1. altruistic Unselfish, concerned with the welfare of others Shakespeare's Banquo is the antithesis of Macbeth; he is truly altruistic.

2. repose To rest; sleep, relaxation King Duncan chooses to repose at the home of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

3. remiss Neglectful in performance of one’s duty; carelessness Could it be that King Duncan is remiss in his responsibility to discern Macbeth’s true character?

4. assent To express agreement Macbeth and Banquo assent to discuss the visitation of the witches.

5. temerity Rashness, boldness Is Lady Macbeth’s temerity attractive to Macbeth?

6. virulent Extremely poisonous; full of malice; spiteful Lady Macbeth words were as virulent as the venom of a viper!

7. benefactor One who does good to others Will Banquo be the benefactor as the plot progresses?

8. truculent Fierce and cruel; harsh, aggressive The truculent Lady Macbeth would see King Duncan dead!

9. pungent Causing a sharp sensation; stinging; biting The pungent thought of murdering the king frightened Macbeth.

10. dearth A lack, scarcity, inadequate supply Lady Macbeth did not possess a dearth of ambition; on the contrary, her virulent ambition motivated her every thought and action.

11. plod To trudge, walk heavily The wounded captain was seen plodding to King Duncan’s camp.

12. unfeigned Sincere, real, without pretense Banquo’s.

13. chivalrous Marked by honor, fairness, courtesy, and courage King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table pledged to be chivalrous to all.

14. indomitable Unconquerable, refusing to yield Although he was disabled, Jason’s athletic abilities matched his indomitable spirit.

15. discrepancy A difference; a lack of agreement There was a discrepancy between the what was said and what the reporter printed! National Enquirer

16. clemency Mercy, humaneness, mildness, moderateness The judge showed clemency toward the first-time offender. Suspended sentence!

17. facile Easily done or attained; superficial Getting a hole in one is certainly not a facile achievement.

18. diffident Shy, lacking self- confidence His posture alone exposed his diffident personality.

19. infallible Free from error; absolutely dependable The swimming teacher’s technique was infallible. Her students were always excellent swimmers.

20. embark To go aboard, to make a start This May the graduate will embark on an adventure in the Navy.