Hamlet Acts 1-2 Vocabulary

moiety

a part or portion of something

harbinger

something that foreshadows a future event

auspicious

a sign of good luck or favorable circumstances

visage

the human face

trappings

ornaments; outward decoration or dress

filial

having or assuming the relation of a child or offspring

impious

lacking piety or reverence for a god

retrograde

going from better to worse

jocund

jolly; marked by or suggestive of high spirits

besmirch

to make dirty or stained

chary

wary; characterized by great caution

libertine

a person who is unrestrained by convention or morality

enmity

a state of deep-seated ill-will

pernicious

exceedingly harmful

arrant

extreme; being notoriously without moderation

assay

to judge the worth of; analyze

purport

the meaning conveyed, professed, or implied

vouchsafe

to grant as a privilege or special favor; award

expostulate

to reason earnestly with a person for purposes of dissuasion; debate

brevity

shortness or conciseness of expression

fain

in a willing manner

arras

a wall hanging of handwoven fabric with pictorial designs

carrion

the dead and rotting body of an animal; unfit for human consumption

pestilent

deadly; exceedingly harmful

paragon

model of excellence or perfection

quintessence

the essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form

eyas

an unfledged or nestling hawk

appurtenance

an accessory object that improves capability

diadem

a crown