Julius Caesar Vocabulary

Julius Caesar Vocabulary

Act I

knave • noun • A dishonest, untrustworthy person • Spanish= belaco, picaro • Because he would often steal, he was known as a knave.

cull • verb • To choose, select, or pick • Spanish= entresacar • The farmers had to cull out the most ripe strawberries in the patch.

intermit • verb • To discontinue temporarily; to stop or pause at intervals • Spanish= pararse • She had to intermit the meeting because the weather was bad.

countenance • noun • Appearance; the expression of the face; calm facial expression • Spanish= semblante, rostro • Her countenance clearly indicated how she felt.

cogitation • noun • A thought or reflection • Spanish= reflexion • As he sat under the tree, he had many cogitations.

accouter • Verb • To equip or outfit, esp. with military clothes • Spanish= equipar • The soldiers were accoutered in their best uniforms.

conjure • verb • To influence by spell; to bring about with magic or miracle • Spanish= evocar People in Salem were accused of conjuring spirits.

fain • adverb and adjective • Gladly; willingly • Content; willing • Spanish= con gusto They were fain to clean up their neighborhood.

portentous • adjective • Ominously significant or indicative; foreboding; hinting at something bad • Spanish= porfetico • The portentous clouds upon the horizon indicated a bad storm.

obscurely • adverb • Indirectly; subtly; unclearly • Spanish= sutilmente • The directions were very unclear and written obscurely.

chidden • verb and adjective • To express disapproval of; to scold or harass • Scolded or chastised • Spanish= reprender • He was chidden by his mother after he didn’t clean his room.

encompass • verb • To form a circle about; encircle; surround; envelop • Spanish= rodear • The fence encompasses the whole yard.

blunt • adjective 1. Slow in perception or understanding 2. having a thick or dull edge 3. honest Spanish= despuntar, tonto • He was known to be very blunt while in school and never got good grades.

construe • verb • To give the meaning or intention of; to interpret or analyze the syntax of; to understand • Spanish= interpretar • I hope you can construe the information that I’m about to give you.

lament • verb • Mourned for, as a person who is dead; to feel or express sorrow or regret for • Spanish= lamentar • Those who loved her lamented her death.

hinder • verb • To cause delay; to prevent from doing • Spanish= impedir • The power outage hindered the playing of the Super Bowl.

doublet • noun • A tight fitting jacket, sometimes quilted or reinforced with mail and worn beneath armor; popular during the Elizabethan Period • Men who lived during the Elizabethan Period wore doublets.

concave • adjective • Curved like a segment of the interior of a circle or hollow sphere • Spanish= concavo • We studied concave shapes in geometry class.

prodigious • adjective • Extraordinary in size, amount, or degree • Spanish= prodigioso • The prodigious sky scrapers tower over New York City.

retentive • adjective • Having the power to remember or hold in • Spanish= retentivo • Having a retentive mind is a valuable thing.

Act II

serpent • noun 1. a snake 2. a wily, treacherous, untrustworthy person Spanish= serpiente, culebra • The SERPENT tempted Eve into eating the forbidden fruit in the Bible story. • “And therefore think of him as a serpent’s egg—which hatched, would as his kind grow mischievous—and kill him in the shell” (ii.i)

instigation • noun • Instigate= verb • The act of bringing about excitement Spanish= incitacion She was known to INSTIGATE fights by picking on people’s insecurities. “Such instigations have been dropped where I took them up” (ii.i)

carrion • noun • Dead and putrefying flesh; rottenness; anything vile (evil/despicable) • The rotting CARRION was stinking up the whole area. • “Swear priests and cowards and men cautelous, old feeble carrions, and such suffering souls that welcome wrongs” (ii.i)

haste • noun • Swiftness of motion; speed; urgent need of quick action Spanish= prisa In order to get there on time, we must make HASTE. “Leave me with haste” (ii.i)

affability • noun • Warmth and friendliness; pleasantness; politeness Spanish- afabilidad, cortesia She was most likely to brighten your day because of her AFFABILITY. “Seek non, conspiracy, hide it in smiles and affability, for if thou path, thy native semblance on, not Erebus itself were dim enough to hide thee from prevention” (ii.i)

exorcist • noun • One who summons spirits • Exorcists are known to be able to CONJURE spirits of the dead. • “Thou like an exorcist hast conjured up my mortified spirit” (ii.i)

