Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Death, extinction of life, state of being without life: Tp. I, 1, 72. II, 1, 260. III, 3, 77. Gentl. I, 1, 158. III, 1, 170. III, 1, 170 IV, 1, 27. V, 4, 41. 126 etc. etc. Plur. “--s:” Sonn. 54, 12. 140, 7. Wiv. III, 5, 110. Meas. III, 1, 40. Tw. V, 136. Wint. IV, 4, 809. R2 III, 1, 7. H4A I, 3, 186. V, 3, 44. H6B II, 2, 76. IV, 8, 13. R3 I, 2, 117. R3 I, 2, 117 IV, 3, 8. Cor. III, 3, 70. Tit. II, 1, 78. Hml. V, 2, 394. Ant. V, 2, 340. “divers --s in d.” Wint. V, 1, 202. The singular relating to several persons: “I and ten thousand had left no mourning widows for our d.” H6C II, 6, 19. -- “this thought is as a d.” Sonn. 64, 13. “when in swinish sleep their drenched natures lie as in a d.” Mcb. I, 7, 68. “how Caesar hath deserved to lie in d.” Caes. III, 1, 132. “on my face he turned an eye of d.” H4A I, 3, 143 (cf. Dead, adj. H4A I, 3, 143 Johnson: 'an eye menacing death'). “I am out of fear of d. or --'s hand,” IV, 1, 136. “they'll give him d. by inches,” Cor. V, 4, 42. “do on them some violent d.” Tit. V, 2, 108. “and sure as d. I swore,” Tit. I, 487 (== as surely as death awaits us). cf. “he took it on his d. that this my mother's son was none of his,” John I, 110 (i. e. he said that it was as certain as his death). “I'll take it upon my d. I gave him this wound,” H4A V, 4, 154 (cf. “take it upon their salvation,” II, 4, 9. “take it of my soul,” Tim. III, 4, 70; see Take). “'tis d. for any one in Mantua to come to Padua,” Shr. IV, 2, 81 (i. e. he is liable to be punished with death). “be it d. proclaimed to boast of this,” H5 IV, 8, 119. “whoso draws a sword, 'tis present d.” H6A III, 4, 39. “Mantua's law is d. to any he that utters them,” Rom. V, 1, 67. “if doing nothing be d. by the law,” Tim. I, 1, 195. cf. “never joyed since the price of oats rose; it was the d. of him,” H4A II, 1, 14. “what life is in that, to be the d. of this marriage,” Ado II, 2, 19. to take one's d. == to die: H6B II, 3, 90. H6C I, 3, 35. “came to his d.” H6C III, 3, 187. -- Meaning the manner of dying: “die a flea's d.” Wiv. IV, 2, 158. “that d. is too soft for him,” Wint. IV, 4, 807. “devise strange --s,” H6B III, 1, 59. -- == spiritual death, damnation: “made her thrall to living d. and pain perpetual,” Lucr. 726.
To d. == with a deadly effect, mortally: “wounding itself to d.” Lucr. 466. “a vengeful canker eat him up to d.” Sonn. 99, 13. “sick to d.” Pilgr. 233. H8 IV, 2, 1. Tim. III, 1, 64. “bowled to d.” Wiv. III, 4, 91. cf. Tp. II, 2, 158. III, 2, 38. V, 276. Meas. II, 1, 6. V, 528. Ado III, 1, 76. IV, 1, 186. V, 1, 88. Merch. IV, 1, 258. As II, 4, 66. John V, 4, 9. H6B III, 2, 412. V, 1, 148. H6C I, 4, 127. II, 4, 13. R3 III, 3, 12. to do to d. == to kill: Ado V, 3, 3. H6B III, 2, 179. “strike me to d.” Cymb. V, 5, 235. “I with my trespass never will dispense, till life to d. acquit my forced offence,” Lucr. 1071. till it (the drum) “cry sleep to d.” Lr. II, 4, 120 (till it strike the sleepers dead by the terror of its sound).
To the d. == 1) mortally, with a deadly effect: “wounded to the d.” H4B I, 1, 14. “his venom tooth will rankle to the d.” R3 I, 3, 291. “hurt to the d.” Oth. II, 3, 163. 2) on peril of death; though death should be the consequence: “you are both sure, and will assist me? to the d.” Ado I, 3, 72. “no, to the d., we will not move a foot,” LLL V, 2, 146. “I'll follow you unto the d.” John I, 154. and in that quarrel use it (my sword) “to the d.” H6C II, 2, 65. “I will not do it to the d.” R3 III, 2, 55.
The d., in general, == a violent death: “and humbly beg the d. upon my knee,” R3 I, 2, 179. “she hath betrayed me and shall die the d.” Ant. IV, 14, 26. “die the d.!” Cymb. IV, 2, 96. More particularly == death by judicial sentence: “die the d.” Meas. II, 4, 165. Mids. I, 1, 65. “adjudged to the d.” Err. I, 1, 147. “condemns you to the d.” R2 III, 1, 29. “bear Worcester to the d.” H4A V, 5, 14. “where they feared the d., they have borne life away,” H5 IV, 1, 181.
D. used as an imprecation: “d.! my lord, their clothes are after such a pagan cut,” H8 I, 3, 13. Lr. III, 4, 72. “d. of thy soul!” Mcb. V, 3, 16. “life and d.!” Lr. I, 4, 318. “d. on my state!” II, 4, 113. “d. and damnation!” Oth. III, 3, 396.
Used as a masculine: “d. to me subscribes, since spite of him I'll live in this poor rhyme,” Sonn. 107, 10, “thou art --'s fool; for him thou labourest by thy flight to shun and yet runnest towards him still,” Meas. III, 1, 11 (cf. Fool). “bequeath to d. your numbness, for from him dear life redeems you,” Wint. V, 3, 102. John V, 7, 15. Rom. IV, 1, 75. -- Personified: Ven. 930. LLL V, 2, 616 (a --'s face in a ring; cf. “Death's-head).” Merch. II, 7, 63 “(a carrion D.).” John II, 352. John II, 352 R2 III, 2, 162. H4B V, 4, 32 “(goodman D.)” H6A IV, 7, 18. Cymb. V, 3, 69.