Shakespeare's Language

1. 0 Thy blah, thou blah, thee blah Shakespeare's Language

2. 0 The Language • The language of Shakespeare can appear confusing and daunting when first reading his work. • Many people become confused and turned off by his work because of the language. • 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.

3. 0 Re-Inventing the Language • Shakespeare is not the last person to re-invent the English language. • Like it or hate it computers and mobile phones have changed the way we write and communicate with each other.

4. 0 The Language of Text Messaging • Here is an example of a conversation that may occur on MSN or through mobile phone texts. • Sam: Wotz up...R U OK...Wotz d m@r • James: brb.....POS • Sam: lol....;-) • James: Shes gone...Noting d M@r • Sam: You going 2 Stevesprt this W/E or hanging wit UR GF • James: ROFL....chilln wit GF...I h8t Steve....

5. 0 Shakespearean Text Messages Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet… FeudTween2hses—Montague&Capulet. RomeoM falls_<3w>_JulietC@marySecretly Bt R kils J’s Cox&isbanishd. J fakes Death. As Part of Plan2b-w/R Bt_leter Bt It NvrReachs Him. Evry1confuzd—bothLuvrs kilEmselves. • Translate the above passage into your own words using CORRECT ENGLISH!

6. 0 The Language of Text Messaging • List down five reasons for how and why our language has evolved through the use of text messaging: • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5

7. 0 Shakespearean Language • Thou, thee and thy – These mean you, you, and your, respectively. These words dropped out of our language a couple of 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?

8. 0 Shakespearean Language 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.

9. 0 Others Who Invert the Language Powerful you have become, the dark side I sense in you.-- YodaGrave danger you are in. Impatient you are.-- Yoda Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.-- Yoda Help you I can, yes.-- Yoda When 900 years you reach, look as good, you will not.-- Yoda

10. 0 Shakespearean Language 3. Diction – There are three ‘problems’ with Shakespeare’s word choices: • Firstly - he uses words that no longer exist in the English we speak. • Secondly - he uses words that are in our language, but now have a different meaning to us. • Thirdly – he uses words that are in our language, but we simply don’t know what these words mean – you should look them up.

11. 0 Shakespearean Vocabulary • 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

12. Shakespearean Vocabulary ay = yes fain = gladly marry = swear word anon = at once plague, pox, ague = disease Wherefore = why Aye = yes E’en = even E’er = ever Fair = beautiful

13. Shakespearean Vocabulary Haply = by chance Hath = has Marry = yes, indeed Prithee = please Thy = your Whence = where Wilt = will, will you

14. 0 Shakespearean Vocabulary • Alack: Alas! This is an expression of sorrow or sympathy • “Alack alack! Help, help! My lady’s dead!” (Act IV Scene 5) • Anon: Soon • “Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague be true!” (Act II Scene 2) • Art: are • “Thou art thyself though not a Montague.” (Act II Scene 2) • Hither: here • “Meantime I writ to Romeo that he should hither come as this dire night.” (Act V Scene 2)

15. 0 Shakespearean Vocabulary • Fie: expression of anger • “Fie, fie, thou shamest thy shape, thy love, thy wit.” (Act III Scene 3) • Hence: away from here • “Go, get thee hence, for I will not away.” (Act V Scene 2) • “Therefore hence be gone!” (Act V Scene 2) • Hie: hurry • “Then hie you hence to Friar Laurence’ cell.” (Act II Scene 5)

16. Shakespearean Vocabulary • Thee/Thou: you • “Thou art consortest with Romeo.” (Act III Scene 1) • Tis: it is • “Tis but thy name that is thy enemy.” (Act II Scene 2)

17. Try it Yourself • Try writing sentences to accomplish the following things: • Ask someone to dance with you.____________________________________________________________________________________________________ • You are late to a meeting or game – order your friend to hurry up.____________________________________________________________________________________________________ • Beg your parents to let you stay out an extra hour past curfew.____________________________________________________________________________________________________

18. Try it Yourself • Haply, wilt thou dance with me? • Hie! We must hence to the meeting/game! • Prithee, Mom and Dad! I beg thee to let me stay out late tonight!

19. Try it Yourself • Now that you have converted modern language to Shakespearean language, try converting the following passages from Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets into the modern language of today.

20. Try it Yourself • “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown!” (Henry IV Part I)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet…” (Romeo and Juliet)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • “Shall I compare you to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” (Sonnet 18)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

21. Try it Yourself • The head (the person) who wears a crown (a ruler, king, queen, etc.) will never be at rest. • What does a name mean? If we renamed a rose and called it something else, it would still smell just as nice. • Let me compare you to a summer day. You are more beautiful and more gentle.