Any reader of Renaissance texts encounters words that are unfamiliar, or that meant something different then than they do now, or have multiple layers of connotations. The OED is available both in book and on-line or electronic form. The on-line OED is accessible through the library's home page and the English Web Page. This exercise will introduce you to searching for words on the OED, and give you some sense of the richness of any given word. Your exercise will be evaluated on the basis of its thoroughness and thoughtfulness, and you and your partner will receive the same grade.
Some examples are below.
See Help for Help, or ask the nice librarians at the Reference desk. In one or two paragraphs discuss what other meanings might be lurking beneath the surface, and how these other meanings affect your reading of the line, phrase, or passage in which the word occurs.