A small number of terms relating to a suit of armour are found in Shakespeare, especially in the history plays; several are used together in TNK III.vi.53, ff, when Arcite and Palamon arm each other
Headgear
| Term |
Example |
Gloss |
| beaver |
Ham I.ii.230 |
lower part of a helmet's face-guard, normally lifted except when fighting |
| burgonet |
AC I.v.24 |
light helmet from Burgundy, used by foot-soldiers |
| casque |
TNK III.vi.62 |
general term for all kinds of helmet |
| crest |
KJ II.i.317 |
helmet [originally, the plume of feathers on a helmet] |
| helm |
TC I.ii.233 |
helmet |
| helmet |
R2 I.iii.119 |
[as in modern English] |
| sallet |
2H6 IV.x.10 |
small round helmet, often lacking a visor |
|
Body parts
| Term |
Example |
Gloss |
| brace |
Per II.i.128 |
piece of armour protecting the arms; or: coat of armour |
| buckle |
TNK III.vi.61 |
as in modern English, but here for linking pieces of armour |
| corslet |
Cor V.iv.20 |
piece of armour protecting the torso |
| cuishes, cushes, cuisses |
1H4 IV.i.105 |
piece of armour protecting the front of the thigh |
| gauntlet |
Ham V.ii.218 |
armoured glove protecting the hand and wrist |
| gorget |
TC I.iii.174 |
piece of armour protecting the throat |
| grand guard |
TNK III.vi.58 |
piece of tournament armour giving additional protection to the breast and left shoulder |
| mail |
E3 I.ii.29 |
coat made of small interlinked steel rings (chain-mail) |
| shoulder-piece |
TNK IV.ii.127 |
piece of armour protecting the shoulder |
| vantbrace, vambrace |
TC I.iii.297 |
piece of armour protecting the fore-arm |
|
WEAPONS