Hamlet Vocabulary Worksheet PDF

## Vocabulary Worksheet - The Tragedy of Hamlet ### Act I - **Assail** (ə sāl) v. attack with arguments, questions, and so on; have a powerful effect on. Assail comes from the Latin assilire, meaning "to leap on." - "Sit down awhile, / And let us once again assail your ears, / That are so fortif...

## Vocabulary Worksheet - The Tragedy of Hamlet ### Act I - **Assail** (ə sāl) v. attack with arguments, questions, and so on; have a powerful effect on. Assail comes from the Latin assilire, meaning "to leap on." - "Sit down awhile, / And let us once again assail your ears, / That are so fortified against our story" (Scene 1, lines 30-32) - Original sentence: The lawyer assailed the witness with questions hoping to make her doubt her testimony. - **Portentous** (pôr ten'təs) adj. that warns of evil; ominous. Portentous may also be used to mean "evoking awe or amazement." - "Well may it sort that this portentous figure / Comes armed through our watch, so like the King / That was and is the question of these wars." (Scene 1, lines 109-111) - Original sentence: The queen was frightened by the portentous storm clouds gathering above the castle. - **Privy** (priv'e) adj. privately informed of. Privy comes from the Middle English by way of the Latin word privatus, meaning "private." - "If thou art privy to thy country's fate, / Which, happily, foreknowing may avoid, / O, speak!" (Scene 1, lines 133-135) - Original sentence: The king's advisors were privy to his plans for the kingdom. - **Invulnerable** (in vulnər ə bəl) adj. that cannot be injured. - "For it is, as the air, invulnerable, / And our vain blows malicious mockery." (Scene 1, lines 145-146) - Original sentence: The warrior's armor made him seem invulnerable to the enemy's swords. - **Auspicious** (ôs pishǝs) adj. of good omen for the future; favoring or conducive to success. Auspicious comes from the Latin auspicium, meaning "omen." - "Therefore our sometime sister.../ Have we, as 'twere with a defeated joy, / With an auspicious, and a dropping eye... Taken to wife" (Scene 2, lines 8-14, excerpted) - Original sentence: The couple's wedding was auspicious and full of hope for their future together. - **Obstinate** (äb'stə nət) adj. unyielding to reason or plea; stubborn. The word comes from the Latin obstinare, meaning "to stand against." - "But to persever / In obstinate condolement is a course / Of impious stubbornness...." (Scene 2, lines 92-94) - Original sentence: The child was obstinate in his refusal to eat his vegetables. - **Impious** (im'pē as) adj. lacking reverence or respect for God, a parent, or other authority. - "But to persever / In obstinate condolement is a course / Of impious stubbornness. (Scene 2, lines 92-94) - Original sentence: The impious thief stole from the church and showed no respect for sacred objects. - **Imminent** (imə nənt) adj. likely to happen soon; threatening. The word, which comes from the Latin imminere, meaning "to project over, threaten," is usually used to refer to expected danger or misfortune. - "The canker galls the infants of the spring / Too oft before their buttons be disclosed, / And in the morn and liquid dew of youth / Contagious blastments are most imminent." (Scene 3, lines 39-42) - Original sentence: The storm clouds gathered above the village, making the imminent rain seem unavoidable. - **Precepts** (prē septs') n. commandments or principles meant to serve as rules of conduct. Precept comes from the Latin praecipere, meaning "to take before, to order." - "There my blessing with thee! / And these few precepts in thy memory / Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, / Nor any unproportioned thought his act." (Scene 3, lines 57-60) - Original sentence: The teacher gave her students several precepts for writing a successful essay. - **Pernicious** (pər nishas) adj. highly destructive; causing ruin. Pernicious comes from the Latin perniciosus, meaning "destructive." Here, Shakespeare may also be using the word in its now rare sense, meaning "wicked." - "O most pernicious woman! / O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!" (Scene 5, lines 105-106) - Original sentence: Gossip can be pernicious to a person's reputation. ### Act II - **Piteous** (piťē ǝs) adj. evoking or deserving pity or compassion. - "Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other, / And with a look so piteous in purport / As if he had been loosed out of hell / To speak of horrors-he comes before me." (Scene 1, lines 81-84) - Original sentence: The dog's piteous whimpers made the owner feel sympathy. - **Perusal** (pa roo zel) n. the act of examining in detail; scrutiny. Perusal comes from the Latin per, meaning "completely," and from the French user, meaning "to use up." The word is now often used to describe the act of going through something, such as a book, very casually. - "And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow, / He falls to such perusal of my face / As he would draw it.... (Scene 1, lines 89-91) - Original sentence: The professor's perusal of the student's paper was thorough and detailed. - **Brevity** (brevə tē) n. expression in a few words; shortness of time. The word comes from the Latin brevitas, meaning "short." - "Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, / And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, / I will be brief.... (Scene 2, lines 90-92) - Original sentence: The speaker appreciated the brevity of the presentation. - **Satirical** (sə tiri kəl) adj. using