“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Vocabulary
Act I
1. abjure: to deny oneself something; to formally renounce or give up; reject; avoid
2. dowager: a woman who inherited a title or property from her deceased husband; a widow
3. estate (unto): bestow upon; give to; will to
4. extempore: with little or no preparation; without rehearsal
5. extenuate: to diminish the seriousness of; make a joke out of; make light of
6. lodestars: guiding stars; models or principles that guide behavior
7. nuptial: relating to marriage or weddings
8. properties: stage props; items used in the course of a performance
9. revenue: personal income; wealth
10: transpose: to change places; reverse usual order
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Vocabulary
Act I
1. abjure: to deny oneself something; to formally renounce or give up; reject; avoid
2. dowager: a woman who inherited a title or property from her deceased husband; a widow
3. estate (unto): bestow upon; give to; will to
4. extempore: with little or no preparation; without rehearsal
5. extenuate: to diminish the seriousness of; make a joke out of; make light of
6. lodestars: guiding stars; models or principles that guide behavior
7. nuptial: relating to marriage or weddings
8. properties: stage props; items used in the course of a performance
9. revenue: personal income; wealth
10: transpose: to change places; reverse usual order
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Vocabulary
Act I
1. abjure: to deny oneself something; to formally renounce or give up; reject; avoid
2. dowager: a woman who inherited a title or property from her deceased husband; a widow
3. estate (unto): bestow upon; give to; will to
4. extempore: with little or no preparation; without rehearsal
5. extenuate: to diminish the seriousness of; make a joke out of; make light of
6. lodestars: guiding stars; models or principles that guide behavior
7. nuptial: relating to marriage or weddings
8. properties: stage props; items used in the course of a performance
9. revenue: personal income; wealth
10: transpose: to change places; reverse usual order
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Vocabulary
Act II
1. brakes: ferns with compound leaves resembling feathers
2. changeling: in folklore, a child who is secretly substituted for another one by fairies
3. dulcet: pleasant to hear; especially soft or soothing; sweet
4. haunts: bothers; annoys
5. hind: a female red deer
6. impeach: to charge with something, usually a crime; accuse
7. knavish: dishonest; deceitful; crafty
8. languish: to undergo hardship as a result of being deprived of something, typically attention,
independence, or freedom; become weak or feeble as a result of deprivation
9. leviathan: a large sea animal; something formidable or threatening
10. pensioners: people who receive money from the government; those who work for a pension;
royal bodyguards
11. promontory: a point of land that juts out into the sea
12. roundel: a slow medieval dance performed by a group who forms a circle
13. surfeit: overindulgence in something, especially food or drink; excessive
14. waxen: of or like wax; lacking the rosy glow of life or health; pale
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Vocabulary
Act II
1. brakes: ferns with compound leaves resembling feathers
2. changeling: in folklore, a child who is secretly substituted for another one by fairies
3. dulcet: pleasant to hear; especially soft or soothing; sweet
4. haunts: bothers; annoys
5. hind: a female red deer
6. impeach: to charge with something, usually a crime; accuse
7. knavish: dishonest; deceitful; crafty
8. languish: to undergo hardship as a result of being deprived of something, typically attention,
independence, or freedom; become weak or feeble as a result of deprivation
9. leviathan: a large sea animal; something formidable or threatening
10. pensioners: people who receive money from the government; those who work for a pension;
royal bodyguards
11. promontory: a point of land that juts out into the sea
12. roundel: a slow medieval dance performed by a group who forms a circle
13. surfeit: overindulgence in something, especially food or drink; excessive
14. waxen: of or like wax; lacking the rosy glow of life or health; pale
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Vocabulary
Act III
1. auditor: a hearer or listener, e.g. a member of an audience
2. chronicled: wrote down an event or series of events
3. confounding: causing confusion; bewildering
4. derision: contempt and mockery
5. disparage: to refer disapprovingly or contemptuously to someone or something; to criticize
6. enamored: charmed, fascinated, or captivated by somebody or something
7. jangling: a disagreement; quarrel
8. loam: a mixture of moist clay and sand used for making bricks and plaster
9. officious: eager to give unwanted help or advice; meddlesome
10. proverb: a short saying that offers advice or teachers a principle
11. recreant: one who is disloyal to a cause or duty; coward
12. welkin: the sky, heaven or air
13. wend: to proceed along a course or route; travel
14. wonted: usual; typical
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Vocabulary
Act III
