The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

The Alexander Text

William Shakespeare, Prof. Peter Alexander, Prof. Peter Alexander

• Publisher: Collins
• Year: 2011
• ISBN:
  9780007386956
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

The Complete Works of Shakespeare contains the recognized canon of the bard’s plays, and his sonnets and poems. The texts were edited by the late Professor Peter Alexander, making it one of the most authoritative editions, recognized the world over for its clarity and scholarship.

Glossary

abate to shorten, Mid. N. Dr., 3.ii.432, to except, L. Lab. Lost, 5.ii.540; to lessen, Tam. Shrew, Ind. i.135.

abhor to disgust, Oth., 4.ii.163; shudder from, Mer. Wives Win., 3.v.14; to reject, Hen. 8, 2.iv.81.

abject adj., despised, Hen. 8, 1.i.127: servile, Mer. Ven., 4.i.92; noun, contemptible thing, Jul. Caes., 4.i.37.

abode to foretell, Hen. 8, 1.i.93.

abortives untimely births, John, 3.iv.158.

abram auburn, Cor., 2.iii.18.

abridgement what cuts short or passes the time, Ham., 2.ii.415; Mid. N. Dr.. 5.i.39.

abrook to tolerate, 2 Hen. 6. 2.iv.10.

abruption abrupt breaking off, Troil. and Cres., 3.ii.63.

Absey-book a book to teach the ABC of a subject, John, 1.i.196.

absolute perfect, Hen. 5, 3.vii.25; positive, Ham. 5.i.133; decided, M. Meas., 3.i.5.

aby to pay penalty for, Mid. N. Dr., 3.ii.175.

accite to summon, Titus, 1.i.27; to excite, 2 Hen. 4, 2.ii.56.

accommodate to furnish or equip, 2 Hen. 4, 3.ii.65.

accomplice comrade (but not in crime), 1 Hen. 6, 5.ii.9.

accomplish to arm completely, Hen. 5, 4. Prol. 12; to furnish, Rich. 2, 2.i.177.

ache pronounced ‘aitch’ at Much Ado, 3.iv.48, where it is represented by H.

Acheron one of the five rivers of the lower world, but called a lake at Titus, 4.iii.44; stands for hell itself at Mac, 3.v.15.

acknown be not acknown, admit no knowledge of, Oth., 3.iii.323.

aconitum poison from wolf s-bane, 2 Hen. 4, 4.iv.48.

action-taking sheltering behind the law, Lear, 2.ii.16.

acture action, Lov. Comp., 185.

Adam (i) the picture of old Adam, because the officer had a coat of strong leather, and Adam, after the Fall, wore skins, Com. Err., 4.iii.13.. (ii) Adam Bell, famous as an archer, Much Ado, 1.i.224; Rom. and Jul., 2.i.13.

adamant very hard substance, 1 Hen. 6, 1.iv.52; lode-stone, Mid. N. Dr., 2.i.195.

addiction natural inclination, Oth., 2.ii.5.

addition description or title acquired by habits or service, Troil. and Cres., 2.iii.241.

address to prepare, As You Like, 5.iv.150; to equip, Troil. and Cres., 5.x.14.

admiral flagship, Ant. and Cleo., 3.X.2.

advertisement information, warning, 1 Hen. 4, 3.ii.172; All’s Well, 4.iii.197.

advice thought, Two Gent. Ver., 2.iv.203, 204.

aedile Roman official responsible for public order and public works, Cor., 3.i.172.

aery nest and young of eagle, Rich. 3, 1.iii.264; applied to the young actors of the boys’ companies, Ham., 2.ii.335.

affect aim at, Cor., 3.iii.1; love, Tw. Night, 2.v.22.

affection affectation, L. Lab. Lost, 5.i.4.

affeer confirm, Mac, 4.iii.34.

affiance trust, Cym., 1.vi.162.

affront to meet, confront. Ham., 3.i.31.

affy to trust, betroth, Titus, 4.i.47; Tam. Shrew, 4.iv.49.

agate small figure like that cut on stone of seal-ring, 2 Hen. 4, 1.ii.16.

Agenor King of Tyre and father of Europa, Tam. Shrew., 1.i.163.

aglet-baby small figure on lace-tag, Tam. Shrew., 1.ii.77.

agnize acknowledge, Oth., 1.iii.231.

a-hold directly into the wind, Tern., 1.i.46.

aim conjecture, Oth. 1.iii.6; term of encouragement, John, 2.i.196.

Ajax Greek hero before Troy with more brawn than brains, Troil. and Cres., 2.i.70; with pun (see jakes), L. Lab. Lost, 5.ii.572.

alderliefest dearest of all, 2 Hen. 6, 1.i.28.

Alecto one of the Furies, 2 Hen. 4, 5.v.37.

a-life dearly, Win. Tale, 4.iv.255.

All-hallond eve eve of All Saints’ day, M. Meas., 2.i.120.

All-haliowmas 1st Nov., Mer. Wives Win., 1.i.185.

All-hallown summer summer lasting into winter and so vigour of manhood in age, 1 Hen. 4, 1.ii.153.

all hid hide and seek, L. Lab. Lost, 4.iii.74.

allicholy melancholy, Mer. Wives Win., 1.iv.238.

Almain German, Oth., 2.iii.77.

alms drink taken on another’s behalf, Ant. and Cleo., 2.vii.5.

ames-ace both aces, lowest throw with two dice, All’s Well, 2.iii.77.

amort all amort, almost dead, Tam. Shrew, 4.iii.36.

anchor hermit, Ham., 3.ii.214.

ancient from ensign or standard-bearer, Oth., 1.i.33.

angel gold coin stamped with image of angel, worth about ten shillings, Mer. Ven., 2.vii.55–7.

Anthropophagi cannibals, Oth., 1.iii.144; Anthropopfwginian, Mer. Wives Win., 4.v.8.

antic odd, unusual, Ham., 1.v.172.

antre cave, Oth., 1.iii.140.

appellant challenger, Rich. 2, 1.iii.4.

apple-john a sound but wither’d-looking apple, 1 Hen. 4, 3.iii.4.

aqua-vitae whisky, Mer. Wives Win., 2.ii.271.

Aquilon north wind, Troil. and Cres., 4.v.9.

Arabian bird phoenix, Ant. and Cleo., 3.ii.12.

arch patron, Lear, 2.i.59.

argal, argo ergo, therefore, Ham., 5.i.12.

Ariachne Arachne, changed to a spider for pride in her weaving by Athene, Troil. and Cres., 5.ii.150.

arm-gaunt (doubtful), Ant. and Cleo., 1.v.48.

armipotent strong in arms, L. Lab. Lost., 5.ii.636.

aroint away! Mac, 1.iii.6.

Arthur (i) Arthur’s show, display of archery by London company called Prince Arthur’s Knights, 2 He...