ridicule, sarcasm, or irony to expose, attack, or deride vices, follies, etc. Here, Shakespeare may be using the word in its sense of "using good-natured ridicule to convey criticism." - "Slanders, sir; for the satirical rogue says here that old men have gray beards; that their faces are wrinkled;... (Scene 2, lines 197-199) - Original sentence: The comedian's satirical remarks were quite funny, but also quite cutting. - **Contrive** (kən trīv') v. think up or plan; bring about. - "I will leave him, and suddenly contrive the means of meeting between him and my daughter. (Scene 2, lines 214-216) - Original sentence: The detectives contrived a plan to catch the thief red-handed. - **Promontory** (prämǝn tôr ē) n. a high point of land or rock that juts out into a body of water; also used to refer to a bluff or a hill. - "and indeed, it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory;... (Scene 2, lines 307-309) - Original sentence: The hikers stood on the promontory and admired the view of the ocean. - **Pestilent** (pes'tə lənt) adj. fatal; deadly. The word comes from the Middle English by way of the Latin pestis, meaning "plague." - "why, it appeareth no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapors." (Scene 2, lines 312-315) - Original sentence: The doctor warned the town about the pestilent disease spreading through the city. - **Pastoral** (pas'tər əl) adj. portraying rural life, usually in an idealized way. Here, Shakespeare is referring to a type of literature that deals with the lives and loves of shepherds in a highly artificial manner. - "The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral... (Scene 2, lines 407-408) - Original sentence: The artist's painting depicted a pastoral scene of sheep grazing in a meadow. - **Affectation** (afek tā shən) n. artificial behavior engaged in to impress others; mannerism. - "... there were no sallets in the lines to make the matter savory, nor no matter in the phrase that might indict the author of affectation....(Scene 2, lines 452-455) - Original sentence: Her affectation of a British accent was quite obvious. - **Visage** (viz'ij) n. the face, especially the facial expression. Visage comes from the Latin visus, meaning "a look, a seeing." - "Is it not monstrous that this player here,.../ Could force his soul so to his own conceit / That, from her working, all his visage wanned, / Tears in his eyes.../... and his whole function suiting / With forms to his conceit? (Scene 2, lines 565-571, excerpted) - Original sentence: The actor's visage conveyed a wide range of emotions. ### Act III - **Turbulent** (tur byco lent) adj. full of disorder; violently stirred up. Turbulent comes from the Latin turbare, meaning "to twist about." - "And can you, by no drift of circumstance, / Get from him why he puts on this confusion, / Grating so harshly all his days of quiet / With turbulent and dangerous lunacy? (Scene 1, lines 1-4) - Original sentence: The turbulent sea made it difficult for the boat to sail. - **Insolence** (in'sə ləns) n. the quality of being boldly disrespectful in speech or conduct. Here, Shakespeare may be using the word in its now rare sense, meaning "the quality of being contemptuous or overbearing." - "For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,... / The insolence of office, and the spurns / That patient merit of the unworthy takes,... (Scene 1, lines 70-74, excerpted) - Original sentence: Her insolence towards the elderly man was shocking. - **Calumny** (kaləm në) n. a false statement meant to harm someone's reputation; slander. Calumny comes from the Latin calumnia, meaning "false accusation." - "If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for thy dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. (Scene 1, lines 137-139) - Original sentence: The politician's calumny against his opponent was baseless and unfounded. - **Torrent** (törǝnt) n. a violent, rushing stream; a flood of words, mail, etc. Torrent comes from the Latin torrens, meaning "burning." - "... for in the very torrent, tempest, and (as I may say) whirlwind of passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness. (Scene 2, lines 6-9) - Original sentence: The torrent of rain flooded the streets. - **Temperance** (tem pər əns) n. the quality of being moderate or self-restrained in conduct. Temperance comes from the Latin temperantia, meaning "moderation, sobriety." - "... for in the very torrent, tempest, and (as I may say) whirlwind of passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness. (Scene 2, lines 6-9) - Original sentence: The philosopher preached temperance in all things. - **Judicious** (jão dishes) adj. showing good judgment; wise and careful. - "Now this overdone, or come tardy off, though it make the unskillful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve, (Scene 2, lines 27-29) - Original sentence: Making a judicious decision requires careful thought and consideration of all options. - **Clemency** (klem'an še) n. leniency or mercy, especially toward an offender or enemy; an act of mercy. - "For us, and for our tragedy, / Here stooping to your clemency, / We beg your hearing patiently. (Scene 2, lines 159-161) - Original sentence: The judge showed clemency to the young offender and gave him a lighter sentence.. - **Extant** (eks'tant) adj. still in existence; not lost or destroyed. The word comes from the Latin extans, meaning "to stand out or forth." - "The story is extant, and writ in choice Italian. (Scene 2, lines 274-275) - Original sentence: Only a few