King Lear: Act 4

by William Shakespeare
In this tragedy, King Lear's plan to divide his kingdom between his three daughters leads to his downfall when he misjudges their true feelings. Read the full text here.

Here are links to our lists for the play: Act 1, Act 2, Act 3, Act 4, Act 5
15 words 963 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. lamentable
    bad; unfortunate
    The lamentable change is from the best;
    The worst returns to laughter. Welcome, then,
    Thou unsubstantial air that I embrace.
  2. wanton
    not restrained or controlled
    As flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods;
    They kill us for their sport.
  3. barbarous
    able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
    A father, and a gracious agèd man,
    Whose reverence even the head-lugged bear would lick,
    Most barbarous, most degenerate, have you madded.
  4. discern
    recognize or perceive a difference or distinction
    Milk-livered man,
    That bear’st a cheek for blows, a head for wrongs;
    Who hast not in thy brows an eye discerning
    Thine honor from thy suffering; that not know’st
    Fools do those villains pity who are punished
    Ere they have done their mischief.
  5. repose
    the absence of mental stress or anxiety
    Our foster nurse of nature is repose,
    The which he lacks.
  6. incite
    give an incentive for action
    No blown ambition doth our arms incite,
    But love, dear love, and our aged father’s right.
  7. ado
    a great deal of fuss, concern, or commotion
    Madam, with much ado.
    Your sister is the better soldier.
    Oswald insults Albany, both in the second line and in the use of the word ado to describe the preparations for war. If Albany were a better soldier and commander, he would simply do without any ado.
  8. descry
    catch sight of
    It was great ignorance, Gloucester’s eyes being out,
    To let him live. Where he arrives he moves
    All hearts against us. Edmund, I think, is gone,
    In pity of his misery, to dispatch
    His nighted life; moreover to descry
    The strength o’ th’ enemy.
  9. renounce
    turn away from; give up
    O you mighty gods! [He kneels.]
    This world I do renounce, and in your sights
    Shake patiently my great affliction off.
  10. gossamer
    filaments from a web that was spun by a spider
    Hadst thou been aught but gossamer, feathers, air,
    So many fathom down precipitating,
    Thou ’dst shivered like an egg; but thou dost breathe,
    Hast heavy substance, bleed’st not, speak’st, art sound.
  11. apothecary
    a health professional who prepares and dispenses drugs
    Give me an ounce of civet, good apothecary; sweeten my imagination.
  12. naught
    a quantity of no importance
    O ruined piece of nature! This great world
    Shall so wear out to naught.
  13. stratagem
    an elaborate or deceitful scheme to deceive or evade
    When we are born, we cry that we are come
    To this great stage of fools.—This’ a good block.
    It were a delicate stratagem to shoe
    A troop of horse with felt. I’ll put ’t in proof,
    And when I have stol’n upon these son-in-laws,
    Then kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!
  14. untimely
    uncommonly early
    O, untimely death! Death!
  15. temperance
    the trait of avoiding excesses
    Be by, good madam, when we do awake him.
    I doubt not of his temperance.
Created on Mon Feb 11 14:52:03 EST 2013 (updated Mon Aug 11 15:15:35 EDT 2025)

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