1. auditor: a hearer or listener, e.g. a member of an audience
2. chronicled: wrote down an event or series of events
3. confounding: causing confusion; bewildering
4. derision: contempt and mockery
5. disparage: to refer disapprovingly or contemptuously to someone or something; to criticize
6. enamored: charmed, fascinated, or captivated by somebody or something
7. jangling: a disagreement; quarrel
8. loam: a mixture of moist clay and sand used for making bricks and plaster
9. officious: eager to give unwanted help or advice; meddlesome
10. proverb: a short saying that offers advice or teachers a principle
11. recreant: one who is disloyal to a cause or duty; coward
12. welkin: the sky, heaven or air
13. wend: to proceed along a course or route; travel
14. wonted: usual; typical
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Vocabulary
Act IV
1. amiable: friendly and pleasant
2. compass (encompass): to encircle; surround
3. coy (used as a verb-rare): make blush; to embarrass with teasing or provocation
4. dote (on): to be fond of; admire
5. enmity: extreme ill-will or hatred
6. loath: unwilling; reluctant
7. paragon: somebody or something that is the very best example of something
8. peradventure: possibly; perhaps
9. upbraid: to scold somebody in a harsh manner; criticize
10. vexation: a state of annoyance or anxiety; irritation
11. visage: the face; facial expression
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Vocabulary
Act IV
1. amiable: friendly and pleasant
2. compass (encompass): to encircle; surround
3. coy (used as a verb-rare): make blush; to embarrass with teasing or provocation
4. dote (on): to be fond of; admire
5. enmity: extreme ill-will or hatred
6. loath: unwilling; reluctant
7. paragon: somebody or something that is the very best example of something
8. peradventure: possibly; perhaps
9. upbraid: to scold somebody in a harsh manner; criticize
10. vexation: a state of annoyance or anxiety; irritation
11. visage: the face; facial expression
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Vocabulary
Act IV
1. amiable: friendly and pleasant
2. compass (encompass): to encircle; surround
3. coy (used as a verb-rare): make blush; to embarrass with teasing or provocation
4. dote (on): to be fond of; admire
5. enmity: extreme ill-will or hatred
6. loath: unwilling; reluctant
7. paragon: somebody or something that is the very best example of something
8. peradventure: possibly; perhaps
9. upbraid: to scold somebody in a harsh manner; criticize
10. vexation: a state of annoyance or anxiety; irritation
11. visage: the face; facial expression
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Vocabulary
Act V
1. audacious: without fear; bold; daring
2. beguile: to pass time in a pleasant way
3. discretion: the good judgment and sensitivity needed to avoid embarrassing or upsetting others
4. eloquence: the ability to speak forcefully, expressively, and persuasively
5. masque: dramatic entertainment similar to opera, in which masked performers represent
mythological or allegorical characters
6. partition: a structure that divides a space, e.g. a wall built to make two rooms out of one
7. satire: the use of wit, especially irony, sarcasm, and ridicule, to criticize faults
8. seething: 1) full of anger; 2) moving in all directions, busily or frantically
9. tedious: boring, monotonous, or repetitive
10. throttle: to prevent something from continuing or developing; stop
11. valor: courage shown in war or battle
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Vocabulary
Act V
1. audacious: without fear; bold; daring
2. beguile: to pass time in a pleasant way
3. discretion: the good judgment and sensitivity needed to avoid embarrassing or upsetting others
4. eloquence: the ability to speak forcefully, expressively, and persuasively
5. masque: dramatic entertainment similar to opera, in which masked performers represent
mythological or allegorical characters
6. partition: a structure that divides a space, e.g. a wall built to make two rooms out of one
7. satire: the use of wit, especially irony, sarcasm, and ridicule, to criticize faults
8. seething: 1) full of anger; 2) moving in all directions, busily or frantically
9. tedious: boring, monotonous, or repetitive
10. throttle: to prevent something from continuing or developing; stop
11. valor: courage shown in war or battle
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Vocabulary
Act V
1. audacious: without fear; bold; daring
2. beguile: to pass time in a pleasant way
3. discretion: the good judgment and sensitivity needed to avoid embarrassing or upsetting others
4. eloquence: the ability to speak forcefully, expressively, and persuasively
5. masque: dramatic entertainment similar to opera, in which masked performers represent
mythological or allegorical characters
6. partition: a structure that divides a space, e.g. a wall built to make two rooms out of one
7. satire: the use of wit, especially irony, sarcasm, and ridicule, to criticize faults
8. seething: 1) full of anger; 2) moving in all directions, busily or frantically
9. tedious: boring, monotonous, or repetitive
10. throttle: to prevent something from continuing or developing; stop
11. valor: courage shown in war or battle