Shakespeare Dictionary

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Generate random Shakespearean insults

 

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

Olivier as LearWhen 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.


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