All 5 Uses of
writ
in
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
- So much for him,—Now for ourself and for this time of meeting:
Thus much the business is:—we have here writ
To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras,—Who, impotent and bed-rid, scarcely hears
Of this his nephew's purpose,—to suppress
His further gait herein; in that the levies,
The lists, and full proportions are all made
Out of his subject:—and we here dispatch
You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltimand,
For bearers of this greeting to old Norway;
Giving to you no further personal power
To business with the king, more than the scope
Of these dilated articles allow.†Scene 1.2
- As I do live, my honour'd lord, 'tis true;
And we did think it writ down in our duty
To let you know of it.†Scene 1.2 *
- For the law of writ and the liberty, these are
the only men.†Scene 2.2
- Good Laertes,
If you desire to know the certainty
Of your dear father's death, is't writ in your revenge
That, sweepstake, you will draw both friend and foe,
Winner and loser?†Scene 4.5
- I had my father's signet in my purse,
Which was the model of that Danish seal:
Folded the writ up in the form of the other;
Subscrib'd it: gave't the impression; plac'd it safely,
The changeling never known.†Scene 5.2
Definitions:
-
(1)
(writ as in: writ from the court) an order issued by a court or judicial officer
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(2)
(writ as in: writ large) written large an idiom meaning made obvious (as though written in large print)
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(3)
(writ as in: holy writ) an unquestionable truth; or a sacred writing -- especially the Bible
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(4)
(writ as in: writ in her own hand) archaic way of saying written or wrote
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(5)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus