Part IV, Chapter 22: "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare, Act 5

In this comedy, two Athenian couples and a troupe of actors become unwitting pawns in a squabble between a fairy king and queen.

Here are links to our lists for the play: Act 1, Act 2, Act 3, Act 4, Act 5
30 words 21 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. seething
    in constant agitation
    Lovers and madmen have such seething brains,
    Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend
    More than cool reason ever comprehends.
  2. transfigure
    completely change the nature or appearance of
    But all the story of the night told over,
    And all their minds transfigured so together,
    More witnesseth than fancy’s images,
    And grows to something of great constancy
  3. constancy
    the quality of being enduring and free from change
    But all the story of the night told over,
    And all their minds transfigured so together,
    More witnesseth than fancy’s images,
    And grows to something of great constancy
  4. revel
    unrestrained merrymaking
    What revels are in hand? Is there no play,
    To ease the anguish of a torturing hour?
  5. eunuch
    a man who has been castrated and is unable to reproduce
    “The battle with the Centaurs, to be sung
    By an Athenian eunuch to the harp.”
  6. discord
    lack of agreement or harmony
    Merry and tragical? Tedious and brief?
    That is hot ice and wondrous strange snow.
    How shall we find the concord of this discord?
  7. apt
    being of striking appropriateness and relevance
    But by ten words, my lord, it is too long,
    Which makes it tedious: for in all the play
    There is not one word apt, one player fitted.
  8. amiss
    not functioning properly
    For never anything can be amiss,
    When simpleness and duty tender it.
  9. tender
    offer or present for acceptance
    For never anything can be amiss,
    When simpleness and duty tender it.
  10. saucy
    improperly forward or bold
    Trust me, sweet,
    Out of this silence yet I picked a welcome:
    And in the modesty of fearful duty
    I read as much as from the rattling tongue
    Of saucy and audacious eloquence.
  11. audacious
    not held back by conventional ideas of behavior
    Trust me, sweet,
    Out of this silence yet I picked a welcome:
    And in the modesty of fearful duty
    I read as much as from the rattling tongue
    Of saucy and audacious eloquence.
  12. eloquence
    powerful and effective language
    Trust me, sweet,
    Out of this silence yet I picked a welcome:
    And in the modesty of fearful duty
    I read as much as from the rattling tongue
    Of saucy and audacious eloquence.
  13. impaired
    diminished in strength, quality, or utility
    His speech was like a tangled chain: nothing impaired, but all disordered.
  14. twain
    two items of the same kind
    For all the rest,
    Let Lion, Moonshine, Wall, and lovers twain.
    At large discourse, while here they do remain.
  15. cranny
    a small opening or crevice
    This loam, this roug-hcast, and this stone doth show
    That I am that same wall: The truth is so.
    And this the cranny is, right and sinister,
    Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper.
  16. strife
    bitter conflict; heated or violent dissension
    Then know that I, as Snug the joiner am
    A lion fell, nor else no lion’s dam:
    For if I should as lion come in strife
    Into this place, ’twere pity on my life.
  17. valor
    courage when facing danger
    This lion is a very fox for his valour.
  18. dainty
    delicately beautiful
    O dainty duck, O dear!
  19. quell
    suppress or crush completely
    Approach, ye Furies fell:
    O Fates! come, come:
    Cut thread and thrum.
    Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!
  20. mote
    a tiny piece of anything
    A mote will turn the balance, which Pyramus, which Thisby, is the better: he for a man. God warr'nt us; she for a woman, God bless us.
  21. palpable
    capable of being perceived
    This palpable gross play hath well beguiled
    The heavy gait of night.
    Theseus describes the play as palpably ("obviously" or "clearly") gross ("bad" or "clumsy").
  22. wretch
    someone you feel sorry for
    Now the wasted brands do glow,
    Whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud,
    Puts the wretch that lies in woe
    In remembrance of a shroud.
  23. woe
    misery resulting from affliction
    Now the wasted brands do glow,
    Whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud,
    Puts the wretch that lies in woe
    In remembrance of a shroud.
  24. shroud
    burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped
    Now the wasted brands do glow,
    Whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud,
    Puts the wretch that lies in woe
    In remembrance of a shroud.
  25. hallowed
    worthy of religious veneration
    Not a mouse
    Shall disturb this hallowed house.
    I am sent with broom before,
    To sweep the dust behind the door.
  26. ditty
    a short simple song
    Every elf and fairy sprite,
    Hop as light as bird from brier,
    And this ditty after me,
    Sing, and dance it trippingly.
  27. rote
    memorization by repetition
    First rehearse your song by rote,
    To each word a warbling note.
    Hand in hand, with fairy grace,
    Will we sing and bless this place.
  28. prodigious
    of momentous or ominous significance
    Never mole, harelip, nor scare
    Nor mark prodigious, such as are
    Despised in nativity,
    Shall upon their children be.
  29. consecrate
    solemnly dedicated to or set apart for a high purpose
    With this field-dew consecrate.
    Every fairy take his gait,
    And each several chamber bless,
    Through this palace, with sweet peace;
    And the owner of it blest,
    Ever shall in safety rest.
  30. amends
    something done or paid to make up for a wrong
    So, good night unto you all.
    Give me your hands, if we be friends;
    And Robin shall restore amends.
Created on Tue Jun 22 17:01:14 EDT 2021 (updated Thu Jul 22 16:09:16 EDT 2021)

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