, 78. “the v. conveyances of his lands will hardly lie in this box,” V, 1, 119. “v. nature will instruct her in it,” Oth. II, 1, 237 etc.