Name _________________________________ Date _______________________________ Block _______
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Vocabulary in Context
I. Directions: Study the following lines. Carefully examine the way in which the underlined
word is used in each sentence, then write out the meaning in your own words. In some
sentences there is a change in the part of speech of the underlined words. Finally, write an
original sentence for each underlined word.
1.
a. “Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour draws on apace."
b. The members of the court will attend the nuptials of Theseus and Hippolyta.
c. A member of the clergy can perform nuptials.
Nuptials means: _______________________________________________________________________
Use it in a sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
2.
a. “But O, methinks how slow / This old moon wanes!”
b. The moon wanes at the end of the month and gets harder to see.
c. Demetrius’ love for Helena has waned.
Wane means: _______________________________________________________________________
Use it in a sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
3.
a. “Thou hast by moonlight at her window sing / With feigning voice verses of
feigning love”
b. First, Demetrius loves Helena, and then he hates her. When he tells her that he
loves her again, she thinks he is feigning.
c. The children feigned surprise at the presents, but, in fact, they already knew what
they were getting.
Feign means: _______________________________________________________________________
Use it in a sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
4.
a. “…and she, sweet lady, dotes / Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry, / Upon this
spotted and inconstant man.”
b. Helena dotes upon Demetrius; Demetrius dotes upon Hermia; Hermia dotes upon
Lysander, who also dotes upon her.
c. Some people dote upon Justin Bieber.
Dote means: _______________________________________________________________________
Use it in a sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
5.
a. “But I beseech your Grace that I may know / The worst that may befall me in this
case / If I refuse to wed Demetrius.”
b. Hermia beseeches her father to let her marry Lysander.
c. The Student Council decided to beseech the administration for permission to have
another dance.
Beseech means: _______________________________________________________________________
Use it in a sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
Name _________________________________ Date _______________________________ Block _______
6.
a. “What is Pyramus – a lover or a tyrant?”
b. Hermia’s father acts like a tyrant when he forces her to choose between marrying
Demetrius or going to a convent.
c. The citizens overthrew the tyrant who was ruthlessly ruling their country.
Tyrant means: _______________________________________________________________________
Use it in a sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
7.
a. “Our play is ‘The most lamentable comedy and most cruel death of Pyramus and
Thisbe.’”
b. To Helena, it is lamentable that Demetrius does not love her.
c. A lamentable story may make the reader cry.
Lamentable means: ____________________________________________________________________
Use it in a sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
8.
a. “For Oberon is passing fell and wrath / Because that she, as her attendant, hath /
A lovely boy”
b. Oberon is full of wrath because Titania will not give him the Indian boy.
c. When the sheriff discovered the prisoner had escaped, his wrath was great.
Wrath means: _______________________________________________________________________
Use it in a sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
9.
a. “And this same progeny of evils comes / From our debate, from our dissension: /
We are their parents and original.”
b. Egeus is Hermia’s father; she is his progeny.
c. Parents want to be proud of their progeny.
Progeny means: _______________________________________________________________________
Use it in a sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
10.
a. “Lord, what fools these mortals be!”
b. “But she, being mortal, of that boy did die.”
c. Helena, Hermia, and their suitors are mortal, but Oberon and Titania are immortal
and live forever.
Mortal means: _______________________________________________________________________
Use it in a sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
11.
a. “We’ll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good, / And tarry for the comfort of the day.”
b. Tired out by their walk through the forest, Lysander and Hermia decide to tarry in
the woods.
c. If you tarry at breakfast, you may be late for school.
Tarry means: _______________________________________________________________________
Use it in a sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
Name _________________________________ Date _______________________________ Block _______
12.
a. “The more you beat me I will fawn on you.”
b. Although Demetrius is unkind to Helena, she fawns on him and gives him
compliments.
c. Sometimes people fawn on others to get money or approval.
Fawn means: _______________________________________________________________________
Use it in a sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
13.
a. “Content with Hermia? No, I do repent / The tedious hours I with her have spent.”
b. Once Lysander falls out of love with Hermia, he finds her tedious and he leaves
her.
c. A tedious task may make you fall asleep.
Tedious means: _______________________________________________________________________
Use it in a sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
14.
a. “A surfeit of the sweetest things / The deepest loathing to the stomach brings”
b. Lysander has had a surfeit of Hermia’s company and wants to leave her.
c. A surfeit of food can cause a stomachache.
Surfeit means: _______________________________________________________________________
Use it in a sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
II. Directions: First, write a brief definition of the italicized word. Second, answer the text
question.
15. Why is it ironic that “Pyramus and Thisbe” is a lamentable comedy?
Lamentable means: ____________________________________________________________________
Answer the question: ___________________________________________________________________
16. Hermia flouts her father’s wishes. How?
Flouts means: _______________________________________________________________________
Answer the question: ___________________________________________________________________
17. When does Hermia become odious to Lysander?
Odious means: _______________________________________________________________________
Answer the question: ___________________________________________________________________
18. Name one mortal who is doted upon by a fairy and explain how that happens.
Dote means: _______________________________________________________________________
Answer the question: ___________________________________________________________________
Name _________________________________ Date _______________________________ Block _______
19. Three nuptials are planned in the play. Whose?
Nuptials means: _______________________________________________________________________
Answer the question: ___________________________________________________________________
20. Explain this statement: In the play, the moon wanes and so does the love of certain
characters.
Wane means: _______________________________________________________________________
Answer the question: ___________________________________________________________________
21. At times, two characters in this play fawn on two others. Who are they and why do they
do so?
Fawn means: _______________________________________________________________________
Answer the question: ___________________________________________________________________
22. Oberon feels wrath toward Titania; Egeus feels wrath for Lysander. Why?
Wrath means: _______________________________________________________________________
Answer the question: ___________________________________________________________________
23. Why does Helena feel that the men’s love for her is feigned?
Feign means: _______________________________________________________________________
Answer the question: ___________________________________________________________________
24. Explain what causes each of these situations: Helena entreats Demetrius; Demetrius
entreats Hermia; Hermia entreats Lysander, and Lysander entreats Helena.
Entreat means: _______________________________________________________________________
Answer the question: ___________________________________________________________________