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.

Middle English – the same phrase is written as it would have appeared in the time of Geoffrey Chaucer ( ) 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?

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?

Some Context The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were a time of tumult and great social upheaval, both in England and in Europe as a whole. Some fifty years before Shakespeare’s birth, the Reformation had swept through the

Religion at the Heart Many alternatives to the Catholic Church of Rome, including Lutheranism and Calvinism. Initially resisted in England, Henry VIII’s decision to divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon in favor of Anne Boleyn in 1527, and the pope’s subsequent refusal to allow it, led to a break from the Church of Rome

Anglican Church Church of England in 1536 the king leads the church properties and wealth of the monasteries are seized by the crown, and England was thrown into a kind of religious identity crisis over the next few decades.

Start of British Empire Elizabeth I, last of the Tudor monarchs, reigned until 1603, presiding over an extraordinary rise in England’s fortunes. Spanish Armada defeated in 1588 Remember the Spanish were deeply Catholic and England now Protestant.

Catholics are back Elizabeth, known as the Virgin Queen, died without an heir James the VI of Scotland and I of England put in power His son Charles I is executed while king (1625 –1649) The English Civil War (1642– 1651) Shakespeare ( )