Twelfth Night: Act 3

by William Shakespeare
After a shipwreck separates her from her twin brother, Viola disguises herself as a man so she can pass safely through the land of Illyria. There she befriends Duke Orsino and tries to help him win the affections of Countess Olivia. Read the full text here.

Here are links to our lists for the play: Act 1, Act 2, Act 3, Act 4, Act 5
40 words 1956 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. crave
    plead or ask for earnestly
    This fellow's wise enough to play the fool;
    And, to do that well, craves a kind of wit:
    He must observe their mood on whom he jests,
    The quality of persons, and the time
    The Old English root of the verb has a stronger meaning of "demand by right." This is closer to what is intended here: a fool doesn't ask for wit; he must already have wit to be hired as a servant (often the favorite) in a noble household. Although this play refers to Olivia's jester as both clown and fool (hardly anyone calls him by his name Feste), a fool usually makes people laugh because he's witty, while a clownish character is laughable because of his clumsy mistakes.
  2. courtier
    an attendant for a monarch
    That youth’s a rare courtier.
  3. whet
    make keen or more acute
    Madam, I come to whet your gentle thoughts
    On his behalf.
  4. solicit
    request urgently or persistently
    O, by your leave, I pray you.
    I bade you never speak again of him:
    But, would you undertake another suit,
    I had rather hear you to solicit that
    Than music from the spheres.
    Solicit also means "make amorous advances towards," and in British English, a solicitor is a lawyer who gives advice or conducts legal matters on behalf of another. Both meanings fit here, and the pun is emphasized by the definitions of "suit": 1) a man's courting of a woman; 2) a petition made to a person of superior status or rank; 3) proceeding in a court of law whereby one seeks legal remedy.
  5. beseech
    ask for or request earnestly
    Give me leave, beseech you. I did send,
    After the last enchantment you did here,
    A ring in chase of you.
    The phrase "beseech you" is synonymous with "prithee" (which is a combined form of "pray thee"). Their status, relationship, feelings, and situations affect the tone in which they are asking for the favor. Unlike Viola, who fears for her life, Olivia just interrupted Viola/Cesario's speech on Orsino's behalf.
  6. woo
    make amorous advances towards
    Do not extort thy reasons from this clause,
    For, that I woo, thou therefore hast no cause:
    But rather reason thus with reason fetter:
    Love sought is good, but given unsought is better.
  7. fetter
    restrain with shackles
    Do not extort thy reasons from this clause,
    For, that I woo, thou therefore hast no cause:
    But rather reason thus with reason fetter:
    Love sought is good, but given unsought is better.
  8. abhor
    feel hatred or disgust toward
    Yet come again, for thou, perhaps, mayst move
    That heart, which now abhors, to like his love.
  9. exasperate
    make furious
    She did show favor to the youth in your sight only to exasperate you, to awake your dormouse valor, to put fire in your heart and brimstone in your liver.
  10. balk
    refuse to proceed or comply
    You should then have accosted her, and with some excellent jests, fire-new from the mint, you should have banged the youth into dumbness. This was looked for at your hand, and this was balked.
  11. gilt
    a coating of gold or of something that looks like gold
    The double gilt of this opportunity you let time wash off, and you are now sailed into the north of my lady’s opinion, where you will hang like an icicle on a Dutchman’s beard, unless you do redeem it by some laudable attempt either of valor or policy.
  12. laudable
    worthy of high praise
    The double gilt of this opportunity you let time wash off, and you are now sailed into the north of my lady’s opinion, where you will hang like an icicle on a Dutchman’s beard, unless you do redeem it by some laudable attempt either of valor or policy.
  13. commendation
    a message expressing a favorable opinion
    My niece shall take note of it, and assure thyself there is no love-broker in the world can more prevail in man’s commendation with woman than report of valor.
  14. visage
    the human face
    And his opposite, the youth, bears in his visage no great presage of cruelty.
  15. presage
    a sign of something about to happen
    And his opposite, the youth, bears in his visage no great presage of cruelty.
  16. wren
    a small active brown bird of the northern hemisphere
    Look where the youngest wren of mine comes.
