A-Z of Shakespeare – T

Oxford Childrens

 

Today’s Shakespearean word of the day is… tuition

T- tuition

Warning! Don’t read in the meaning of ‘teaching’.

Tuition is a noun used to mean ‘safe-keeping’.  In Much Ado About Nothing, Claudio mocks the way Benedick ends a letter, committing his addresses ‘To the tuition of God’ (Much Ado About Nothing, 1.1.257).

It was normal in Shakespeare’s time to write letters with great formality, especially wishing for the health of the addresses, or that they would be in good grace with God.

 

Shakespeare Dictionary _130This definition is taken from the Oxford Illustrated Shakespeare Dictionary, a unique dictionary to unlock the mysteries of Shakespeare’s world, words and language, compiled by renowned English language expert David Crystal and Shakespearean actor and producer Ben Crystal.