Shakespeare's word |
Meaning (in the sample usage) |
# |
Reference(s) |
Sample usage |
malapert |
impudent |
3 |
Rich III 1.3 |
Peace, master marquess, you are malapert: |
manikin |
puppet |
1 |
TN 3.2 |
a dear manikin to you, Sir Toby. |
measure |
dances, music
calculate size or amount |
93 |
Rich III 1.1
Rich II 3.2 |
to delightful measures
Measure our confines with such peaceful steps? |
meed |
reward, merit |
19 |
Rich III 1.3 |
And for his meed, poor lord, he is mew'd up. |
meiny |
retinue |
1 |
Lear 2.4 |
They summon'd up their meiny, straight took horse; |
mess |
meal, food
a group of people, (soldiers), who eat meals together |
13 |
Lear 1.1 Oth 4.1 LLL 5.2 |
makes his generation messes to gorge his appetite
I will chop her into messes. A mess of Russians left us but of late. |
mew (up) |
confine, shut up, imprison |
11 |
Rich III 1.1 |
This day should Clarence closely be mew'd up, |
minikin |
shrill or pretty |
1 |
Lear 3.6 |
And for one blast of thy minikin mouth, |
minister |
servant; subordinate; officer or assistant of inferior rank; hence, an agent, an instrument; to serve, to help; to remedy |
65 |
Lear 3.2 Mac 5.3 |
But yet I call you servile ministers Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased, |
modest |
usually in modern sense, but also: appropriate, possible |
47 |
Lear 2.4 |
Resolve me, with all modest haste, which way / Thou mightst deserve, or they impose, |
moiety |
portion, share |
16 |
Lear I, 1 |
in neither can make choice of either's moiety |
monument |
memorial |
41 |
Rich III 1.1 |
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments |
When I was in college, struggling through my Signet volume of Shakespeare, I didn't have the time, money, or inclination to buy audio tapes of the plays. I've done so recently, and what a difference.
In part, because Shakespeare was meant to be heard (and seen), and in part, because the English language has changed, listening to King Lear, or any of the plays, while reading the text, adds a whole new dimension.
The humor becomes clearer; anger is better conveyed; the reader/listener at once can absorb so much more of the play. For King Lear this version with Sir Laurence Olivier, is excellent.