Ignorance, 1) want of knowledge concerning some particular thing: “his i. were wise,” LLL II, 102. “let me not burst in i.” Hml. I, 4, 46.
2) want of knowledge and culture of the mind generally: Sonn. 78, 14. Wiv. I, 1, 182. LLL IV, 2, 24. John IV, 2, 59. R2 I, 3, 168. H4A III, 1, 213. H6B IV, 2, 178. IV, 7, 78. Tim. V, 4, 69. Cymb. III, 3, 33.
3) want of experience and skill, the state of not knowing what to do or how to behave: “and heavy i. aloft to fly,” Sonn. 78, 6. “thine i. makes thee away,” Alls I, 1, 226. “I will throw thee from my care for ever into the staggers and the careless lapse of youth and i.” II, 3, 171. “if he have power, then vail your i.; if none, awake your dangerous lenity,” Cor. III, 1, 98. “set a-fire by thine own i.” Rom. III, 3, 133. in mine i. your skill (in fencing) “shall stick fiery off,” Hml. V, 2, 266.
4) want of discernment, incapacity of distinguishing between right and wrong, unconsciousness, simplicity: “I do suspect I have done some offence, and that you come to reprehend my i.” R3 III, 7, 113. “make your wantonness your i.” Hml. III, 1, 152. “errs in i. and not in cunning,” Oth. III, 3, 49.
5) stupidity, silliness: “i. itself is a plummet o'er me,” Wiv. V, 5, 172. “now his knowledge must prove i.” LLL II, 103. “thrust thy sharp wit quite through my i.” V, 2, 398. “there is no darkness but i.” Tw. IV, 2, 47. Tw. IV, 2, 47 Tw. IV, 2, 47 “leave those remnants of fool and feather with all their honorable points of i.” H8 I, 3, 26. “fonder than i.” Troil. I, 1, 10. “which short-armed i. itself knows,” II, 3, 16. “the common curse of mankind, folly and i.” II, 3, 16 “such a valiant i.” III, 3, 316. “cannot conclude but by the yea and no of general i.” Cor. III, 1, 146. “till your i. deliver you to some nation,” III, 3, 129. “who resist are mocked for valiant i.” IV, 6, 104. “in a violent popular i.” V, 2, 43. “it was great i. to let him live,” Lr. IV, 5, 9. “O heavy i.! thou praisest the worst best,” Oth. II, 1, 144. “fools as gross as ignorance made drunk,” III, 3, 405. “the greater cantle of the world is lost with very i.” Ant. III, 10, 7.
Shakespeare Lexicon. Alexander Schmidt. Berlin. Georg Reimer. 1902.
This text was converted to electronic form by professional data entry and has been proofread to a high level of accuracy.
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