Alice in Wonderland: A New Adaptation - Vocabulary Review

Vocabulary flashcards featuring key characters, nonsense terminology, and concepts from Leo Bond's stage adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.

Lorina

Alice's older sister who introduces the play in the prologue, reads by the weeping willow, and listens to Alice recount her dream at the end of the story.

White Rabbit

A frantic Wonderland creature who carries a large watch, drops his white gloves, worries that the Queen will have his head for being late, and repeatedly mistakes Alice for names such as Mary Ann, Annabelle, and Mary Jane.

The Caterpillar

A Wonderland creature perched on top of a mushroom smoking a bubble-producing hookah, who advises Alice to keep her temper and recites an improved poem about a crocodile.

The Duchess

An argumentative Wonderland figure in a pepper-filled kitchen who insists that 'everything's got a moral, if only you can find it' and throws her baby—which turns out to be a pig—to Alice.

The Cook

The Duchess's domestic worker who constantly throws dishes, uses excessive amounts of pepper in her cooking, and claims that tarts are made mostly of pepper.

Cheshire Cat

A grinning, disappearing feline who tells Alice that everyone in Wonderland is mad and ultimately directs her on the path to return home.

Mad Hatter

A tea party host and hat-seller who quarreled with Time during the Queen of Hearts' concert, leaving him permanently trapped at tea time.

March Hare

The tea party companion to the Mad Hatter who went mad in March and repeatedly calls for dance breaks and moving seats around the table.

Dormouse

A perpetually sleepy creature who curls up beneath the tea table and tells a story about three sisters named Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather living at the bottom of a well.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee

A pair of identical, contradictory brothers who recite poetry, frequently argue using 'nohow' and 'contrariwise', and stage a battle over a spoiled rattle using household items and pool noodles.

Brillig

A word from the poem 'Jabberwocky' defined by Tweedledum as four o'clock in the afternoon, which is the time when one begins broiling things for dinner.

Slithy

A word from the poem 'Jabberwocky' defined by Tweedledee as a combination of 'lithe and slimy', where 'lithe' means active.

Toves

Curious creatures from 'Jabberwocky' described by Tweedledum as resembling badgers, lizards, and corkscrews that nest under sun-dials and eat cheese.

Gyre and Gimble

Nonsense verbs from 'Jabberwocky' defined by Tweedledee: to 'gyre' means to spin around like a gyroscope, and to 'gimble' means to make holes like a gimlet.

The Wabe

The grass-plot surrounding a sun-dial, as referenced in the poem 'Jabberwocky'.

Caucus-race

An energetic remedy proposed by the Dodo to get the wet animals dry, where participants run around in a circle without set rules until everybody wins and receives prizes.

Knave of Hearts

The royal subject caught attempting to paint white roses red who is later placed on trial for stealing and eating the Queen's freshly baked cherry tarts.

Queen of Hearts

The quick-tempered ruler of Wonderland who frequently orders executions by shouting 'Off with their heads!' and insists on 'Sentence first. Verdict afterwards.'

King of Hearts

The Queen's timid husband who acts as judge at the Knave's trial, arranges wickets for the croquet game, and repeatedly reminds the Queen to delay executions.

Humpty Dumpty

An egg-shaped figure perched high on a wall who claims his name reflects his shape, boasts of the King's promise to send horses and men if he falls, and takes offense at being called an egg.

Six and Seven of Spades

Playing-card royal attendants who carry croquet mallets, escort prisoners, and argue with the King and Queen that they cannot behead the Cheshire Cat because it has no body.