Reading
Shakespeare’s
Works
Why is it so hard to read
Shakespeare?
Word Order
 Modern


English:
The dog bit the boy.
The boy bit the dog.
 Shakespeare’s

English:
The boy the dog bit.
Word Order
 Modern

English:
He goes.
 Shakespeare’s

Goes he.
English:
Word Order
 Modern

English:
I hit him.
 Shakespeare’s

Him I hit.
English:
Word Order
 Modern

Size doesn’t matter,…Look at me. Do you judge me
by my size? You shouldn’t.
 Yoda’s

English:
English:
“Size matters not, ... Look at me. Judge me by size,
do you? And well you should not.
Word Order
 Modern

The force is my ally, and it is a powerful ally. It
creates life, and makes it grow.
 Yoda’s

English:
English:
For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life
creates it, makes it grow.
Word Order
 Modern

English:
Your fear must have a name before you can get rid
of it.
Or

You must know what you are afraid of before you
can get rid of it.
 Yoda’s

English:
“Named must your fear be before banish it you
can.”
You Try
 Yoda
English:
 “Powerful you have become, the dark
side I sense in you.”
 Modern
English:
 You have become powerful and I sense
the dark side in you.
You Try
 Yoda
English:
 “Once you start down the dark path,
forever will it dominate your destiny,
consume you it will.”
 Modern
English:
 Once you start down the dark path, it will
dominate your destiny forever, and it will
consume you.
Word Order
 Modern

English:
You greet my noble partner with present grace and
great prediction.
 Shakespeare’s
English:
My noble partner
You greet with present grace and great prediction

Word Order
 Modern

English:
I will convince his two chamberlains with wine and
wassail.
 Shakespeare’s

English:
His two chamberlains
Will I with wine and wassail convince
You Try
 Shakespeare’s

Glamis thou art, and Cawdor
 Modern

English:
English:
You art Glamis and Cawdor.
If you lived in 1900…
After the move, I’m going to the mall to get
a new modem for my computer. I’ll
probably pop into a cybercafe while I’m
there and check my email because I’m
expecting my travel agent to confirm my
flight to London tonight.
Context if everything!
Metaphors & Analogies
Abound
 “Now
is the winter of our discontent,
made glorious summer by this son of
York…”
Allusions
 Bible
stories
 Robin Hood
 King Arthur
 Greek and Roman stories
Personification
 trees
blushed
 seas were angry
 The wind whispered to the trees
 “Sometime too hot the eye of heaven
shines”
 “Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in
his shade”
Shakespeare invented words
 laughingstock
 hot-blooded
 ill-tempered
 cold-blooded
 puppy
dog
 eyesore
 sea change
 bated breath
 bag
 baggage
Archaic Vocabulary
 ere
– before
 Thou, thy, thee – you/your
 Hath, hast – have, has
 Till - until
Adding and Subtracting
 Adding

Seemeth
 Adding

st
Didst
 Adding

ce
Whence
 Adding

eth
shalt
 Taking



t
E’er
E’en
Ne’er
 Taking

out the ‘e’
Th’
 Taking

out the ‘a’
‘gainst
 Taking

out the ‘v’
‘o
out the ‘f’
Puns are used often
 “Lord
Chief Justice: Your means are very
slender, and your waste is great.”
 “Sir
John Falstaff: I would it were
otherwise; I would my means were
greater and my waist slenderer.”
Puns are often used
Mercutio: “Nay, gentle Romeo, we must
have you dance.”
Romeo: “Not I, believe me. You have
dancing shoes With nimble soles; I have a
soul of lead So stakes me to the ground I
cannot move.”
Multiple Meaning Words
 “Light,
seeking light, doth light of light
beguile”
Multiple Meaning Words
“Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile”
Intellect
wisdom
eyesight daylight
Multiple Meaning Words
“Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile”
Intellect
wisdom
eyesight daylight
Wisdom can be as enticing to intellectuals as
daylight is to a sighted person.