robustious ranting.
groundings the poorer and less critical section of the audience who stood in the pit.
inexplicable dumb-shows the unintelligible pantomime preceding the play proper.
Termagant Herod favorite characters in the old miracle plays, who were always portrayed as blustering tyrants.
candied sugared with hypocrisy.
blood and judgment passion and reason.
pipe a recorder or flute. The stops are the fingerholes.
occulted hidden.
Vulcan's stithy the workshop of the Roman god of fire and metalworking.
heedful note careful observation.
be idle seem crazy.
chameleon's dish The chameleon was supposed to feed on air.
your only jig-maker I am the funniest man alive (ironic).
hautboys oboes.
miching mallecho slinking mischief.
posy of a ring as brief and silly as the inscription inside a ring.
Phoebus' cart Phoebus' chariot. In Greek mythology, Phoebus is Apollo as god of the sun.
Neptune's belonging to Neptune, the Roman god of the sea.
Tellus' in Roman mythology, the goddess of the earth.
Hymen in Greek mythology, the god of marriage.
operant powers bodily strength.
wormwood bitterness. (Wormwood is a plant with bitter qualities.)
Tropically the use of a word or words in a figurative sense; figuratively, a trope being a figure of speech.
galled jade a worn-out horse with sores from the rubbing and chafing of a saddle.
withers the highest part of a horse's back, located between the shoulder blades.
chorus in ancient Greek drama, a company of performers whose singing, dancing, and narration provide explanation and elaboration of the main action.
Confederate season suitable opportunity.
Hecate's ban the curse of Hecate, the Greek goddess of the moon, earth, and underground realm of the dead, later regarded as the goddess of sorcery and witchcraft.
forest of feathers plumed hat much worn by players.
turn Turk turn bad.
Provincial roses rosettes for concealing the laces on shoes.
razed slashed for ornamentation.
Damon a perfect friend; in classical legend, Damon and Pythias were friends so devoted to each other that when Pythias, who had been condemned to death, wanted time to arrange his affairs, Damon pledged his life that his friend would return. Pythias returned and both were pardoned.
pajock peacock.
recorders a wind instrument with finger holes and a wedgelike part (a fipple) near the mouthpiece; fipple flute.
purgation the act of purging; Hamlet probably intends a pun — to administer a purgative to get rid of the bile and to purge him of his guilt. The word recalls Hamlet's father, who is in purgatory.
pickers and stealers hands.
recover the wind a hunting phrase — to get to windward.
ventages small holes or openings; vents.
compass the tonal range of a musical instrument.
Nero (A.D. 37-68); notoriously cruel and depraved emperor of Rome (54-68) who killed his own mother.
shent rebuked.
