Four of the unclued entries make up a ten-word Shakespearean quotation, including an apostrophe. The other three (two of two words each) represent three possible victims. Elsewhere, ignore an accent. 34 is in Brewer’s.
 

Across

11    He almost banned awfully poisonous plant (7)
12    Cross Spain with a formative stage (4)
14    Editor buys the farm and moves round (6)
17    See a wretch regularly buried in soil (5)
19    Breaking in Irish rugby games is initially no good (9)
21    Wet month, and its beginning? (5)
23    Runs are runs, and not so easy to come by (5)
25    It’s fun to cover an important body – in this? (8, two words)
26    Means of access to get in plane, say? (6)
27    Holding king in carriage (6)
29    Rare objection to act constraining Scottish sportsman but not forever (8)
31    Studied turning round black electrical unit (5)
33    Stench surrounding most of wicked scar (5)
34    Possibly wormy bale? (9, two words)
36    Bewildered, in the main (5, two words)
39    Flowers are carried by goddess (8)
40    Extremely vile smell connected with certain body parts (6)
41    Gossips chatter about bishop (4)
42    Knotted around fifty knots (7)
43    Novak finally returns good shot – with this? (12, two words)
 

Down

2    Ian’s denied left-winger was rebellious (9)
3    Log support plus strength (7)
4    Gutted leopard-cat brought up ounce in Tibet (4)
5    How pupils can be organised to study small pictures (6)
6    Measures devised to protect one essentially (9)
7    Badgers use that habitat, ultimately (4)
8    Fertiliser troubled humans in blaze (10, hyphened)
9    Raised amendment to excise volume, having greater volume (7)
10    Mobile home for monk? (4)
16    Yield to temptation, not having married American devil (8)
18    Is painting for three, as Picasso might say? (8)
22    Daft Asian chiefs letting Society replace joint schools (9)
24    Waking up sick, or use alarm endlessly (9)
28    One bumblebee, lacking any recurrent character, disturbed flower (7)
32    French lawyer visiting two states for taste of America (6)
35    Reap this fruit making return (4)
37    Like Prometheus, needing extra time? (4)
 
A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 2 July. There are two runners-up prizes of £20. (UK solvers can choose to receive the latest edition of the Chambers dictionary instead of cash — ring the word ‘dictionary’.) Entries to: Crossword 2363, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.