1 / 22

Language of William Shakespeare

Language of William Shakespeare. “This isn’t even English.” . How to Read Like an Elizabethan . Do not pause at the end of a line unless the punctuation calls for it Read it like prose Read the footnotes to understand allusions Keep a dictionary handy. It’s not “Old English” (800 AD).

yanni
Télécharger la présentation

Language of William Shakespeare

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Language of William Shakespeare “This isn’t even English.”

  2. How to Read Like an Elizabethan • Do not pause at the end of a line unless the punctuation calls for it • Read it like prose • Read the footnotes to understand allusions • Keep a dictionary handy

  3. It’s not “Old English”(800 AD) • Shakespeare did NOT write in “Old English” • Old English is the language of Beowulf: • Hwaet! We Gardena in geardagum • ÞeodcyningaÞrymgefrunon • Hu ðaæÞelingasellenfremedon! • Hey! We have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes in the old days, the kings of tribes, how noble princes showed great courage!

  4. Old English Translation Faeder urethueart on heofonum, si thin namagehalgod. Tobecume thin rice. Gewurthe thin willa on eorthanswaswa on heofonum.

  5. It’s not “Middle English”(1320-1384) • Middle English is the language of Chaucer, the Gawain-poet, and Malory: • We redeth oft and findeth y-write— • And this clerkeswele it wite— • Layes that ben in harping • Ben y-founde of ferli thing… (Sir Orfeo)

  6. Middle English Translation Oure fadir that art in heuenes, halwid be thi name; thikyngdomcumme to; be thiwille don as in heuen and in erthe; gif to us this day ouer breed ouresubstaunce; and forgeueuo us ouredettis as we forgeue to ouredettours …

  7. It IS “Early Modern English” • EME was not very different from “Modern English”, except for a few things • Modern English: you can be singular or plural • EME: Thou = singular, ye = plural • Thou = intimate/personal or for higher classes to address lower classes • You = formal language + addressing those of power • Beginning about 200 years before Shakespeare, and largely complete by his day, long vowel pronunciation shifted: ex: good, name, life

  8. Modern English Translation 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 …

  9. Unique Words • Critical • Majestic • Dwindle • Fashionable • Embrace (as a noun) • Vulnerable

  10. Unique Phrases • one fell swoop • flesh and blood • vanish into thin air • pomp and circumstance • seen better days • a sorry sight • neither rhyme nor reason • full circle • dead as a doornail • for goodness sake • green-eyed monster

  11. If you cannot understand my argument, and declare "It's Greek to me", if your lost property has vanished into thin air, if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have been tongue-tied, hoodwinked or in a pickle, if you have knitted your brows, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, laughed yourself into stitches, if you have too much of a good thing, if you have seen better days or if you think it is high time and that that is the long and short of it, if you believe that the game is up and that truth will out even if it involves your own flesh and blood, if you lie low till the crack of doom because you suspect foul play, if you have your teeth set on edge (at one fell swoop) without rhyme or reason - it is all one to me, for you are quoting Shakespeare!”

  12. Difficulties in Translation…

  13. 1. Unusual Sequence of Words • I ate the Big Mac. • Ate the Big Mac I. • I the Big Mac ate. • Ate I the Big Mac. • The Big Mac I ate. • The Big Mac ate I.

  14. 2. Clauses that Delay Action On the Channel Nine late show at twelve o’clock, while eating pistachio ice cream, before turning to homework, Ralph saw Martha.

  15. 3. Troublesome Omissions If that call’s for me, (say)I’m not home. (If you) do that to me again, you’re in deep (trouble).

  16. Translation Tips:

  17. 1. Thou, Thee, and Thy You, You, and 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?

  18. 2. Inversion Shakespeare will invert the verb and the subject Example: “Went I to Bellamine” instead of “I went to Bellarmine” Example: “Then dreams he of another’s benefice” Translation: He dreams of another’s benefice.

  19. 3. Diction 1. He uses words that no longer exist in English we speak 2. He uses words that mean something differently than what they mean now 3. He uses words that are in our language, but we still don’t know their definition. Dictionary!

  20. Examples of Omissions and Contractions 'tis ~ it is ope~ open o'er ~ over gi' ~ give ne'er ~ never i' ~ in e'er~ ever oft ~ often e'en~ even

  21. Activity Finish Elizabethan real estate listing with group Begin working on “How To Read Shakespeare” instructional pamphlet

  22. Activity In your groups, translate each Shakespearean quote – Your translation must be in your own words!

More Related