The Oxford English Dictionary credits
Shakespeare with introducing nearly
3,000 words into the English
language.
Scholars estimate Shakespeare’s
vocabulary at between 25,000 and
29,000 words, nearly twice that of the
average college student.
The normal working vocabulary of a
speaker of English is around 5,000
words.
Just a few phrases that didn’t exist
before Shakespeare:
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It’s Greek to me
Vanished into thin air
Budge an inch
Green-eyed jealousy
Played fast and loose
Tongue tied
Hoodwinked
In a pickle
Knitted your brows
Fair play
Slept not a wink
Too much of a good thing
Seen better days
• High time
• The long and short of it
• The game is up
• The truth will out
• Lie low
• Your own flesh and blood
• Crack of doom
• Foul play
• Teeth set on edge
• In one fell swoop
• Without rhyme or reason
You quote Shakespeare all the
time!
The Language
• Both written and spoken language use rhythm a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables:
Hello, my name is Jennifer.
Hel/lo, /my /name /is /Jen/ni/fer.
\ - \
\ - \ Hel/lo, /my /name /is /Jen/ni/fer.
In everyday speech, the rhythm is informal (has
no set structure).
• A formal pattern of rhythm is called meter.
• Blank verse:
Blank verse is unrhymed but uses a formal
pattern of rhythm or meter. In the English
language, blank verse is iambic
pentameter.
Iambic pentameter
Pentameter (penta = 5, think pentagon) means there are
five poetic feet.
In iambic pentameter each of these five feet is
composed of two syllables: the first unstressed; the
second stressed (10 syllables total).
The following is a line from one of Shakespeare’s
most famous sonnets:
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Count the syllables…which are stressed and which
are unstressed?
Answer:
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Shall /I/ com/pare / thee / to / a / sum/mer’s/ day?
1 2 3 4
5
6 7 8
9
10
Note there are 10 syllables, in an unstressed, stressed
pattern.
Practice:
The following are the first two lines of Romeo and
Juliet.
Are they in Iambic Pentameter?
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
Two/ house/holds, /both /a/like/ in/ dig/ni/ty,
In/ fair/ Ver/o/na,/ where/ we/ lay /our/scene,
Yes!
Why do we care?
We care, because it impacts how you read the
play.
New readers have a tendency to pause at the
end of a line, whether there is reason to or not!
You must read Shakespeare just like you would
read anything else and most importantly…
PAY ATTENTION TO PUNCTUATION!
This is an excerpt from Romeo and Juliet:
BENVOLIO:
I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword,
Or manage it to part these men with me.
It is ONE sentence!
So why is it on two lines?
Because it is written in iambic pentameter – if he’d
continued the line, there would be too many syllables.
I / do/ but /keep /the /peace: /put/ up/ thy /sword,
Or/ man/age /it /to/ part /these /men /with /me.
Shared lines:
FRIAR LAURENCE:
Go with me to the vault.
I dare not, sir
My master knows not but I am gone hence;
And fearfully did menace me with death,
If I did stay to look on his intents.
BALTHASAR:
Again, because it is Iambic pentameter. The two
characters are sharing the ten syllables.
Is the whole thing written in Iambic
pentameter??
No.
Shakespeare writes either in blank verse (iambic
pentameter), in rhymed verse or in prose.
Verse – another word for poetry.
Prose – regular writing
Rhymed Verse
BENVOLIO:
See, where he comes: so please you, step aside;
I'll know his grievance, or be much denied.
Prose
Prose is regular writing. Often you will see servants
talking in prose. This is to distinguish the “upper
class” characters who speak in verse (fancy) and the
regular Joe who speaks in prose (plain speech).
Common contractions
found in Shakespeare.
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'tis =
ope =
o'er =
gi' =
ne'er =
i' =
e'er =
oft =
a' =
e'en =
it is
open
over
give
never
in
ever
often
he
even
Other Words
• Art =
are
• Ere =
before
• Hence=
here
• Thee, thou, thy = you
• Thine =
your
• Wert =
were
• Wherefore = why
• But =
except
• Choler =
anger
Other important information:
Character’s names:
Benvolio: Meant to be associated with the word
“Benevolent” which means kind, caring, compassionate,
etc.
Mercutio: Meant to be associated with “Mercury.”
Mercury is a Roman god known for being charming, great
with words and a trouble maker. Also, the substance
Mercury is used in thermometers – it is sometimes called
“quick silver.” This is appropriate because of Mercutio’s
swift word play, and because he has a temper
(thermometers measure temperature – that’s where the
word temper comes from).
• Tybalt: Mercutio calls Tybalt “the prince of cats.”
This is a reference to an old story that
Shakespeare’s audience would have known
where the main character named Tybalt was,
indeed, a prince of cats. Also significant because
cats are quick and light on their feet, but also
easily angered and territorial.
• Nurse: This is Juliet’s nurse-maid. Literally, she
“nursed” Juliet as an infant (rich people didn’t do
their own breast feeding – they hire a wet nurse).
She is more like a mother than a servant/nanny
to Juliet.
• Friar Lawrence: A friar is a holy man and
member of the church. Much like a priest or
minister.
Terms
• Prologue: The word means “before speech.”
The audience is meant to receive hints about
what they will be watching in this play. Think
of it as a movie trailer.