Shakespeare's Words

Shakespeare Speaks

100

Abhor: I abhor violence in all its forms, and I wish for peace.

To hate intensely.

200

Beseech: I beseech you to listen to my plea before making your decision.

Beseech – To beg earnestly or urgently.

300

Caitiff: The caitiff fled the battlefield, leaving his comrades behind.

Caitiff – A despicable or cowardly person.

400

Fray: He joined the fray despite knowing the danger that awaited him.

Fray – A noisy fight or brawl.

500

Lackluster: Her lackluster performance disappointed the audience, who expected more.

Lackluster – Dull, lacking brilliance or vitality.

Lost in Translation

100

Nonplussed: She looked completely nonplussed when asked to explain her actions.

Commonly thought to mean unbothered or unfazed, but it actually means perplexed or bewildered.

200

Disinterested: We need a disinterested party to judge the competition fairly

Often thought to mean uninterested, but it really means impartial or unbiased.

300

Bemused: He was bemused by the sudden turn of events and didn’t know how to respond.

Bemused – Many use it to mean amused, but it actually means confused or bewildered.

400

Peruse: She took the time to peruse the document before signing it.

Thought to mean skim or glance over, but it means to read something carefully or in detail.

500

Nauseous: The smell of the spoiled food made him feel nauseous.

Commonly used to mean feeling sick, but it actually means something that causes nausea; the person feeling sick is "nauseated."

Oldies but Goodies

100

Fardel: Carrying such a heavy fardel left him exhausted by the end of the day  

Fardel means a burden, load, or something heavy to carry. It can refer to both a literal load or figurative burdens, such as emotional or personal difficulties. Shakespeare used it in Hamlet when speaking of the troubles one bears in life.

200

Lechery: The scandal was fueled by accusations of lechery in high place

• Definition: Excessive indulgence in sexual desire or debauchery.
• Where it was used: Othello (Act 5, Scene 1) – Iago accuses others of lechery and deceit: "As he shall smile, Othello shall go mad; And his unbookish jealousy must construe Poor Cassio's smiles, gestures, and light behavior, Quite in the wrong."

300

Choler: His rising choler was evident in the way he clenched his fists.

• Definition: Anger, irritability, or hot temper.
• Where it was used: Romeo and Juliet (Act 1, Scene 1) – Sampson says: "I mean, and we be in choler, we'll draw."

400

Puissant: The queen’s puissant influence shaped the nation’s future.

Puissant

• Definition: Powerful or mighty.
• Where it was used: Henry V (Act 1, Scene 1) – The Archbishop of Canterbury refers to King Henry's strength: "Of puissant legions; for the enterprise."

500

Upbraid: The coach began to upbraid the team for their lack of effort in the game.

• Definition: To scold or criticize severely.
• Where it was used: The Winter’s Tale (Act 3, Scene 2) – Hermione says: "The silence often of pure innocence Persuades, when speaking fails, to upbraid."

Mind Your Words

100

Plethora -The garden had a plethora of flowers, creating a vibrant scene.

Definition: An overabundance or excess of something.

• Where it was used: The Taming of the Shrew (Act 3, Scene 2) – Biondello says: "And yet I’ll promise thee she shall be rich, and very rich. But thou'rt too much, too much for a small household...a plethora indeed."
• In this instance, Shakespeare uses plethora to describe an excessive or overwhelming amount, often applied to a large or unwieldy situation.

200

Ambivalent: She felt ambivalent about taking the new job, unsure of what she truly wanted.

• Definition: Having mixed feelings or being uncertain about something.
• Where it was used: Shakespeare did not use this word in his works, as it is a more modern term. However, its presence in this category is based on its misunderstood nature today. It's commonly confused with “indifferent,” but it refers to conflicting emotions.

300

Fortuitous: It was fortuitous that we met on the same day I needed your help

• Definition: Happening by chance, often mistakenly used to mean "lucky."
• Where it was used: The Merry Wives of Windsor (Act 3, Scene 5) – "O, fortuitous is this meeting! How wondrous strange!"
• In this context, fortuitous is used to describe something happening by coincidence, not necessarily with luck or fortune involved.

400

Prodigal: The prodigal son returned home after spending years abroad.

• Definition: Wastefully extravagant or recklessly spending resources.
• Where it was used: The Merchant of Venice (Act 2, Scene 6) – Bassanio says: "Where is the prodigal? He comes too late."
• Prodigal refers to a person who spends money recklessly, often used in a biblical sense of "The Prodigal Son."

500

Egregious: His egregious mistake cost the company millions in revenue.

• Definition: Outstandingly bad or shocking.
• Where it was used: Cymbeline (Act 1, Scene 6) – Iachimo says: "It is an egregious sin, to steal such a kind and noble lady’s heart!"
• Here, egregious is used to describe something exceptionally bad or reprehensible.

Guess That Context

100

Incarnadine: The river turned incarnadine after the fierce battle at its banks.

• Definition: To turn something blood-red or crimson.
• Where it was used: Macbeth (Act 2, Scene 2) – Macbeth says: "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red."
• In this scene, Macbeth uses incarnadine to describe the act of turning the entire ocean red with the blood on his hands.

200

Enervate: The long hike through the desert began to enervate even the strongest among them.

• Definition: To weaken or drain energy from.
• Where it was used: Although not used in Shakespeare’s works, enervate is a word with Latin roots and fits the theme of context-based understanding. In modern usage, it refers to causing someone to feel drained of energy or vitality.
• Example sentence: The long and intense battle began to enervate the soldiers as they grew exhausted.

300

Traduce: He feared his enemies would traduce his reputation with lies.

• Definition: To speak badly of someone, damaging their reputation; slander.
• Where it was used: Othello (Act 2, Scene 1) – Iago says: "Do not doubt that; before Emilia here, I give thee warrant of thy place. Assure thee, If I do vow a friendship, I’ll perform it to the last article; my lord shall never rest; I’ll watch him tame and talk him out of patience; his bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift; I’ll traduce the state."
• Here, traduce means to defame or spread damaging lies about someone.

400

Consanguineous: Their close consanguineous relationship made the family reunion feel even more special.

• Definition: Related by blood or descended from the same ancestor.
• Where it was used: Shakespeare didn’t use this word directly in his works, but it is derived from Latin and would have fit in the context of many of his family and lineage-related plots.

500

Obsequious: His obsequious behavior towards the boss was obvious to everyone in the office.

Definition: Excessively obedient or attentive, often to a servile degree.