4.1 Word bank
| Word / phrase | Meaning in the act |
|---|---|
| prick'd | marked on a list |
| proscription | a list of people condemned to death |
| sister's son | nephew |
| damn | condemn |
| charge in legacies | expense of the gifts in the will |
| slight | insignificant |
| unmeritable | without merit |
| meet | fit, suitable |
| three-fold world | the Roman world divided among three rulers |
| divers | various |
| slanderous loads | burdens of blame |
| commons | public pasture land |
| provender | food for animals |
| wind | turn |
| corporal | bodily |
| barren-spirited | without ideas or spirit |
| staled | made stale, worn out |
| property | a tool, a thing to be used |
| levying powers | raising armies |
| make head | gather an army |
| covert | hidden |
| at the stake | tied like a bear in bear-baiting |
| bay'd about | surrounded by barking enemies |
| familiar instances | marks of friendship |
| enforced ceremony | forced politeness |
| hot at hand | spirited at the start |
| mettle | spirit, courage |
| jades | worn-out horses |
| wrangle | quarrel |
| noted | publicly disgraced |
| slighted off | ignored, dismissed |
| nice | trivial |
| itching palm | greed for money |
| mart | trade, sell |
| undeservers | unworthy people |
| bay the moon | howl at the moon |
| choler | anger, temper |
| waspish | irritable |
| durst | dared |
| vile trash | money (contemptuously) |
| indirection | crooked, dishonest means |
| legions | army divisions |
| rascal counters | worthless coins |
| rived | split, broken |
| infirmities | weaknesses |
| braved | defied |
| check'd | scolded |
| conn'd by rote | learnt by heart |
| Plutus | the god of wealth |
| yoked | joined |
| flint | a hard stone that gives sparks |
| rash humour | hot temper |
| cynic | a rude, sneering fellow |
| jigging | rhyming in jingles |
| distract | out of her mind |
| swallow'd fire | swallowed burning coals |
| expedition | rapid march |
| forced affection | loyalty given under force |
| brim-full | full to the top |
| omitted | missed |
| shallows | shallow water |
| ventures | goods risked at sea; undertakings |
| knave | boy, servant (affectionate here) |
| taper | candle |
| apparition | ghost |
| stare | stand on end (of hair) |
| betimes | early |
4.2 Phrases and expressions
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| "meet to be sent on errands" | fit only to run errands |
| "as the ass bears gold" | carrying a load whose value the bearer does not share |
| "a hot friend cooling" | a friendship losing its warmth |
| "an itching palm" | greed for money |
| "bay the moon" | howl uselessly, like a dog at the moon |
| "cast into my teeth" | throw back at me as an accusation |
| "taken at the flood" | seized at the right moment |
| "take the current when it serves" | act when the opportunity comes |
4.3 Figures of speech in the act
| Line | Figure of speech |
|---|---|
| "He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold" | simile |
| "So is my horse, Octavius" | comparison / metaphor |
| "we are at the stake, / And bay'd about with many enemies" | metaphor (bear-baiting) |
| "A hot friend cooling" | metaphor |
| "hollow men, like horses hot at hand" | simile |
| "an itching palm" | metaphor |
| "I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon" | metaphor |
| "they pass by me as the idle wind" | simile |
| "I had rather coin my heart, / And drop my blood for drachmas" | metaphor; hyperbole |
| "though they do appear / As huge as high Olympus" | simile; hyperbole |
| "yoked with a lamb / That carries anger as the flint bears fire" | metaphor and simile |
| "There is a tide in the affairs of men …" | extended metaphor |