Glossary of Terms
appurtenance: a subordinate part
atonement: reparation for an offense or injury
christening: the ceremony of baptizing and naming a child
claustrophobia: abnormal fear of being in closed or narrow spaces
Elsinore: city in eastern Denmark
flagrante delicto: legal term used when a criminal is caught "red-handed" or in the act of the crime; often used as a euphemism for being caught in the act of sex.
gentry: upper or ruling class
guilder: name for a gold coin
jocularly: given to jest; habitually jolly
Lot: Abraham's nephew; his wife turns to a pillar of salt in Sodom and Gomorrah
myopia: near-sightedness; a lack of foresight or discernment; a narrow view of something
non sequitor: a logical fallacy or a comment which is humorously absurd or has no relation to the comment it follows
portentous: of, relating to, or constituting a prophetic indication or significance
pragmatism: a practical approach to problems
remonstrate: to present and urge reasons in opposition
syllogism: a deductive reasoning; a formal argument consisting of a major and a minor premise and a conclusion. For example, "all boys are happy; Richard is a boy; therefore Richard is happy."
T'ang Dynasty: Chinese dynasty from 618 to 907; a golden age of culture and art.
The Murder of Gonzago: a tragic play that begins with a dumbshow and whose plot tells the story of the King of Denmark being murdered by his brother. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the play is called The Mousetrap when it is performed before the king.
The Rape of the Sabine Women: an incident in the early history of Rome recorded by Plutarch that became the catalyst for many works of art.
ClassicNote on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
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