shakespeare’s language. background shakespeare wrote in what is now labeled as early modern...
TRANSCRIPT
Shakespeare’s Language
Background Shakespeare wrote in what is now labeled as Early Modern English by linguists.
Of course to the Elizabethans, they were just speaking English.
Today Vs. Shakespeare Time
We speak in prose (language without metrical structure).
Shakespeare wrote his plays in both prose and verse (poetry).
Most of his plays are written in blank verse. This was considered artistic language at the time.
Poetic TermsIambic Pentameter:
five Beats of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables; Ten Syllables Per line.
Blank Verse: unrhymed iambic pentameter.
'So fair / and foul /a day /I have / not seen’
'The course / of true / love nev/er did /
run smooth'
BOLD= stressed (a beat)
Shakespeare Quirks
Shakespeare sometimes inverted the typical English word order to keep his verse in iambic pentameter.
I ate the sandwich. = Subject, Verb, Object (SVO). ◦Most common word order in English.
The sandwich ate I. =Object, Verb, Subject
(OVS). ◦Most common Shakespeare order.
Shakespeare Quirks
Like us, Shakespeare often used contractions.
We omit words and parts of words to speed up our speech.
"Been to class yet?" "No. Heard Love's givin'
a test." "Wha'sup wi'that?”
"Have you been to class yet?" "No, I have not been to class. I heard that
Miss Love is giving a test today." "What is up with that?"
Shakespeare Quirks
Shakespeare often dropped letters and syllables to make words fit in iambic pentameter.
'tis=it is i'=in ope = open e'er = ever o'er = over oft = often gi'=give a'=he ne'er = never e'en = even
Shakespeare Quirks
Pronouns were mostly the same, but there were a few different ones in use.
The most striking differences are the use of formal and informal second person, both in singular and plural forms.
REMIND US: WHAT IS A PRONOUN?
He Played with the ORDER of wordsRearranged them:
Separated them:
Omitted (left out words):
Language is Different
Words we don’t use anymore:
Some Words he uses have different meanings:
He created NEW words!
AccommodationAssassinationDexterouslyDislocateObsceneReliancePremeditateIndistinguishableAnd HUNDREDS more
appeared in Shakespeare’s plays FIRST!
Why did Shakespeare write this way?
To make the words fit the five beats per line
To make it rhymeHe liked to play with
wordsHe thought the words
sounded good that way
Shakespeare in Early Modern English
thou/thee youthy/thine yourdoth doart arehither to hereyonder over therehenceforth from now onhence from hereshall will, shouldwherefore whywilt willtis it iswould wishhence from herest, est, lt, t, th, eth take them off
Shakespeare’s Language
DAY TWO
DO NOWWhat did Ben Jonson mean when he said,
“He was not of an age but for all time?”Why do we study Shakespeare?
“Before the time I did Lysander see
Seemed Athens as a paradise to me.”
- Helena
- Separate beats
- 2 clauses: Label underline words SUBJECT,
VERB, OBJECT
Shakespearean Glossary
‘Tis = it is ‘Twas = it was A’ = he Anon = soon Art = are Ay = ah yes Dost = do Doth = does E’en = even E’er = ever Ere = before/rather than Fain = glad/ gladly Fie = (disgust, shame) Gi’ = give Hast = have Hath = has Hence = from here Hie = hurry
Hither = to here I’ = in Marry = unite Nay = (denial, rejection) Ne’er = never O’er = over Ope = open Prithee = (politeness) Shalt = shall Thee = you Thou = you Thither = there Thy = your Thine = your Whence = from which Wherefore = why Whither = to which place Wilt = will
I did sleep all night.
I all night did sleep.
Did sleep all night I.
Did sleep I all night.
All night I did sleep.
All did sleep I.
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
1. Define funny words
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
2. Identify subject, verbs, objects in funny sentences.
Let me not get in the way of the joining of two minds in love. Love is not love if it changes when a change is found in a lover or disappears when a lover leaves.
O no, it is an ever-fixèd mark
That looks on tempests and is never
shaken;
It is the star to every wand'ring bark, Whose worth’s unknown, although his
height be taken.
1. Define funny words
O no, it is an ever-fixèd mark
That looks on tempests and is never
shaken;
It is the star to every wand'ring bark, Whose worth’s unknown, although his
height be taken.
2. Identify subject, verbs, objects in funny sentences.
Oh no, love is a constant unchanging light that shines on storms and is never shaken; it is the star that guides every wandering boat, whose value is beyond measure, although it’s height can be measured.
Love’s not time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
1. Define funny words
Love’s not time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
2. Identify subject, verbs, objects in funny sentences.
Love is not under time’s power, though time has the power to destroy rosy lips and cheeks. Love does not change with the passing of brief hours and weeks, but lasts even to the end of time.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
1. Define funny words
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
2. Identify subject, verbs, objects in funny sentences.
If I am wrong and can be proven wrong, I never wrote, and no man ever loved.
Exit Ticket: 3/20On a sheet of notebook paper:
How does Shakespeare describe “Love” in this poem? Give at least 3 examples from the sonnet.