The following table lists some words from act I, scene I of Shakespeare’s play Richard III. Refer back to the excerpt from the play to determine the meanings of the words listed. Based on context clues, note what you think each word means in the Contextual Meaning column. Then look up the words in a dictionary and fill in the Dictionary Definition column with the actual meanings of the words. How do the actual definitions compare to the contextual meanings that you came up with? Are context clues always enough to determine the correct meaning of a difficult word? Record your observations in the Notes column. Word/Phrase Line Contextual How did you do? Rate your work on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 as the highest score. Then write a brief evaluation of your work below. Note what you learned and what challenged you.
Meaning Dictionary Definition Notes
descant 28
tendering 48
hearkens 59
tempers 70
suppliant 79
livery 85
beseech 89
enfranchise 115