I will fetch my gold and have our two wagers recorded.

Who records wagers? Is this, like, a notary’s job? A bookie? I mean, that’s who’d do it now, right? Isn’t that what a bookie is for? Maybe back in the day – when monks tend to be the most literate people around, you’d go to a monk. The monk illuminates manuscripts all day but for

We will have these things set down by lawful counsel, and straight away for Britain, lest the bargain catch cold and starve:

Here’s another way we know Iachimo is rich – aside from his telling us how much his estate is worth, like, exactly. He’s able to immediately travel to Britain from Italy for no other reason than a bet. He doesn’t have any other plans. He’s not even worried about rescheduling his meetings or whatever, he’s

Your hand; a covenant.

Will we make deals like this in the future? Is hand shaking over? Or is it more serious now – deals being sealed by the risk each one takes in touching the other? Will we no longer shake hands with strangers? No more kissing on both cheeks in France? No more hugs in the theatre?

If I come off and leave her in such honor as you have trust in, she your jewel, this your jewel, and my gold are yours, provided I have your commendation for my more free entertainment.

The Folger edition explains that “come off” is a military term, which – is it? Where is the evidence? Are you just trying to steer us clear of the obvious sexual associations with this phrase of getting off and coming? Because I feel like that is not an accident. Maybe coming off IS a military

If I bring you no sufficient testimony that I have enjoyed the dearest bodily part of your mistress, my ten thousand ducats are yours, so is your diamond, too.

There is no question about which is the dearest bodily part, of course. And of course he means dear in the financial sense as well as in the beloved sense. It makes it so explicit what a woman’s worth is to these men. They are essentially bargaining with her sex. That’s it. It is so

By the gods, it is one.

This habit of swearing by things, especially gods, is one that became so habitual for people that has ceased to have much meaning, to get real power out of an oath anymore, you generally have to swear on a loved one’s grave, and perhaps elaborate how cherished such a person was, before your oath would

I am the master of my speeches and would undergo what’s spoken, I swear.

O for this kind of confidence! To boldly declare, “I am the master of my speeches”? I dream of such hubris. Dream of it! Because I know as soon as I said such a thing, I’d immediately trip right over my tongue. There would instantly be a verbal face plant in my future. This not

But I see you have some religion in you, that you fear.

Where is Iachimo seeing fear in Posthumus? Posthumus hasn’t SAID anything that would suggest he’s particularly afraid. Is this one of those macho tactics where you say, “Aw – are you a fraidy cat? Who’s a little fraidy cat? Chicken? Who’s a chicken? Who’s lily-livered? Who’s a pigeon hawk who lacks gall?” I think Iachimo

If you buy ladies’ flesh at a million a dram, you cannot preserve it from tainting.

And here it is – the thing that is at the core of this conversation – the exact subject, which is the buying and selling of women’s bodies. Of course it is. It would seem that Iachimo’s point is really that it doesn’t matter how expensive a woman is, she’s still rotten. But the real

You are a friend, and therein the wiser.

This line is explained, in the two texts I looked at, as being about Posthumus being friends with Imogen and somehow fearing for her. I’m not 100% sold on that explanation. I mean – Posthumus has just gone deeper on this bet, as far as I can tell. There’s nothing he’s said that sounds like