All 4 Uses of
chaste
in
All's Well That Ends Well, by Shakespeare
- My dearest madam, Let not your hate encounter with my love, For loving where you do; but if yourself, Whose aged honour cites a virtuous youth, Did ever, in so true a flame of liking, Wish chastely, and love dearly, that your Dian Was both herself and love; O, then, give pity To her whose state is such that cannot choose But lend and give where she is sure to lose; That seeks not to find that her search implies, But, riddle-like, lives sweetly where she dies!†
Scene 1.3chastely = in a non-sexual manner
- You see it lawful then: it is no more But that your daughter, ere she seems as won, Desires this ring; appoints him an encounter; In fine, delivers me to fill the time, Herself most chastely absent; after this, To marry her, I'll add three thousand crowns To what is pass'd already.†
Scene 3.7 *
- He hath perverted a young gentlewoman here in Florence, of a most chaste renown; and this night he fleshes his will in the spoil of her honour: he hath given her his monumental ring, and thinks himself made in the unchaste composition.†
Scene 4.3chaste = not having sexual intercourse (ever, outside of marriage, or for a long time); or not involving sexual desire
- He hath perverted a young gentlewoman here in Florence, of a most chaste renown; and this night he fleshes his will in the spoil of her honour: he hath given her his monumental ring, and thinks himself made in the unchaste composition.†
Scene 4.3unchaste = sexually experienced or active; or involving sexual desirestandard prefix: The prefix "un-" in unchaste means not and reverses the meaning of chaste. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.
Definitions:
-
(1)
(chaste as in: remained chaste) not having sex; or not involving sexual desireThe exact meaning of not having sex depends upon context. It can mean
- to be a virgin (never have sex)
- to be sexually inactive currently or for a long time
- to not have sex outside of marriage
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Much less commonly, chaste can refer to an unornamented simple style.