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AP Literature Vocab 1-20 Flashcards

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4740803475Herculean (adj.)Hercules was the greatest hero in Greek mythology. He accompanied 12 super-human tasks known as the "Labors of Hercules"0
4740804161Bowdlerize (v.)In 1818, Thomas Bowdler published censored versions of Shakespeare's plays. He them went onto censor other works.1
4740805170pandemonium (n.)John Milton, in Paradise Lost, named the capitol of Hell "Pandemonium" Pan= "all" / Daimon = "Demon"2
4740805910Pander (v.)From a story about the Trojan War in which a man named Pandarus arranged for his niece to be seduced by an influential prince. In Chaucer's poem Troilus and Creseyde, Pandarus arranges for the couple to make love in his hom3
4740807183QuixoticDon Quixote, a novel by Gervantes, has its hero engaging in wildly impractical feats4
4740808188Cynical (adj.)From the name of an ancient Greek School of philosophy called cyrosarges (white dog") which taught that most meant scorn, virtue for wealth and power. They were known for their skepticism of other people's motives5
4740808813Stoical (adj.)The greek philosopher, Zeno, met his students by the porch (stoa or stoikos) and taught them that one should calmly accept fortune or mistfortune6
4740810253Stigma (n.)In ancient Greece, captured run away slaves were branded on the forehead with a stigma to make future escapes more difficult7
4740811164Impede (v.)Slaves and convicts in acient Rome were sometimes shackled with leg irons Latin - im. ("in") pedio ("foot) - "to chain the feet"8
4740814208Expedite (v.)Slaves and convicts in acient Rome were sometimes shackled with leg irons Latin - ex ("out") pedio ("foot) - "to release the feet"9
4740815124Tantalize (v.)Tantalus, a son of Zeus, fed the gods his son at a banquet. As a punishment, the gods placed him in a pool of clear water beneath delicious fruit. Whenever he reached for food or drink, they would recede beyond his reach10
4740816190Labyrinth (n.)King Minos had Daedalus build him a maze, called the Labyrinth, for the half human, half - bull, Minataur11
4740817543Machiavellian (adj.)From the author 16th century book entitled The Prince by Niccolo Machiavell was a political theorist in Italy who counseled rulers on how to seize and maintain power- often with little regards to ethics12
4740819964Laconic (adj,)The Spartans, or Laconians, weere famous for the hardships they bore as part of their military training. They were taught to speak briefly and only when necessary13
4740822239Maudlin (adj.)Because of her continual, Mary Magdalene became associated with tearful sentimentally14
4740822986Galvanize (v.)The Italian Physiologist Luigi Galvan, 1737-1798, demonstrated that a muscle could be shocked into movement15
4740826156Lethargic (adj.)Ancient Greeks believed that the spirits of the deceased drink from the river Lethe, which erased all earthly memories, consequently, Greek physicians named a disease characterized by extreme drowsiness after this river- lethargia16
4740827314Ostracize (adj.)In order to protect their new democracy from a political dictator, Athenians cast ballots on clay tiles. Politicians with more than 6000 votes were banished for 10 years for fear that they might create a dictatorship17
4740828728Gregarious (adj.)Gregis (Latin) means "Flock" or "Heard" and to describe animals that like to be with others of their kind18
4740829509Egregious (adj.)Gregis (Latin) means "Flock" or "Heard" and to describe animals that like to be with others of their kind E Grege means "out of the head of flock"19

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