Transcript Vorstellung einer Neuheit - uni

Shakespeares Language in
Titus Andronicus
More possibilities
The grammar was not as strict as today.
Apart from hard rules rhyme, style and
metre could influence the sentence
structure:
Did you notice...
piece
… there are rarelyChanging
any -ing endings

Even though the form existed it
wasn't actually used.
Groaning
shadows

In 100 000 words the ing occurs 40 times in a
Shakespeare text, 120 times in a restauration
comedy, and 837 times in modern drama
Now or not Now?
The present is not exclusively used for the
present. Occasionally it is used for the
past as well.
To top this confusion: Verbs in the 1st
person singular don't have special
endings.
Tamora: Titus, I am come to see you
Shall Shall Shall


In the battle of „Will“ and „Shall“, „Shall“
prevailed. Of course the language of the
bible had had its influence on that.
In the 17th century it is still hard to decide
whether „Shall“ refers to modality or future.
Marcus: Titus, thou shalt obtain and ask the
empery.
Lucius: And that he will, and shall, if Lucius
live
Chiron: Full well shalt thou perceive how
much I dare.
Do Do Do Do Do Do Do Do Do



The use of „do“ was since the 15th century
constantly increasing. Except for a
construction in a positive declarance
sentence: „Somewhat doth she mean“
The lifetime of Shakespeare is the only time
where „do“ is recognizable used in a
positive declarance sentence.
Simultaneously questions and imperatives
increased up to the modern frequency.
Imperative
In case of an imperative, the pronoun could
follow the verb:

In peace and honour rest you here!

Hark ye!
Inverted Order
The usual order of Subject Verb Object can
be inverted in early modern english: Verb
Object.
Chiron: And that would she...
Bibliographie


Manfred Görlach: „Einführung ins
Frühneuenglische“ Heidelberg: 1994.
Charles Barber: „Early modern English“
Edinburgh: 1997.