Why You’re Scared of Shakespeare

1)Iambic Pentameter-ten syllables per line with an unstressed/stressed beat. Unrhymed iambic pentameter is called blank verse.

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks.

It is the East, and Juliet the sun

2)Inversions-Reversed word order strays away from typical subject/verb/object order.

–Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon

–Such unconstant starts are we like to have from him

–I greedily ate the spicy sandwich.

–Greedily ate I the spicy sandwich.

–I ate greedily the spicy sandwich.

–The spicy sandwich I greedily ate.

–The sandwich, spicy, greedily I ate…

3)Omissions – Letters are left out to fit iambic pentameter.

‘gainstne’er‘sblood

‘tista’ene’en

‘twereo’ere’er

4)Allusions-references to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. Shakespeare often alludes to Greek/Roman myths. Discuss.

Cupid

King Cophetua and Beggar Maid

Echo

Titan

Aurora

Phoebus

5)Separations-words and phrases that normally appear together are separated, often by many lines. Where is the separation in the following?

Will you, with those infirmities she owes

Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate

Dowered with our curse and strangered with our oathTake her or leave her?

I yet beseech your Majesty—

If for I want that glib and oily art

To speak and purpose not, since what I well intend

I’ll do ‘t before I speak—that you make known

It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,

No unchaste action or dishonored step

That hath deprived me of your grace and favor. . .

6)Elizabethan Language-unfamiliar vocabulary or familiar words with different meanings. NOT OLD ENGLISH!*

  • An/And-if
  • Anon-soon
  • Aye-yes
  • E’en-even
  • E’er-ever
  • Hither-here
  • Wherefore-why
  • Would-wish
  • Thee-you
  • Thou-you
  • Thine-yours
  • Thy-your

*Old English

(Mid 5th century to about 11th century)

Soplice on pam dagum waes geworden gebod fram pam casereAugusto, paet eall ymbehwyrft waere tomearcod. Ieos tomearcodneswaes aeryst geworden fram pam deman Syrige Cirino. And ealle hig eodon,and syndrige ferdon on hyra ceastre. Da ferde Iosep fram Galilea of paereceastre Nazareth on Iudeisce ceastre Dauides, seo is genemned Bethleem, for pam pe he waes of Jauldes huse and hirede; pret he ferae mid Marianpe him beweddod waes, and waes geeacnod. Soplice waes geworden pa hi par waeron, hire dagas wreron gefyllede pret heo cende. And heo cende hyre frumcennedan sunu, and hine mid cildclapum bewand, and hine on binne alede, for pam pe hig nrefdon rum on cumena huse. And hyrdas waeron on pam ylcan rice waciende, and nihtwaeccan

Middle English

(Late 11th century to about 1470)

And it was don in tho daies, a maundement wente out fro the emperour August, thatal the world schulde be discryued. This firste discryuyng was maad of Cyryn, iustice of Sirie. And aile men wenten to make professioun, ecll in to his owne citee. And Joseph went fro Galilee, fro the citee Nazareth, in to Judee, in to a citee of Dauid, that is clepid Bethleem, for that he was of the hous and of the meyne of Dauid, that he schulde knouleche with Marie, his win: that was weddid to hym, and was greet with child. And it was don, while thei weren there, the daies were fulfillid, that

King James Version

And it came to passe in those dayes, that there went out a decree from Cesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was gouemor of Syria) And all went to bee taxed, euery one into his owne citie. And Joseph also went from Galilee, out of the citie of Nazareth,

, \ ...... - -',.\.

into Judea, vnto the citie of Dauid, which

is called Bethlehem, (because he was of the" house and linage of Dauid,) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that while they were there, the dayes were accomplished that she should be deliuered. And she brought foorth her