Transcript Shakespeare`s Language File

Shakespeare’s Language
It is not as difficult as it seems.
Language Change
~Languages do not just happen – they are
the result of many of hundreds and even
thousands of years of development.
~The English as we know it is relatively
new and is in a constant state of change.
Every day hundreds of new words enter
the language and many are dropped.
~In addition, the English language is
spoken in many dialects around the
world.
• The English language contains
about 300,000 words, but your
vocabulary is about 3000 and
you get by on a daily basis with
about 150.
• By contrast, William Shakespeare
had a vocabulary of 15,000 words
and invented many of the words
and phrases that we still use
today.
• Let’s take a look at Old English how many people think
Shakespeare wrote …
Old English – the following passage is from
the time of King Alfred or about 800 A.D.
• Faeder ure thu eart on
heofonum, si thin nama
gehalgod. Tobecume thin rice.
Gewurthe thin willa on
eorthan swa swa on
heofonum.
• Do you think you know what
it means?
Middle English – the same phrase is written as it
would have appeared in the time of Geoffrey
Chaucer (1320-1384)
• Oure fadir that art in heuenes,
halwid be thi name; thi
kyngdom cumme to; be thi wille
don as in heuen and in erthe; gif
to us this day ouer breed oure
substaunce; and forgeue uo us
oure dettis as we forgeue to oure
dettours …
• Does this one make a little more
sense?
Modern English – here is the same passage
as it appeared in 1611 or about the time of
Shakespeare.
• Our father, which art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name. Thy
kingdom come; thy will be done on
earth as it is in Heaven. Give us
this day, our daily bread; and
forgive us our debts as we forgive
our debtors, and lead us not into
temptation …
• So is Shakespeare’s language all
that different?
• Learning to read Shakespeare is a
bit like learning a foreign
language, but it is well worth the
effort.
• Here are a few tricks to
understanding Shakespeare!
These words dropped out of our language a
couple centuries ago, but Shakespeare uses
them.
Thou= you
Thee= you
Thy= your
• Example: “ Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast
more wit,
Wilt thou not Jule?”
• Translation: You will fall backward
when you have more wit,
Will you not, Jule?
Verb Endings
• Verb endings were also different
during Shakespeare’s times.
• Elizabethan verbs simply add an –est,
–st, and -th to a verb.
– Third person singular: add –th
• She giveth
• He tooketh
• Second person (you – thee, thy, thine,
thou): add –est or-st
• How wast thy weekend?
• Thy breath offendst me!
Inversion
• Shakespeare’s sentences are often
“messed up” or out of order.
• He did this to retain iambic
pentameter or to create a rhyme.
Example: I ate the sandwich.
• I the sandwich ate.
• Ate the sandwich I.
• Ate I the sandwich.
• The sandwich ate I.
Diction – There are three problems with Shakespeare’s
word choice.
• First - he uses words that no longer
exist in the English we speak.
• Second - he uses words that are in
our language, but now have a
different meaning to us.
• Third – he uses words that are in our
language, but we simply don’t know
what these words mean – you should
look them up.
Some translations to help you …
still= always
soft= slowly, gently
mark= listen
an= if
fell= cruel, fierce, deadly
to-night= last night
perforce= we must, you must
kind= true to one’s nature
ay= yes
fain= gladly
marry= swear word
anon= at once
plague, pox, ague= disease
wherefore= why
Contractions – for purposes of rhythm
Shakespeare uses contractions to cut out syllables.
• Examples:
 o’ = on
 th’ = the
 i’ = in
 ‘t – it
 ta’en = taken
 ‘em = them
 ‘a = he
 o’er = over







tis = it is
ope = open
gi' = give
ne'er = never
e'er = ever
oft = often
e'en = even
Common Shakespearian Words
• doth= does
• didst= did
• canst= can
• mayst= may
• wilt= will
• wouldst= would
•
•
•
•
•
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shalt, shouldst= shall
art= are
wast= was
wert= were
hath= have
dost= do
Now, let’s translate these sentences together.
1. “For I ne’er saw true beauty till this
night.”
2. “Thou art a villain!”
3. “I give this to thee.”
4. “To thine own self be true.”
5. “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art
thou Romeo?”