Shakespeare Vocabulary

ABIDE: wait

ALACK or ALAS: an exclamation of sorrow or dismay:

ANON: immediately; at once:

ART: are:

AY: yes; "oh"

BID or BADE: ask or direct

COUNSEL: advice

DOFF: take off; lay aside

DOST or DOTH: do

DRAW: take out or unsheathe a sword for action

E'ER: ever

ERE: before

FOE: enemy

FRAY: fight; brawl

GOD-DEN or GOOD-DEN: good afternoon or evening

HARK or HARKEN: Listen

HAST or HATH: has

HENCE: away from here

HIE: go, hasten, hurry

HITHER: here; to this place

JOVE: Jupiter, the most powerful Roman god

KINSMEN: relatives

KNAVE: servant or one of lowly position; a rascal

MARRY: certainly; a mild oath; by the Virgin Mary

MUTINY: revolt; fighting, violence

NAUGHT: nothing

NAY: no

NE'ER: never

O'ER: over

OFT: often

PRITHEE: please (I ask you)

RAPIER: a long, narrow, two-edged sword used for thrusting

REVELS: festivities and merry-making

SHALT: shall

SIRRAH: how one in authority addresses a servant

STRIFE: a quarrel, struggle, or clash

THEE: you (object)

THINE: yours

THITHER: there

THOU: you (subject)

THY: your

TIS: it is'

’TWIXT: between

TWAIN two

VILLAIN: scoundrel; a low, dishonorable person

WAST: was

WHENCE: from what place

WHEREFORE: why

WHITHER: where

WILT: will

WOE: grief, trouble, sadness

WRETCHED: unfortunate, miserable, despicable

WRIT: written

YE: you

YONDER: over there