Richard III: Act 4

by William Shakespeare
Richard, younger brother of King Edward IV, wants to rule England — and he will stop at nothing, including murder, in order to seize the crown.

Here links to our lists for the play: Act 1, Act 2, Act 3, Act 4, Act 5
15 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. reverend
    worthy of adoration or respect
    Let me but meet you ladies one hour hence,
    And I’ll salute your Grace of York as mother
    And reverend looker-on of two fair queens.
  2. asunder
    into parts or pieces
    Ah, cut my lace asunder
    That my pent heart may have some scope to beat,
    Or else I swoon with this dead-killing news!
  3. thrall
    the state of being under the control of another person
    Go, hie thee, hie thee from this slaughterhouse,
    Lest thou increase the number of the dead
    And make me die the thrall of Margaret’s curse,
    Nor mother, wife, nor England’s counted queen.
  4. anoint
    administer an oil or ointment to, often ceremonially
    Anointed let me be with deadly venom,
    And die ere men can say “God save the Queen.”
  5. wrack
    smash or break forcefully
    Eighty-odd years of sorrow have I seen,
    And each hour’s joy wracked with a week of teen.
  6. immure
    lock up or confine, in or as in a jail
    Pity, you ancient stones, those tender babes
    Whom envy hath immured within your walls—
    Rough cradle for such little pretty ones.
  7. circumspect
    careful to consider potential consequences and avoid risk
    High-reaching Buckingham grows circumspect.
  8. suborn
    incite to commit a crime or an evil deed
    Dighton and Forrest, who I did suborn
    To do this piece of ruthless butchery,
    Albeit they were fleshed villains, bloody dogs,
    Melted with tenderness and mild compassion,
    Wept like two children in their deaths’ sad story.
  9. intestate
    having made no valid will or not disposed of by a legal will
    Windy attorneys to their clients’ woes,
    Airy succeeders of intestate joys,
    Poor breathing orators of miseries,
    Let them have scope; though what they will impart
    Help nothing else, yet do they ease the heart.
  10. copious
    large in number or quantity
    Be copious in exclaims.
  11. venturous
    disposed to take risks
    Thy prime of manhood daring, bold, and venturous
  12. cozen
    cheat or trick
    Cousins, indeed, and by their uncle cozened
    Of comfort, kingdom, kindred, freedom, life.
  13. vexation
    something or someone that causes anxiety
    Your children were vexation to your youth,
    But mine shall be a comfort to your age.
  14. deserts
    an outcome (good or bad) that is well merited
    Therefore, dear mother—I must call you so—
    Be the attorney of my love to her;
    Plead what I will be, not what I have been;
    Not my deserts, but what I will deserve.
  15. prelate
    a senior clergyman and dignitary
    My gracious sovereign, now in Devonshire,
    As I by friends am well advertisèd,
    Sir Edward Courtney and the haughty prelate,
    Bishop of Exeter, his elder brother,
    With many more confederates are in arms.
Created on Mon May 24 13:13:15 EDT 2021 (updated Mon Aug 11 15:27:21 EDT 2025)

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