LESSON 1 STARTER SHEET – 1st MARCH
SHAKESPEARE’S LANGUAGE – COMPLETE BOTH SIDES!!!
TASK 1
Look at these famous quotes from Shakespeare and answer the questions.
1. ‘The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.’
(As You Like It)
a) what is the modern equivalent of doth?
b) explain what you think the quote means
2. ‘This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then
be false to
any man.’
(Hamlet)
a) what are the modern equivalents of thine, thou, and canst not?
b) explain what you think the quote means
3. ‘Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.’
(Hamlet)
a) what is the modern equivalent of thy?
b) explain what you think the quote means
4. ‘Many a true word hath been spoken in jest.’
(King Lear)
a) what is the modern equivalent of hath?
b) explain what you think the quote means (a jest is a joke)
5. Which of these quotes do you agree with the most? Explain your answer.
TASK 2
Read the following text about Shakespeare’s grammar and answer the questions.
In order to read and understand Shakespeare, it is important to know that certain aspects of English
grammar have changed since Shakespeare’s time. Probably the most important change is that English no
longer has two ‘you’ forms. In Shakespeare’s time, ‘you’ was used as a more polite form, and ‘thou’ as a
more familiar form. ‘You’ was also used for addressing more than one person and ‘thou’ to address one
person. ‘Thou’ also had different verb forms to ‘you’, so Shakespeare would have said ‘you are’, but ‘thou
art’, ‘you have’ but ‘thou hast’. The third person (he, she, it) also had different verb forms, with, for
example, ‘hath’, ‘doth’ and ‘seeth’ instead of the modern ‘has’, ‘does’ and ‘sees’.
1. What two differences were there between ‘thou’ and ‘you’?
2. Give an example of a Shakespearean verb ending for ‘thou’ and for ‘he’.
3. Do you know a language that still has two ‘you’ forms like Shakespearean English?
TASK 3
Match the Shakespearean words to their modern-day equivalents. Your options are as follows:
Say - Yes - Otherwise - Promise - Telling a lie - For fear that, in case - Flirt or romance - Why - Goodbye
Often - I think - Willingly – No - Please - It was
SHAKESPEARE
Fain
Farewell
Nay
Oft
Woo
Lest
Wherefore
Methinks
Pronounce
Ay
Swear
Twas
Perjury
Else
Prithee
MODERN
LESSON 1 STARTER SHEET – 1st MARCH
SHAKESPEARE’S LANGUAGE – ANSWERS!!!
TASK 1
Look at these famous quotes from Shakespeare and answer the questions.
1. ‘The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.’
c) what is the modern equivalent of doth?
(As You Like It)
DOES
d) explain what you think the quote means
Stupid people think they are clever, but clever people know there’s lots they don’t know.
2. ‘This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then
be false to any man.’
(Hamlet)
c) what are the modern equivalents of thine, thou, and canst not? YOUR , YOU , CANNOT / CAN’T
d) explain what you think the quote means
If you are honest with yourself, then you will be honest with everyone else.
3. ‘Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.’
c) what is the modern equivalent of thy?
(Hamlet)
YOUR
d) explain what you think the quote means
Listen to everyone, but don’t speak to everyone.
4. ‘Many a true word hath been spoken in jest.’
c) what is the modern equivalent of hath?
(King Lear)
HAS
d) explain what you think the quote means (a jest is a joke)
Many times when you are joking you say things that are actually true.
5. Which of these quotes do you agree with the most? Explain your answer.
TASK 2
Read the following text about Shakespeare’s grammar and answer the questions.
In order to read and understand Shakespeare, it is important to know that certain aspects of English
grammar have changed since Shakespeare’s time. Probably the most important change is that English no
longer has two ‘you’ forms. In Shakespeare’s time, ‘you’ was used as a more polite form, and ‘thou’ as a
more familiar form. ‘You’ was also used for addressing more than one person and ‘thou’ to address one
person. ‘Thou’ also had different verb forms to ‘you’, so Shakespeare would have said ‘you are’, but ‘thou
art’, ‘you have’ but ‘thou hast’. The third person (he, she, it) also had different verb forms, with, for
example, ‘hath’, ‘doth’ and ‘seeth’ instead of the modern ‘has’, ‘does’ and ‘sees’.
3. What two differences were there between ‘thou’ and ‘you’?
You was more polite and thou was more informal. You was used to address more than one
person and thou was used to address one person.
4. Give an example of a Shakespearean verb ending for ‘thou’ and for ‘he’.
Art, hast, doth, seeth
3. Do you know a language that still has two ‘you’ forms like Shakespearean English?
French and German - there are probably others!
TASK 3
Match the Shakespearean words to their modern-day equivalents. Your options are as follows:
Say - Yes - Otherwise - Promise - Telling a lie - For fear that, in case - Flirt or romance - Why - Goodbye
Often - I think - Willingly – No - Please - It was
SHAKESPEARE
MODERN
Fain
Farewell
Nay
Oft
Woo
Lest
Wherefore
Methinks
Pronounce
Ay
Swear
Twas
Perjury
Else
Prithee
Willingly
Goodbye
No
Often
Flirt or romance
For fear that, in case
Why
I think
Say
Yes
Promise
It was
Telling a lie
Otherwise
Please