1. Understanding Shakespeare’s Language

2. Instructions
Today you’ll be preparing to understand Shakespeare’s language in Hamlet (and all his other works!)
Please view this presentation in full-screen mode (nothing else to distract!), and follow the steps in order.

3. Translating Today’s lingo into Shakespeare’s
For this activity, you and a partner will pass notes to one another. You will be writing a silent conversation.
You will then take your conversation and translate it into a Shakespearean conversation. Don’t stress over it—just try to learn!
Try to keep the conversation short – about 6 exchanges – and handwrite it to be collected.
Example:
A. What do you want to do after school?
B. I don’t know. Do you want to come over to my house?
A. Ok. Can we play with your playstation?
B. Sure. What game do you want to play?
A. Halo 3, because you can play by yourself or with
other players.
B. Good. I’ve been wanting to play you. I bet I beat you.
A. You talk smack!

4. Good! Let’s move on to translating . . .
Got your example?
Good! Let’s move on to translating . . .

5. Translating the nouns and pronouns in our silent conversations
When “you” is used as a singular subject in a sentence, it becomes “thou” – “Thou art a villain.”
When “you” is used as an object in a sentence, it becomes “thee” – “Come, let me clutch thee.”
When you is used as a plural pronoun (you all), it becomes “ye” – “Ye shall know me.”
When “your” is used as a possessive pronoun, it becomes “thy” – “What is thy name?”
EXCEPT when “your” is used as a possessive pronoun before a pronoun that begins with a vowel sound (think “a” versus “an” – “a dog” versus “an airdale”), it becomes “thine” – “To thine own self be true”

6. So, A Translation of our Example Convo:
A. What do you want to do after school?
B. I don’t know. Do you want to come over to
my house?
A. Ok. Can we play with your playstation?
B. Sure. What game do you want to play?
A. Halo 3, because you can play by your-
self or with other players.
B. Good. I’ve been wanting to play you. I bet
I beat you!
A. You talk smack!
A. What do thou want to do after school?
B. I don’t know. Do thou want to come over to
my house?
A. Ok. Can we play with thy playstation?
B. Sure. What game do thou want to play?
A. Halo 3, because thou can play by thine own
self or with other players.
B. Good. I’ve been wanting to play thee. I bet
I beat thee!
A. Thou talk smack!

7. Give it a Try on Your Conversation!!
Here’s the key again:
When “you” is used as a singular subject in a sentence, it becomes “thou” – “Thou art a villain.”
When “you” is used as an object in a sentence, it becomes “thee” – “Come, let me clutch thee.”
When you is used as a plural pronoun (you all), it becomes “ye” – “Ye shall know me.”
When “your” is used as a possessive pronoun, it becomes “thy” – “What is thy name?”
EXCEPT when “your” is used as a possessive pronoun before a pronoun that begins with a vowel sound (think “a” versus “an” – “a dog” versus “an airdale”), it becomes “thine” – “To thine own self be true”

8. What about Shakespearean verbs?
Elizabethan language, though considered Early
Modern English, still retained some verb or predicate inflections. (scary sounding, I know)
Usually they simply add an -est or –st
to a verb. These endings were often used with the 2nd person pronouns (you, your, yours).
Ex. “Do” changes to “dost”
The verb “are” changes to “art.”
Other verbs sometimes take the ending –th
Ex. “Has” changes to “hath”

9. So, if we change our verbs…
A. What do thou want to do after school?
B. I don’t know. Do thou want to come over to
my house?
A. Ok. Can we play with thy playstation?
B. Sure. What game do thou want to play?
A. Halo 3, because thou can play by thine
own self or with other players.
B. Good. I’ve been wanting to play thee. I bet
I beat thee!
A. Thou talk smack!
A. What dost thou want to do after school?
B. I don’t know. Dost thou want to come over to
my house?
A. Ok. Can we play with thy playstation?
B. Sure. What game dost thou want to play?
A. Halo 3, because thou canst play by thine own self or with other players.
B. Good. I’ve been wanting to play thee. I bet I beat thee!
A. Thou talkest smack!

10. Try it on Some of Your Verbs!
Here’s the key for verbs again:
Elizabethan language, though considered Early
Modern English, still retained some verb or predicate inflections. (scary sounding, I know)
Usually they simply add an -est or –st
to a verb. These endings were often used with the 2nd person pronouns (you, your, yours).
Ex. “Do” changes to “dost”
The verb “are” changes to “art.”
Other verbs sometimes take the ending –th
Ex. “Has” changes to “hath”

11. Another Complication: Inverted Syntax
Let’s start with normal syntax:
Subject
Verb
Object I
ate
the sandwich
And now the possible variations:
I the sandwich ate.
Ate the sandwich I.
Ate I the sandwich.
The sandwich I ate.
The sandwich ate I.
Subject – Object - Verb
Verb – Object - Subject
Verb – Subject – Object
Object – Subject – Verb
Noun – Verb - Subject
They all mean the same thing!

12. Why Shakespeare Inverts
“Dismayed not this our captains ?”
(Macbeth I.ii.37-38).
Alternative: “Did this not dismay . . .”
Most often his inversions either maintain the iambic meter (as this example does), or they cause a variation that emphasize a particular word or idea

13. Practicing Inversion
Take down your answers on a piece of notebook paper
Here’s your Subject: “I”
Here’s your verb: “walked”
And here’s your object: “the dog”
Show me standard Subject – Verb – Object
Now try Object – Subject – Verb
How about Verb – Object – Subject?
Sounds a little silly, right? But you can understand!

14. Practicing Inversion, Continued
Return these sentences to standard Subject-Verb-Object
Not too difficult is this!
Practice it takes!
Learn it you will!

15. And That’s It for Today!