2. Anglo-Saxon period (450-1066) The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes came to the British Isles from Northern Europe (Denmark and Scandinavia) and fuse into one tribe. Beowulf Old English This is Old English: Hwæt. We Gardena in geardagum, þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon. Shakespeare did not write in Old English.

3. Medieval period (1066-1500) The Normans invade Great Britain (1066) and French becomes the new language of the ruling class. Old English is influenced by the French and evolves into Middle English. The Canterbury Tales This is Middle English: Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote The droghte of Marche hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Shakespeare did not write in Middle English.

4. The Renaissance (1500-1660) Normans and English fuse into one culture (much like the Anglo-Saxons). English becomes the dominant language. The printing press helps spelling and grammar become standardized. Early Modern English The King James Bible (1611) Early Modern English: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. This is the language Shakespeare wrote in. It is modern English, and very understandable.

6. Born in Stratford upon Avon. Born on April 23. Died on April 23. Often called “The Bard of Avon,” or just “The Bard.” Didn’t receive formal higher education. Married Anne Hathaway in 1582, had a baby six months later. (Hmm…) His most famous theater was called The Globe. The Globe burned down in 1613. (They fired a canon during a performance of Henry VIII.)

8. Shakespeare’s plays can be put into four categories: Comedy – ends in a wedding (Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) Tragedy – ends with death (Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Romeo & Juliet) History – a historical tale of England’s monarchy (Richard III, Henry IV) Romance – a drama with a more epic scope, and themes of forgiveness and good conquering evil (Winter’s Tale, The Tempest)

10. Yada yada yada… …and sometimes they even make it in the dictionary. Getting’ jiggy wit it! That’s part of how languages evolve. But more often than not, new words will go out of fashion quickly, and nobody will use them anymore after that.

11. Accused Addiction Advertising Amazement Assassination Backing Bandit Bedroom Birthplace Blanket Blushing Bet Bump Buzzer Cater Champion Circumstantial Compromise Countless Critic Deafening Drugged Epileptic Elbow Excitement Eyeball Fashionable Fixture Flawed Generous Gloomy Gossip Gust

12. Hint Hurried Impartial Invulnerable Label Laughable Lonely Lower Luggage Lustrous Majestic Marketable Metamorphize Mimic Monumental Mountaineer Negotiate Noiseless Obscene Outbreak Premeditated Puking Radiance Rant Remorseless Savagery Scuffle Secure Skim milk Submerge Summit Swagger Torture Tranquil Undress Unreal Varied Vaulting Worthless Zany And many more

13. You probably already knew that all the women in Shakespeare’s plays were originally played by men, right? Shakespeare’s theater troupe always kept two pre-adolescent boys on hand for those parts: a “sassy brunette,” and a “cute blonde.”

14. First, get over words like “thee” and “thou.” They aren’t hard. SingularPlural 1 st personI, meWe, us 2 nd personThou, theeYou, ye 3 rd personHe/she, him/herThey, them Many foreign language have multiple words for “you,” but we don’t use them in English much anymore. Thou/thee: singular, informal (used for close friends, family, and subordinates) You/ye: plural, formal (used for multiple people, strangers, and superiors)

15. Don’t be afraid of words with endings like “-st” or “-th.” SingularPlural 1 st personI haveWe have 2 nd personThou hastYou have 3 rd personHe/she hathThey have It’s just a different verb conjugation than what we usually use nowadays. It’s pretty easy to figure those words out. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

16. The language Shakespeare uses is not what’s difficult about his work. Shakespeare uses frequent motifs and metaphors, and they often go together. Pay attention to things that show up often such as fire, darkness, blood, or clothes that don’t fit (really). Shakespeare uses a lot of allusions. Use footnotes to help with allusions you do not recognize. Shakespeare uses a lot of personification. Does night have a cheek? No. Can days walk? No. Think about things figuratively. Apostrophes only mean that letters have been remov’d. Use context clues to figure these out. Most of his tragedies are written in iambic pentameter. But even when the line ends, the sentence keeps going until you see a period.

17. Romeo: O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s* ear; Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! *Ethiopian man What does this mean? Don’t think of the language as scary, just break down the metaphors. How do the metaphors make the text more meaningful?

18. Macbeth:She should have died hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word. — Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury Signifying nothing. What three metaphors for life are given? What do they have in common? How does this add to the meaning of the text?

19. Anon – soon Attend – wait Aught – anything Aye – yes, always Base – unworthy Befall – happen Chide – rebuke False – deceitful Forbear – stop Gentle – honorable Ho – here, or hey Ill – bad Knave – scoundrel Mark – notice Office – responsibility Straight – immediately Warrant – promise