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Romeo and Juliet 2.4 Wordplay: “solely singular”
This video unpacks a complex verbal exchange between Romeo and Mercutio from Act 2, Scene 4 of "Romeo and Juliet," focusing on their intricate wordplay and puns. It highlights how Mercutio's jests play with the concept of "solely...
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Hamlet 1.3 Word Nerd: Vulgar
In this video, a French woman criticizes Americans for being vulgar, clarifying that this was not about the use of crude language but rather about a lack of refinement and commonness in tastes and behaviors. This view aligns with the...
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A MidsummerNight'sDream 1.1.19 Animated note:Theseus and Hippolyta
From epic battles to romantic encounters or political alliances, Greek mythology includes multiple narratives regarding the union of Theseus, the founder and first ruler of Athens, and Hippolyta, the Amazon queen. Shakespeare, drawing...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.304 Word Nerd: Die
During a performance, Demetrius humorously interprets Bottom's delivery of Pyramus's declaration of death as a pun, suggesting Pyramus is saying he's a "die" (singular of dice) that rolled an ace (one), playing on the notion of being one...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.234 Game of Wits
Theseus and Demetrius engage in a complex and somewhat confusing game of wits involving animal metaphors. The dialogue revolves around Snug's assurance that he won't scare the audience with his lion roar, leading to exchanges comparing...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.92 Animated Note: Proud River
In A Midsumer Night's Dream, Titania describes her quarrel with Oberon as disrupting the natural world, causing mists to pull water from the sea and flood rivers, which she personifies as becoming "proud and arrogant." This video...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.245 Word Nerd: Nymph
Tthe word nymph derives from the latin verb "nubrey," to mary in ancient latin. The word, "nymph" referred to a woman who was ready to marry because she had reached sexual maturity. In medieval English, however, nymph was used to refer...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.12 Animated Note: Cowslip Pensioners
In Shakespeare's era, "pensioners" referred to a group of noblemen closely associated with the English monarch, forming an honor guard and receiving a pension for their service. These gentleman pensioners were known for their extravagant...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 1.2: The Mechanicals
Explore the many ways Shakespeare creatively names his characters to reflect their respective trades. For example, "Quince the carpenter" refers to a carpentry tool, while "Snug the joiner" is a cabinet maker.
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A MidsummerNight'sDream 1.1.11a Animated Note: Diana and Moon
To Hippolyta the waning moon resembles a silver bow bent back to fire an arrow. According to Greek mythology, the moon and the bow and arrow go together. Since Diana is the goddess of both the moon and hunting and she's often pictured...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream: French Crown 1.2.087
In his remark, Quince uses the expression “French crown” to refer, not to a French coin, but to the top of the head of an everyday Frenchman. Quince says that some of these heads “have no hair at all.” His remark alludes to the fact that...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.202 Word Nerd: Ninny
The word "innocent" originates from the Latin prefix "in-" (not) and the verb "nocere" (to do harm), initially meaning someone who does no harm. By the time of Shakespeare, "innocent" had evolved to describe someone naive due to youth....
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.197 Discussion: Helen of Troy
Helen of Troy, famed as the most beautiful woman on Earth, was married to King Menelaus of Sparta before being abducted (or, according to some versions, eloping willingly) with Paris, a prince from Troy. This act led to the Greek kings...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.109 Prologue
Quince's prologue may seem clumsily written at first but is a masterfully crafted speech by Shakespeare. Ambiguity and word choice, allows for dual meanings, at times earnest or humorous. The speech, asking for the audience's forgiveness...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.046 Eunuch
The term "eunuch" refers to a castrated man. It was originally used in ancient kingdoms where eunuchs served as guards for the ruler's harem, ensuring they would not engage with the women they protected. Additionally, there was a...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 4.1.55 Word Nerd: Orient Pearls
Titania places a flowery wreath on Bottom's head, and Oberon remarks that the dewdrops on the flowers, resembling tears, suggest the flowers are lamenting their dishonor in adorning Bottom's donkey head. He compares these to pearls,...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.2.214 Heraldry
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Helena uses wordplay and heraldry to symbolize the deep connection between herself and Hermia, likening them to "two seeming bodies but one heart," indicating their close friendship. She references heraldry,...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.2.203 Word Nerd: Artificial
The term "artificial" originates from the Latin "artificium," meaning craftsmanship or artistry, which was its initial meaning in English. Nowadays, "artificial" typically refers to anything man-made, often carrying a negative...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.2.158 Word Nerd: Conjure
The word "conjure" comes from the Latin words for "with" and "oath," initially meaning to accomplish something through a sacred oath. By Shakespeare's era, it evolved to refer specifically to summoning devils or spirits by using a sacred...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.1.126 Cuckoo
The cuckoo bird is named after the sound it makes. Its behavior of the female laying eggs in the nests of males other than her partner has led to the term "cuckold," referring to a man whose wife has been unfaithful. In A Midsummer...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.84 Word Nerd: Purple Grain
Before the advent of modern chemistry in the 19th century, one of the most unusual natural coloring agents was a red dye made by grinding up the bodies of insects living on cacti in Central America. This dye was known as "purple in...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.195 Word Nerd: Adamant
The word "adamant" originates from the Latin word "aramas," meaning a hard stone, and has evolved to denote anything unbreakable. In Shakespeare's era, "adamant" specifically referred to a lodestone or naturally occurring magnet,...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.158 Word Nerd: Vestal
The term "vestal" originates from Vesta, an ancient Roman goddess, and was initially associated with the Vestal Virgins who served her temple in Rome, pledging thirty years of chastity. By Shakespeare's time, "vestal" had broadened to...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.100 Imagery: Flooding
In Shakespeare's time, excessive rain posed as much risk to agriculture and livestock as drought did, leading to crop rot, washaways, and livestock drowning. This not only affected farmers negatively but also disrupted recreational...