  17. forbear
    refrain from doing
    I can hardly forbear hurling things at him.
  18. befall
    happen or be the case in the course of events or by chance
    My desire,
    More sharp than filèd steel, did spur me forth;
    And not all love to see you, though so much
    As might have drawn one to a longer voyage,
    But jealousy what might befall your travel,
    Being skill-less in these parts, which to a stranger,
    Unguided and unfriended, often prove
    Rough and unhospitable.
  19. galley
    a large medieval vessel with guns at stern and prow
    Once in a sea fight ’gainst the Count his galleys
    I did some service, of such note indeed
    That were I ta’en here it would scarce be answered.
  20. beguile
    attract; cause to be enamored
    In the south suburbs, at the Elephant,
    Is best to lodge. I will bespeak our diet
    Whiles you beguile the time and feed your knowledge
    With viewing of the town.
  21. scurvy
    of the most contemptible kind
    Youth, whatsoever thou art, thou art but a scurvy fellow.
  22. waylay
    wait in hiding to attack
    I will waylay thee going home, where if it be thy chance to kill me—
  23. impetuous
    characterized by undue haste and lack of thought
    But, sir, I will deliver his challenge by word of mouth, set upon Aguecheek a notable report of valor, and drive the gentleman (as I know
    his youth will aptly receive it) into a most hideous opinion of his rage, skill, fury, and impetuosity.
  24. chary
    characterized by great caution
    I have said too much unto a heart of stone
    And laid mine honor too unchary on ’t.
  25. reprove
    reprimand, scold, or express dissatisfaction with
    There’s something in me that reproves my fault,
    But such a headstrong potent fault it is
    That it but mocks reproof.
  26. reproof
    an act or expression of criticism and censure
    There’s something in me that reproves my fault,
    But such a headstrong potent fault it is
    That it but mocks reproof.
  27. vex
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
    Here, wear this jewel for me. ’Tis my picture.
    Refuse it not. It hath no tongue to vex you.
  28. dub
    raise to knighthood
    He is knight dubbed with unhatched rapier and on carpet consideration, but he is a devil in private brawl.
  29. implacable
    incapable of being appeased or pacified
    Souls and bodies hath he divorced three, and his incensement at this moment is so implacable that satisfaction can be none but by pangs of death and sepulcher.
  30. sepulcher
    a chamber that is used as a grave
    Souls and bodies hath he divorced three, and his incensement at this moment is so implacable that satisfaction can be none but by pangs of death and sepulcher.
  31. forswear
    formally reject or disavow
    Therefore on, or strip your sword stark naked, for meddle you must, that’s certain, or forswear to wear iron about you.
  32. incensed
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    I know the knight is incensed against you even to a mortal arbitrament, but nothing of the circumstance more.
  33. virago
    a large, strong, and courageous woman
    Why, man, he’s a very devil. I have not seen such a firago.
  34. anon
    (old-fashioned or informal) in a little while
    I’ll be with you anon.
  35. entreat
    ask for or request earnestly
    I must entreat of you some of that money.
  36. coffer
    the funds of a government, institution, or individual
    For the fair kindness you have showed me here,
    And part being prompted by your present trouble,
    Out of my lean and low ability
    I’ll lend you something. My having is not much.
    I’ll make division of my present with you.
    Hold, there’s half my coffer. [Offering him money.]
  37. deserts
    an outcome (good or bad) that is well merited
    Will you deny me now?
    Is ’t possible that my deserts to you
    Can lack persuasion?
  38. upbraid
    express criticism towards
    Do not tempt my misery,
    Lest that it make me so unsound a man
    As to upbraid you with those kindnesses
    That I have done for you.
  39. venerable
    profoundly honored
    This youth that you see here
    I snatched one half out of the jaws of death,
    Relieved him with such sanctity of love
    And to his image, which methought did promise
    Most venerable worth, did I devotion.
  40. paltry
    not worth considering
    A very dishonest, paltry boy, and more a coward than a hare.
Created on Fri Apr 08 16:23:05 EDT 2016 (updated Tue May 24 10:47:47 EDT 2022)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.