As You Like It: Act I

by William Shakespeare
In this comedy, various exiles — including Duke Senior, his daughter Rosalind, her cousin Celia, a nobleman named Orlando, and a fool — flee to the forest Arden.

Here are links to our lists for the play: Act I, Act II, Act III, Act IV, Act V
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bequeath
    leave or give, especially by will after one's death
    As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou sayst, charged my brother on his blessing to breed me well.
  2. mar
    cause to become imperfect
    What mar you then, sir?
  3. prodigal
    recklessly wasteful
    Shall I keep your hogs and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury?
  4. penury
    a state of extreme poverty or destitution
    Shall I keep your hogs and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury?
  5. beget
    have children
    He was my father, and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains.
  6. accord
    sympathetic compatibility
    For your father’s remembrance, be at accord.
  7. testament
    a legal document disposing of property after a death
    Therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament.
  8. importune
    beg persistently and urgently
    So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access to you.
  9. banish
    expel, as if by official decree
    That is, the old duke is banished by his younger brother the new duke, and three or four 100 loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new duke.
  10. disposition
    an attitude of mind that favors one alternative over others
    I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger brother Orlando hath a disposition to come in disguised against me to try a fall.
  11. acquit
    behave in a certain manner
    Tomorrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit, and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well.
  12. loath
    strongly opposed
    Your brother is but young and tender, and for your love I would be loath to foil him, as I must for my own honor if he come in.
  13. foil
    hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire
    Your brother is but young and tender, and for your love I would be loath to foil him, as I must for my own honor if he come in.
    The sense of foil in this line is "defeat."
  14. brook
    put up with something or somebody unpleasant
    Therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is a thing of his own search and altogether against my will.
  15. requite
    make repayment for or return something
    Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite.
  16. dissuade
    turn away from by persuasion
    I had myself notice of my brother’s purpose herein, and have by underhand means labored to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute.
  17. resolute
    firm in purpose or belief
    I had myself notice of my brother’s purpose herein, and have by underhand means labored to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute.
  18. contrive
    make or work out a plan for; devise
    I’ll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France, full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man’s good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother.
  19. discretion
    freedom to act or judge on one's own
    Therefore use thy discretion.
  20. mirth
    great merriment
    Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of, and would you yet I were merrier?
  21. render
    bestow
    You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and truly, when he dies, thou shalt be his heir, for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection.
  22. lineament
    a property that defines the individual nature of something
    Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of nature.
  23. flout
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument?
  24. knave
    a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
    Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave.
  25. troth
    a solemn pledge of fidelity
    By my troth, thou sayest true.
  26. dote
    shower with love; show excessive affection for
    Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking?
  27. forward
    lacking restraint or modesty
    Since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness.
  28. liege
    a feudal lord entitled to allegiance and service
    Ay, my liege, so please you give us leave.
  29. fain
    in a willing manner
    In pity of the challenger’s youth, I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated.
  30. beseech
    ask for or request earnestly
    I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies anything.
  31. gallant
    having or displaying great dignity or nobility
    Thou art a gallant youth.
  32. entreaty
    earnest or urgent request
    Had I before known this young man his son,
    I should have given him tears unto entreaties
    Ere he should thus have ventured.
  33. conceive
    judge or regard; look upon as
    What he is indeed
    More suits you to conceive than I to speak of.
  34. usurp
    seize and take control without authority
    The other is daughter to the banished duke,
    And here detained by her usurping uncle
    To keep his daughter company, whose loves
    Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters.
  35. cur
    a cowardly and despicable person
    No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs.
  36. ensue
    take place or happen afterward or as a result
    Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly?
  37. dispatch
    complete or carry out
    Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste,
    And get you from our court.
  38. sunder
    break apart or in two, using violence
    Shall we be sundered?
  39. semblance
    the outward or apparent appearance or form of something
    A gallant curtal-ax upon my thigh,
    A boar-spear in my hand, and in my heart
    Lie there what hidden woman’s fear there will,
    We’ll have a swashing and a martial outside—
    As many other mannish cowards have
    That do outface it with their semblances.
  40. assay
    make an effort or attempt
    But, cousin, what if we assayed to steal
    The clownish fool out of your father’s court?
Created on Fri Feb 14 14:54:02 EST 2020 (updated Wed Feb 26 15:50:21 EST 2020)

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