Shakespeare's Language: A Glossary of Unfamiliar Words in His Plays and Poems

Rife with arcane references, unfamiliar expressions, and words of his own invention, Shakespeare's texts can intimidate even the most learned reader. "Shakespeare's Language, Second Edition" is a comprehensive and straightforward guide to the ornate and sometimes bewildering language that may be unfamiliar to today's readers of Shakespeare's plays and poetry.This revised and updated edition contains more than 17,000 definitions - more than 2,000 of which are new - from the adjective "chop-fallen" in "Hamlet" to the verb "beshrew" in "Much Ado About Nothing". It also features an all-new chapter, "Introduction to Shakespeare and His Language," which provides essential background on Shakespeare's life and works, as well as an in-depth discussion of how modern readers can approach his works in order to best understand and enjoy them.Entries feature: definitions of words as they are used in the texts; a Shakespearean quote placing each defined word or phrase in context; the word's part of speech; and, variant usages. Coverage includes geographical references, historical and mythological figures, and foreign-language expressions.