copies of the old manuscript are still extant. - **Primal** (prīməl) adj. first; original. - "O, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven; / It hath the primal eldest curse upon't, / A brother's murder!... (Scene 3, lines 36-38) - Original sentence: The primal instinct for survival is strong in all living creatures. - **Conjoined** (kən joind) adj. brought together; combined. - "On him, on him! Look you how pale he glares! / His form and cause conjoined, preaching to stones, / Would make them capable.... (Scene 4, lines 126-128) - Original sentence: Shakespeare's conjoined twins are linked by a mysterious cord. ### Act IV - **Discord** (dis kôrd) n. lack of harmony; conflict. - "O, come away! / My soul is full of discord and dismay. (Scene 1, lines 44-45) - Original sentence: The family was filled with discord after the argument. - **Gleaned** (glēnd) v. collected or found out gradually. - "When he needs what you have gleaned, it is but squeezing you and, sponge, you shall be dry again. (Scene 2, lines 21-23) - Original sentence: The detective gleaned information from the witnesses, slowly piecing together the puzzle. - **Craven** (krāvən) adj. extremely cowardly. The word comes from the Latin crepare, meaning "to creak." - "... Now, whether it be / Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple /... I do not know / Why yet I live to say "This thing's to do,"... (Scene 4, lines 39-44, excerpted) - Original sentence: The craven soldier ran away from the battle. - **Exhort** (eg zôrt') v. urge strongly by advice or warning. - "Examples gross as earth exhort me. (Scene 4, line 46) - Original sentence: The coach exhorted his team to play harder and win the game. - **Conjectures** (kən jek chərs) n. theories or predictions based on guesses. The word's original English meaning was "to cast together omens in order to foretell the future." - "'Twere good she were spoken with; for she may strew / Dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds. (Scene 5, lines 14-15) - Original sentence: The rumors were based on mere conjectures and not on facts. - **Impetuous** (im pecho ǝs) adj. done suddenly, especially with little thought; reckless. - "Save yourself, my lord: / The ocean, overpeering of his list, / Eats not the flats with more impetuous haste.... (Scene 5, lines 98-100) - Original sentence: He was an impetuous driver who frequently got into accidents. - **Incensed** (in senst) v. made extremely angry; infuriated. The word comes from the Latin incensus, meaning "to set afire." - "Tell me, Laertes, / Why thou art thus incensed. (Scene 5, lines 125-126) - Original sentence: She was incensed by his rude remarks. - **Ostentation** (äs'tan täshan) n. showy display, especially one meant to attract admiration or envy; pretentiousness. The word comes from the Latin ostentare, meaning "to keep showing," and Shakespeare here may be using the word in its archaic sense, meaning "display." - "His means of death, his obscure funeral-/ No trophy, sword, nor hatchment o'er his bones, / No noble rite nor formal ostentation-/Cry to be heard, (Scene 5, lines 213-216) - Original sentence: The wealthy businessman's lifestyle was filled with ostentation. - **Conjunctive** (kən junk tiv) adj. serving to bind together, connective. - "She's so conjunctive to my life and soul / That, as the star moves not but in his sphere, / I could not but by her.... (Scene 7, lines 14-16) - Original sentence: The conjunctive words "and" and "but" connect the ideas in the sentence together smoothly. - **Exploit** (eks ploit) n. a deed or act, especially a bold, daring, or heroic deed. - "... I will work him / To an exploit now ripe in my device, / Under the which he shall not choose but fall, (Scene 7, lines 63-65) - Original sentence: The explorer's exploits in the jungle were legendary. ### Act V - **Circumvent** (sur'kəm vent') vt. go around; anticipate and evade or defeat by cleverness or deception. The word comes from the Latin circumvenire, meaning "to come around." - "It might be the pate of a politician, which this ass now o'erreaches; one that would circumvent God, might it not? (Scene 1, lines 82-84) - Original sentence: The con artist tried to circumvent the law by using clever tricks. - **Churlish** (cher'lish) adj. surly and ill-bred; selfish. The word comes from the Old English ceorl, meaning "peasant, common person." - "I tell thee, churlish priest, / A minist'ring angel shall my sister be / When thou liest howling. (Scene 1, lines 253-255) - Original sentence: The churlish old man refused to help the lost child. - **Diligence** (dilə jəns) n. painstaking attention to a task; careful effort. The word comes from the Latin diligere, meaning "to select." Here, Shakespeare seems to be using the word in its obsolete sense to mean "speed." - "I will receive it, sir, with all diligence of spirit. (Scene 2, lines 92-93) - Original sentence: The student applied herself to her studies with great diligence. - **Perdition** (pər dish'ən) n. eternal damnation. Here, Shakespeare is using the word in its archaic sense to mean"loss or diminishment." - "Sir, his definement suffers no perdition in you, (Scene 2, lines 114-115) - Original sentence: The preacher warned his congregation about the dangers of perdition. - **Verity** (verə tē) n. truth; reality. The word comes from the Latin veritas, meaning "truth." - "But, in the verity of extolment, I take him to be a soul of great article,... (Scene 2, lines 117-119) - Original sentence: The speaker emphasized the verity of her statement.