All 26 Uses of
grave
in
Volpone
- And, for his part, he thought he should be blest To have his heir of such a suffering spirit, So wise, so grave, of so perplex'd a tongue, And loud withal, that would not wag, nor scarce Lie still, without a fee; when every word Your worship but lets fall, is a chequin!†
Act 1
- ] Now, shall we see A wretch who is indeed more impotent Than this can feign to be; yet hopes to hop Over his grave.†
Act 1
- MOS: Alas sir, I but do as I am taught; Follow your grave instructions; give them words; Pour oil into their ears, and send them hence.†
Act 1
- Become my grave, that wert my shelter!†
Act 3
- SIR P: First, for your garb, it must be grave and serious, Very reserv'd, and lock'd; not tell a secret On any terms, not to your father; scarce A fable, but with caution; make sure choice Both of your company, and discourse; beware You never speak a truth— PER: How!
Act 4grave = serious and solemn
- LADY P: Why, in this habit, sir; you apprehend me:— Well, master Would-be, this doth not become you; I had thought the odour, sir, of your good name, Had been more precious to you; that you would not Have done this dire massacre on your honour; One of your gravity and rank besides!†
Act 4
- BON: His parasite, His knave, his pandar—I beseech the court, He may be forced to come, that your grave eyes May bear strong witness of his strange impostures.†
Act 4
- VOLT: Nay, nay, grave fathers, Let him have scope: can any man imagine That he will spare his accuser, that would not Have spared his parent?†
Act 4
- VOLT: Grave fathers, She is a creature of a most profest And prostituted lewdness.†
Act 4
- CORV: Most impetuous, Unsatisfied, grave fathers!†
Act 4
- VOLT: May her feignings Not take your wisdoms: but this day she baited A stranger, a grave knight, with her loose eyes, And more lascivious kisses.
Act 4 *grave = serious and solemn
- ] VOLT: Here, here, The testimony comes, that will convince, And put to utter dumbness their bold tongues: See here, grave fathers, here's the ravisher, The rider on men's wives, the great impostor, The grand voluptuary!†
Act 4
- I would ask, With leave of your grave fatherhoods, if their plot Have any face or colour like to truth?†
Act 4
- VOLP: O—"My most honour'd fathers, my grave fathers, Under correction of your fatherhoods, What face of truth is here?†
Act 5
- ] —What might be His grave affair of state now! how to make Bolognian sausages here in Venice, sparing One o' the ingredients?†
Act 5
- VOLP: In good faith, sir, I'm heartily grieved, a beard of your grave length Should be so over-reach'd.†
Act 5
- ] CORV: Grave fathers, This man's distracted; he confest it now: For, hoping to be old Volpone's heir, Who now is dead— 3 AVOC: How?†
Act 5
- CORV: Dead since, grave fathers— BON: O sure vengeance!†
Act 5
- VOLT: O no, none: The parasite, grave fathers.†
Act 5
- ] CORV: And credit nothing the false spirit hath writ: It cannot be, but he's possest grave fathers.†
Act 5
- CORV: Grave fathers, he's possest; again, I say, Possest: nay, if there be possession, and Obsession, he has both.†
Act 5
- ] VOLP: The parasite will straight be here, grave fathers.†
Act 5
- VOLT: Grave fathers, No more than his good patron, old Volpone.†
Act 5
- —Most reverend fathers, I sooner had attended your grave pleasures, But that my order for the funeral Of my dear patron, did require me— VOLP [ASIDE.†
Act 5
- VOLP: I did, grave fathers, And will maintain he lives, with mine own life.†
Act 5
- MOS: Most grave fathers, If such an insolence as this must pass Upon me, I am silent: 'twas not this For which you sent, I hope.†
Act 5
Definition:
-
(grave as in: Her manner was grave.) serious and/or solemnThe exact meaning of this sense of grave can depend upon its context. For example:
- "This is a grave problem," or "a situation of the utmost gravity." -- important, dangerous, or causing worry
- "She was in a grave mood upon returning from the funeral." -- sad or solemn
- "She looked me in the eye and gravely promised." -- in a sincere and serious manner