Shakespeare’s Language
Shakespeare’s use of language made him one of the
greatest writers in the world. With extraordinary skill and
poetic imagination, he could set vivid scenes, express powerful emotions and
reveal character in highly original ways. Many of his phrases have become
part of our everyday language.
Many of these words were created by anglicizing Latin
words by adding suffixes. It should be remembered that
during Shakespeare’s time, Latin was the official language of
law, religion, medicine, commerce and to a great part,
literature. English was considered a primitive language, and
too unsophisticated to express powerful and sensitive
sentiments and ideas. Shakespeare changed all this.
Here is a brief sampling of words Shakespeare is
credited with introducing into the English language. To find
more, just flip through your library’s Oxford English
Dictionary and browse.
Shakespeare’s Legacy
accommodation
admirable
amazement
arch-villain
assassination
batty
bloodsucking
bold-faced
coldhearted
countless
critical
domineering
dwindle
employment
equivocal
eventful
exposure
fairyland
fashionable
flowery
fortune-teller
freezing
generous
go-between
(Henry IV II.i.75-6)
grime
impartial
inaudible
inauspicious
invulnerable
lapse
laughable
lonely
madcap
majestic
monumental
motionless
newsmonger
overpower
Many of Shakespeare’s
expressions, or idioms, have
become part of the English
language. People often use
Shakespearean idioms
without realizing it.
“You’ll eat us out of house
and home if you’re not
careful!”
“There’s a method in my
madness.”
(Hamlet II.ii.207-8)
“Well, the world’s your
oyster now.”
(The Merry Wives of Windsor II.ii.4-5)
In Shakespeare’s time, there were no
dictionaries. People could spell
words however they wanted, and
sometimes made up new ones. Over
2,000 of the words Shakespeare used
had not been recorded before, and he
may have made up many of them.
Some Useful Shakespearean Language
alack
an
anon
as life
beget
beguile
belike
brook
chamber
cunning
desist
didst thou?
dost thou?
fare ye well
luck
fie
gramercies
hark
hence
hither
how now?
idle
i’faith
importune
iwis
joy
marry
meet
prithee
raiment
sawst thou?
sirrah
tarry
thee, thou
thy
‘tis
‘twas
unto
want
wench
wilt thou?
Often, letters are omitted in words
for the sake of the sound of poetry.
- alas, woe
- if
Some examples:
- at once, soon
- rather
- bring forth
- charm, trick
- probably
- endure, suffer
- room
- clever
- stop
- did you?
- do you?
- farewell, good-bye, good
- shame
- many thanks
- listen
- from here
- to this place
- what’s happening?
- foolish
- in faith, really, truly
- beg
- certainly
- rejoice
- truly, by the Virgin Mary
- suitable, appropriate
- I pray you, please
- clothes, clothing
- did you see?
- Hey, you there?
(usually used to address servants)
(accent on the first syllable)
- delay, be late, wait
- you
- your
- it is
- it was
- to
- lack
- woman
- will you?
‘tis = it is
thou’st = thou art
ne’er = never
o’er = over
o’ = of
i’ = in
‘t = it
ta’en = taken
Elizabethan language contains
many old verb forms that are no
longer used today.
Examples:
thou art – you are
thou dat – do you
thou know’st – you know
thou see’st – you see
thou did’st – you did
he hath – he has
he doth – he does
Rhythm in Shakespeare’s Plays
Shakespeare’s work is poetry in action! Since rhythm is perhaps the most
basic element of sound in a poem, and meter the most basic element of
rhythm, we must discuss meter and other related terms.
Meter: A term used to describe the underlying rhythm of a poem, based on
the number and the placement of stressed syllables in each line.
Stressed or Unstressed Syllables: Stress basically applies to the word, or the
syllable involved in a word that is given greater emphasis by our voice.
i.e. human = hU-man OR hu-mAne
i.e. Is SHE walking? OR IS she walking?
The number of stresses in a line of poetry, therefore, is the number of
syllables on which our voice naturally tends to put a stronger emphasis.
The lines of Shakespeare’s plays are unrhymed and are all ten syllables long.
The syllables have alternating stresses (an unstressed syllable followed by a
stressed one).
U / = iamb
U /
U
/ U/ U / U/
i.e. “Two households, both alike in dignity” (Romeo and Juliet, Prologue, 1)
There are five feet (groups) of iambs. This pattern is technically called
iambic pentameter.
Various Patterns
iamb =
phyrric =
spondee =
trochee =
anapest =
caesura =
U/
UU
//
/U
UU/
|| (a pause)
Line Lengths
dimeter – two feet per line
trimeter – three feet per line
tetrameter – four feet per line
pentameter – five feet per line
hexameter – six feet per line
I want you to enjoy your experience with the Shakespearean play Othello. During Shakespeare’s
day, Londoners were in love with words and language. To truly appreciate and share their love,
you must understand what on earth they are saying!
Here are a few things to keep in mind when reading:
 Read by punctuation, not by line ending. The end of the line is not necessarily the end of
a sentence. Remember, much of the play is written as poetry!
Ex.
My noble father,
I do perceive here a divided duty.
To you I am bound for life and education.
My life and education both do learn me
How to respect you. You are the lord of my duty,
I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband,
And so much duty as my mother showed
To you, preferring you before her father,
So much I challenge that I may profess
Due to the Moor my lord. (Othello, 1.3.179–188)
 Read slowly, remembering that poetry is compressed and therefore ideas are expressed in
the fewest words possible. Thus, each word counts.
 While reading pick out the words that are familiar to you and use them to help you figure
out the rest.
 Shakespeare uses a lot of images and symbols therefore you will need to use your
imagination to help you understand what emotions or ideas he is referring to.
 Additionally, by using your imagination you will be like Shakespeare’s original
audience! Picturing the person or events that are being described will help bring the play
“to life” for you.
Practice makes perfect…
Shakespeare’s Unusual Arrangement of Words
The way Shakespeare put his words together can be confusing, because we depend on the
position of words in a sentence or phrase to guide us in our understanding of what is being said.
Rearrange the following words (taken from Othello) in the order you would probably use them in
ordinary conversation:
1. “I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at; I am not what I am." (1.1.64-65)
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2. "To mourn a mischief that is past and gone is the next way to draw new mischief on.”
(1.3.204-205)
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3. “Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without
deserving.” (2.3. )
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