Antony and Cleopatra: Act V

by William Shakespeare
In this tragedy, the doomed romance between Egyptian queen Cleopatra and Roman general Marc Antony is set against the backdrop of Octavius Caesar's founding of the Roman Empire.

Here are links to our lists for the play: Act I, Act II, Act III, Act IV, Act V
35 words 32 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. moiety
    one of two approximately equal parts
    The death of Antony
    Is not a single doom; in the name lay
    A moiety of the world.
  2. rebuke
    censure severely or angrily
    Look you sad, friends?
    The gods rebuke me, but it is tidings
    To wash the eyes of kings.
  3. tidings
    information about recent and important events
    Look you sad, friends?
    The gods rebuke me, but it is tidings
    To wash the eyes of kings.
  4. perforce
    by necessity
    I must perforce
    Have shown to thee such a declining day
    Or look on thine.
  5. desolation
    sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned
    My desolation does begin to make
    A better life.
  6. paltry
    not worth considering
    ’Tis paltry to be Caesar;
    Not being Fortune, he’s but Fortune’s knave,
    A minister of her will.
  7. decorum
    propriety in manners and conduct
    If your master
    Would have a queen his beggar, you must tell him
    That majesty, to keep decorum, must
    No less beg than a kingdom.
  8. vassal
    a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord
    Pray you tell him
    I am his fortune’s vassal and I send him
    The greatness he has got. I hourly learn
    A doctrine of obedience, and would gladly
    Look him i’ th’ face.
  9. plight
    a situation from which extrication is difficult
    Have comfort, for I know your plight is pitied
    Of him that caused it.
  10. idle
    silly or trivial
    Sir, I will eat no meat; I’ll not drink, sir.
    If idle talk will once be necessary—
    I’ll not sleep neither.
  11. chastise
    scold or criticize severely
    Know, sir, that I
    Will not wait pinioned at your master’s court,
    Nor once be chastised with the sober eye
    Of dull Octavia.
  12. censure
    rebuke formally
    Shall they hoist me up
    And show me to the shouting varletry
    Of censuring Rome?
  13. abhor
    feel hatred or disgust toward
    Rather a ditch in Egypt
    Be gentle grave unto me; rather on Nilus’ mud
    Lay me stark naked, and let the waterflies
    Blow me into abhorring; rather make
    My country’s high pyramides my gibbet
    And hang me up in chains!
  14. gibbet
    an instrument of public execution
    Rather a ditch in Egypt
    Be gentle grave unto me; rather on Nilus’ mud
    Lay me stark naked, and let the waterflies
    Blow me into abhorring; rather make
    My country’s high pyramides my gibbet
    And hang me up in chains!
  15. livery
    a uniform, especially worn by servants and chauffeurs
    His delights
    Were dolphin-like; they showed his back above
    The element they lived in. In his livery
    Walked crowns and crownets; realms and islands were
    As plates dropped from his pocket.
  16. vie
    compete for something
    Nature wants stuff
    To vie strange forms with fancy, yet t’ imagine
    An Antony were nature’s piece ’gainst fancy,
    Condemning shadows quite.
  17. loath
    strongly opposed
    I am loath to tell you what I would you knew.
  18. laden
    filled with a great quantity
    Sole sir o’ th’ world,
    I cannot project mine own cause so well
    To make it clear, but do confess I have
    Been laden with like frailties which before
    Have often shamed our sex.
  19. frailty
    moral weakness
    Sole sir o’ th’ world,
    I cannot project mine own cause so well
    To make it clear, but do confess I have
    Been laden with like frailties which before
    Have often shamed our sex.
  20. extenuate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or degree of
    Cleopatra, know
    We will extenuate rather than enforce.
  21. conquest
    the act of defeating and taking control of
    ’Tis yours, and we,
    Your scutcheons and your signs of conquest, shall
    Hang in what place you please.
  22. pomp
    ceremonial elegance and splendor
    See, Caesar, O, behold
    How pomp is followed!
  23. base
    having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality
    Go back, I warrant thee! But I’ll catch thine eyes
    Though they had wings. Slave, soulless villain, dog!
    O rarely base!
    Rarely means "exceptionally" or "exceedingly."
  24. vouchsafe
    grant in a condescending manner
    O Caesar, what a wounding shame is this,
    That thou vouchsafing here to visit me,
    Doing the honor of thy lordliness
    To one so meek, that mine own servant should
    Parcel the sum of my disgraces by
    Addition of his envy!
  25. meek
    humble in spirit or manner
    O Caesar, what a wounding shame is this,
    That thou vouchsafing here to visit me,
    Doing the honor of thy lordliness
    To one so meek, that mine own servant should
    Parcel the sum of my disgraces by
    Addition of his envy!
  26. trifle
    something of small importance
    Say, good Caesar,
    That I some lady trifles have reserved,
    Immoment toys, things of such dignity
    As we greet modern friends withal, and say
    Some nobler token I have kept apart
    For Livia and Octavia, to induce
    Their mediation, must I be unfolded
    With one that I have bred?
  27. induce
    cause to act in a specified manner
    Say, good Caesar,
    That I some lady trifles have reserved,
    Immoment toys, things of such dignity
    As we greet modern friends withal, and say
    Some nobler token I have kept apart
    For Livia and Octavia, to induce
    Their mediation, must I be unfolded
    With one that I have bred?
  28. mediation
    the act of intervening to bring about a settlement
    Say, good Caesar,
    That I some lady trifles have reserved,
    Immoment toys, things of such dignity
    As we greet modern friends withal, and say
    Some nobler token I have kept apart
    For Livia and Octavia, to induce
    Their mediation, must I be unfolded
    With one that I have bred?
  29. smite
    inflict a heavy blow on, with the hand, a tool, or a weapon
    The gods! It smites me
    Beneath the fall I have.
  30. regalia
    paraphernalia indicative of royalty or other high office
    Enter Iras bearing Cleopatra’s royal regalia.
  31. leave-taking
    the act of departing politely
    If thus thou vanishest, thou tell’st the world
    It is not worth leave-taking.
  32. beguile
    influence by slyness
    Approach, ho! All’s not well. Caesar’s beguiled.
  33. hinder
    prevent the progress or accomplishment of
    Thyself art coming
    To see performed the dreaded act which thou
    So sought’st to hinder.
  34. diadem
    an ornamental jeweled headdress signifying sovereignty
    I found her trimming up the diadem
    On her dead mistress; tremblingly she stood,
    And on the sudden dropped.
  35. solemnity
    a somber and dignified feeling
    Come, Dolabella, see
    High order in this great solemnity.
    In this line, solemnnity refers to a solemn or special occasion.
Created on Wed Feb 12 16:53:32 EST 2020 (updated Fri Feb 14 09:12:34 EST 2020)

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