It is only by struggling with the precise language of feudal obligation and antique slurs that Shakespeare brandishes as a sword that one can appreciate the strength of early modern English. Test your knowledge of the language nuances that bring the characters’ conflicts to life with our King Lear Vocabulary Quiz. Let us see if you can define the wit and the woe of the passage.
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King Lear Vocabulary Quiz Questions
- In King Lear, the word “banished” most nearly means what?
- The term “inheritance” in the play refers to what?
- When Lear uses the word “nothing,” what does it convey?
- The word “bastard” as used for Edmund means what?
- “Thy” in Shakespearean English means what?
- To “repent” in King Lear means what?
- The word “treason” in the play refers to what?
- “Fortune” is used in King Lear to symbolize what?
- What does “foe” mean in the context of the play?
- When Kent calls Oswald a “base football player,” “base” means what?
- “Fool” in the play refers to what kind of character?
- What does “vile” mean when Lear curses Goneril?
- The term “betrayal” in the play most closely means what?
- When a character says “thou art,” it means what in modern English?
- The word “wrath” used to describe Lear’s anger means what?
- “Madness” in the context of King Lear most nearly means what?
- To “serve” in the play often means what?
- When Edmund speaks of “Nature,” he refers to what concept?
- What does “obedience” mean when describing Cordelia?
- The term “traitor” applies to whom?
- “Decree” in the play refers to what?
- What does “contention” mean in the context of Lear’s daughters?
- The term “jest” used by the Fool means what?
- “Rebellion” in King Lear most nearly means what?
- When Lear calls himself “a poor, infirm, wea
- How does Shakespeare contrast the two opposing camps?
- What is Richmond’s goal as he prepares for battle?
- What does this scene signal dramatically?
- What role does divine providence play here?
- What tone concludes the scene?