Romeo and Juliet vocab

Dignity Definition: High office or rank or stationEx: Two households, both alike in dignity
Rank Definition: Position in a social hierarchy Ex: A king or queen would be ranked at the top of a social hierarchy
Scene Definition: The place where some action occurs Ex: In fair Verona, where we lay our scene
Ancient Definiton: Very oldEx: From ancient grudge break to new mutiny
Mutiny Definition: Engage in an open rebellion against an authority Ex: From ancient grudge break to new munity
Civil Definiton: Of or occurring between or among citizens of the stateEx: Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean
Fatal Definiton: Bringing deathEx: From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
Loins Definition: The region of the hips and groin and lower abdomen Ex: From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
Foe Definition: A personal enemyEx: From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
Prologue Definition: An introduction to a playEx: In Romeo and Juliet, the prologue summarizes the story; it even includes details about the ending
Piteous Definition: Deserving. or inciting a feeling of sympathy and sorrowEx: Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Strife Definition: Lack of agreement or harmonyEx: Do with their death bury their parents’ strife
Passage Definition: The act of moving from one state or place to the next Ex: The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love
Rage Definition: A feeling of intense angerEx: And the continuance of their parents’ rage
Traffic Definition: Things coming and going in a particular localityEx: Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage
Attend Definition: Give heed toEx: The which if you with patient ears attend
Heed Definition: Pay close attention toEx: “To attend” to something or “to pay heed” to something are both verbs meaning to pay attention
Toil Defintion: In the prologue of Romeo and Juliet, the chorus (person speaking) explains that the playgoers should “toil”, meaning “work hard” at paying attention to the play so as to understand the full story which is only summarized in the prologueEx: What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend
Strive Definition: To exert much effort or energyEx: What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mendTo understand the meaning of the example sentence better, replace “shall” with ” we will.”
August 19, 2019