beseech • verb • To beg eagerly for Spanish= suplicar, implorar The student BESEECHED her teacher for another chance to make up the assignment. “That I have lady, if it will please Caesar to be so good to Caesar as to hear me, I shall beseech him to befriend himself” (ii.iv)

feeble • adjective • Physically weak, as from age or sickness; weak intellectually or morally Spanish= debil The FEEBLE old many walked slowly down the road. “Vouchsafe good morrow from a feeble tongue” (ii.i)

entrails • noun • The internal parts of the trunk of the body; the intestines; the internal parts of anything Spanish- entranas After killing an animal, a hunter will scoop out its ENTRAILS. ‘They would not have to stir forth today, plucking the entrails of an offering forth, they could not find a heart within the breast” (ii.ii)

void • adjective • Without content; empty Spanish= vacio Their house was completely VOID of furniture. “I’ll get me to a place more void, and there speak to great Caesar as he comes along” (ii.iv.)

Act III

apprehensive • adjective • Uneasy or fearful about something that might happen • She was apprehensive about getting up in front of the room to give her speech. • “So in the world: ‘tis furnished well with men, and men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive” (III.i)

ascend • verb • To move, climb, or go upward; to mount or rise • Because of his hard work, he quickly ascended to president of the company. • “The noble Brutus is ascended. Silence!” (III.ii)

appease • verb • To soothe or calm down • The sound of the gentle waves appeased her. • “Only be patient til we have appeased/The multitude, beside themselves with fear” (iii.i)

firmament • noun • The expanse of the sky; the heavens • If you live in the country, you can more easily see the stars within the firmament. • “But I am constant as the Northern Star, of whose true fixed and resting quality, there is no fellow in the firmament” (iii.i)

inter • verb • To place ( a dead body) in a grave or tomb; to bury; to put into the earth • People who die are often interred with their special belongings. • “ I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men to lives after them, the good is oft interred with the bones” (iii.ii)

mutiny • noun • Revolt or rebellion against authority, esp. by sailors against a captain • The sailors formed a mutiny against their captain because they wanted higher pay. • “Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up to a sudden flood of mutiny” (iii.ii)

render • verb • To cause or become; make; provide • After eight hours of deliberation, the jury rendered a verdict. • “Those that will hear me speak, let ‘em stay here. Those that will follow Cassius, go with him, and public reasons shall be rendered of Caesar’s death” (iii.i)_

treason • noun • The offense of acting to overthrow or go against one’s government or to harm or kill its sovereign (ruler) • Because Caesar returned home with his army when the Senate asked him not to, it was considered an act of treason. • “Then I, and you, and all of us fell down, whilst bloody treason flourished over us” (iii.ii)

valiant • adjective • Boldly courageous; brave; worthy; excellent • The valiant soldier saved the lives of many people. • “As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour hm. But, as he was ambitious, I slew him” (iii.ii)

vanquish • verb • To conquer or subdue by superior force, as in battle; to defeat in any conquest • Their forces were vanquished by their enemies in a matter of days. • “For when the noble Caesar saw him stab, ingratitude, more strong than traitors’ arms, quite vanquished him” (iii.ii).

Act IV

slander • noun • A false and hateful statement about someone that is injurious or bad for a person’s reputation. • Spanish= difamatorio • The tabloids often make slanderous remarks about celebrities. • “Octavius, I have seen more days than you, and though we lay these honours on this man, to ease ourselves of divers slanderous loads...” (IV.i)

salutation • noun • A word or phrase serving as the greeting in a letter or speech • Spanish= saludo • Before the President began his speech, he offered salutations. • “He is at hand, and Pindarus is come to do you salutation from his master.” (IV.ii).

mettle • noun • Courage and fortitude; disposition and temperament • Spanish= temple; espiritu • When he ran into the burning home, it was a clear display of hit mettle. • “There are no tricks in plain and simple faith, but hollow men, like horses hot at hand, make gallant show and promise of their mettle. . .” (IV.ii).

wrangle • Verb • To argue or dispute • Spanish= discutir • The coaches often wrangle with referees about unfair calls. • “Cassius, be content. Speak your griefs softly. I do know you well. Before the eyes of both our armies here, which should perceive nothing but love from us, let us not wrangle.” (IV.ii).

mirth • noun • Amusement or laughter; jollity; happiness • Spanish= alegria • Upon the birth of their daughter, they were full of mirth. • “By the gods, you shall digest the venom of your spleen, though it do split you. For, from this day forth, I’ll use you for my mirth, yea for my laughter, when you are waspish (quick to take offence).” (IV.iii).

Julius Caesar Vocabulary