Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Study Guide

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.