SHAKESPEARE’S INFLUENCE ON

LANGUAGE

OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE Shakespeare is on of the most

famous Englishmen Shakespeare is famous for the effect

he had on the English language Shakespeare did this without even

realizing the changes he was making People modernized it and used it in

their work day speech

GRAMMAR The endings on words were changing The suffixes disappeared that let

people know the grammatical functions of that word

Due to the Renaissance explosion the Modern English became very flexible

Shakespeare was a leading figure in making the language flexible

WRITING IS SET FREE Shakespeare began to change phrases The English language was being set free

and writers wanted to use it in their own poetry

Shakespeare was transforming his language, pointing it in the direction we use today

Modern English changes and develops as we use new phrases, foreign words, and incorporate different dialects as we speak

MIXTURE OF LANGUAGES OPENS NEW DOORS FOR SHAKESPEARE

The Renaissance caused the European Language to mix into the English Language

This mixture made Shakespeare excited and it gave him endless possibilities to do what he wanted with the English language

“Light seeking light, doth light of light beguile” Intellect, wisdom, eyesight, and daylight

DIFFERENT FORMS OF WORDS “you” Both singular and plural Old English

Thou: used for addressing one personYe: more than one person

By the time of Early Modern English these words seemed old fashioned to us and “you” became the norm for all grammatical functions

When we see the words “ye” and “thou” we always say that is old fashioned

THE USE OF “THOU” AND “THEE” “Thou” and “Thee”

Higher rank to those people beneath themAddress God, ghosts, witchesMales address their wife with “thou” and

the wives answer respectfully with “you”Special intimacy, affection, formality,

politeness, and distance Inferior to a superiorExpress feelings of anger and insulting or

disrespect

THE USE OF THE WORD “YOU” “You”

Lower status to those above themFormal way of upper class to talk to one

anotherWhen a husband would address his wife she

would respectfully respond using the word “You”

MANIPULATION OF WORDS Created words, but also created nouns

into verbs To eyeball/ elbow someone To be caked in something To label someone Something is “flawed”

WORKS CITED Mabillard, Amanda. Words Shakespeare

Invented Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. 11 April 2011.

“Shakespeare’s Development of Middle English to Early modern English.” nosweatshakespeare. 7 April 2011. Web.