Download Shakespeare`s Language

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 – this
will help you impress the ladies as
well !
1. Thou, thee and thy – These mean you, you, and
your, respectively. These words dropped out of
our language a couple centuries ago, but
Shakespeare uses them. The verb that is used
with “thou” changes as well.
• 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?
2. Inversion – Sometimes Shakespeare will
invert the verb and the subject.
• For instance, he might write,
“Went I to Bellarmine.” instead of
“I Went to Bellarmine.”
• Example: “Then dreams he of
another’s benefice.”
• Translation: He dreams of
another’s benefice.
3. 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
THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF
THE DIFFICULT WORDS …
4. 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 (often)
– o’er = over
Copy these lines down and translate them on
a separate piece of paper.
1.
For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.
2.
Tickling a parson’s nose as a’ lies asleep.
3.
O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou
Romeo?
4.
Do not swear at all/ or, if thou wilt, swear
by thy gracious self …
5.
A plague a both your houses.
6.
Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet?