Macbeth Vocab

Alack / Alas

an expression of sadness/regret 

(“oh man”, “darn”, “aw shucks”)

Anon

immediately; at once

Art

are

Aye

yes

Dost / doth

do/does

Hast / Hath

have/has

‘tis / ‘twas

it is / it was

thou / thee

you

thy

your

thine

yours (opposite of mine)

Ye

you all (plural)

wherefore

why

e’er / ne’er

ever / never

ere

before

fair

lovely, beautiful (“Who’s the fairest of them all?”)

foul

wicked, immoral

Hark/Harken

listen

Hence

away from here

thence

from there

whence

from what place

hither

here; to this place

thither

there

whither

where

yonder

over there

kinsman

relative (kinsmen = relatives)

nay

no

naught

nothing

prithee

please (originally “I pray thee”)

sirrah

how one addresses a servant Ex- Sirrah, bring my shoes.

sooth

truth

woe

grief, trouble, sadness

Thane

(n.) title of nobleman/landowner in Scotland (i.e. Thane of Wyckoff)

issue

child

heath

unused land covered with grass and small bushes

equivocator

someone who speaks ambiguously/vaguely, without answering one way or another, often in order to hide truth or avoid commitment

lechery

excessive sexual desire; lustfulness

avarice

extreme greed