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Hamlet 1.5 Word Nerd: Table
The term "table" originates from the Latin word "tabula," which referred to a writing tablet made of wood. This term evolved to signify a piece of furniture with legs, while still retaining its original sense in phrases like "table of...
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Hamlet 1.5 Word Nerd: Secure
The word "secure" was relatively new in Elizabethan English, deriving from the Latin "se" (without) and "cura" (care, attention, or worry). Initially it meant to be without care or worry. Over time, "secure" evolved to more specifically...
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Hamlet 1.5 Word Nerd: Luxury
The term "luxury" originates from the Latin word "luxuria," meaning extravagance or excessive indulgence, which in Shakespeare's time often carried a sexual connotation of lustful indulgence. It wasn't until the 18th century that the...
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Hamlet 1.5 Word Nerd: Hebona
Hebona, is a term for a poisonous plant, though it's unclear which plant specifically it refers to—potentially henbane or the highly toxic yew tree. The yew tree, known for its fatal effects on cattle or horses that consume its foliage,...
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Hamlet 1.5 Word Nerd: Harrow
A harrow is described as a farm instrument with a wooden beam and iron teeth, used to break up soil clods, turn over the soil, and cover seeds, akin to a very wide rake. Shakespeare metaphorically uses "to harrow" to describe the...
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Hamlet 1.5 Word Nerd: Fat
In Shakespeare's England, an agricultural society with expensive food and prevalent manual labor, it was uncommon for people to become overweight, with the character Falstaff being a notable exception. The term "fat" was often applied to...
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Hamlet 1.3 Word Nerd: Husbandry
Originally, the term "husband" referred to someone who owned a home and land, or who managed property on a large estate, before it evolved to denote the male partner in a marriage. The concept of husbandry initially encompassed the...
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Hamlet 1.3 Word Nerd: Habit
The word "habit" originates from the Latin term for having or holding, traditionally referring to one's demeanor, appearance, or even clothing. In contemporary English, while its usage to denote clothing is largely archaic, specific...
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Hamlet 1.3 Word Nerd: Censure
The words "censor" and "censure" originate from a Latin term meaning to judge or assess. In contemporary usage, "censor" refers to the act of reviewing and possibly removing objectionable content, such as in films, whereas "censure"...
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Hamlet 1.3 Dull Palms
Polonius advises against wasting time by socially engaging with every new, inexperienced individual, likening this to dulling one's hand from excessive handshaking. He uses the metaphor of "unfledged" young birds who have not yet grown...
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Hamlet 1.3 Discussion: Household Management
"Borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry". Let's examine the language and context of this phrase to understand what Shakespeare means by this. In his time, husbandry meant household financial management so this phrase is a commentary on...
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Hamlet 1.2 Word Nerd: Merely
The Latin root of the word mirely meant pure or unmixed. The original meaning of merely had a positive connotation, it meant completely or totally and that's how Shakespeare uses it here. However, in Elizabethan English it was already...
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Hamlet 1.2 Word Nerd: Canon
Explore the evolution of the word "canon," which began as a term for laws or decrees issued by the Christian Church, then referred to the official list of Biblical books, and eventually denoted a collection of authenticated works by a...
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Hamlet 1.2 Metaphor: Nature's Garden
Hamlet's metaphor of the world as an "unweeded garden" reflects his view of it as ugly and disappointing, overrun with unchecked nature. In Shakespeare's time, the wildness of nature was seen negatively, associated with brutality,...
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Hamlet 1.2 Incestuous
Hamlet describes Gertrude's remarriage to Claudius, her deceased husband's brother, as "incestuous," reflecting the strong prohibitions against such unions by both Catholic and Protestant churches at the time. However, historical context...
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Hamlet 1.3 Word Nerd: Vulgar
In this video, a French woman criticizes Americans for being vulgar, clarifying that this was not about the use of crude language but rather about a lack of refinement and commonness in tastes and behaviors. This view aligns with the...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.92 Animated Note: Proud River
In A Midsumer Night's Dream, Titania describes her quarrel with Oberon as disrupting the natural world, causing mists to pull water from the sea and flood rivers, which she personifies as becoming "proud and arrogant." This video...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.245 Word Nerd: Nymph
Tthe word nymph derives from the latin verb "nubrey," to mary in ancient latin. The word, "nymph" referred to a woman who was ready to marry because she had reached sexual maturity. In medieval English, however, nymph was used to refer...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.12 Animated Note: Cowslip Pensioners
In Shakespeare's era, "pensioners" referred to a group of noblemen closely associated with the English monarch, forming an honor guard and receiving a pension for their service. These gentleman pensioners were known for their extravagant...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 1.2: The Mechanicals
Explore the many ways Shakespeare creatively names his characters to reflect their respective trades. For example, "Quince the carpenter" refers to a carpentry tool, while "Snug the joiner" is a cabinet maker.
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A Midsummer Night's Dream: French Crown 1.2.087
In his remark, Quince uses the expression “French crown” to refer, not to a French coin, but to the top of the head of an everyday Frenchman. Quince says that some of these heads “have no hair at all.” His remark alludes to the fact that...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.202 Word Nerd: Ninny
The word "innocent" originates from the Latin prefix "in-" (not) and the verb "nocere" (to do harm), initially meaning someone who does no harm. By the time of Shakespeare, "innocent" had evolved to describe someone naive due to youth....
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.197 Discussion: Helen of Troy
Helen of Troy, famed as the most beautiful woman on Earth, was married to King Menelaus of Sparta before being abducted (or, according to some versions, eloping willingly) with Paris, a prince from Troy. This act led to the Greek kings...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.109 Prologue
Quince's prologue may seem clumsily written at first but is a masterfully crafted speech by Shakespeare. Ambiguity and word choice, allows for dual meanings, at times earnest or humorous. The speech, asking for the audience's forgiveness...