Shakespeare’s Influence on Language

1. Shakespeare’s Influence on Language

2. Our English Language • Shakespeare is on of the most famous Englishmen • Shakespeare is famous for the effect he had on the English language • Shakespeare did this without even realizing the changes he was making • People modernized it and used it in their work day speech

3. Grammar • The endings on words were changing • The suffixes disappeared that let people know the grammatical functions of that word • Due to the Renaissance explosion the Modern English became very flexible • Shakespeare was a leading figure in making the language flexible

4. Writing is set free • Shakespeare began to change phrases • The English language was being set free and writers wanted to use it in their own poetry • Shakespeare was transforming his language, pointing it in the direction we use today • Modern English changes and develops as we use new phrases, foreign words, and incorporate different dialects as we speak

5. Mixture of Languages Opens New Doors for Shakespeare • The Renaissance caused the European Language to mix into the English Language • This mixture made Shakespeare excited and it gave him endless possibilities to do what he wanted with the English language • “Light seeking light, doth light of light beguile” • Intellect, wisdom, eyesight, and daylight

6. Different Forms of Words • “you” Both singular and plural • Old English • Thou: used for addressing one person • Ye: more than one person • By the time of Early Modern English these words seemed old fashioned to us and “you” became the norm for all grammatical functions • When we see the words “ye” and “thou” we always say that is old fashioned

7. The use of “Thou” and “Thee” • “Thou” and “Thee” • Higher rank to those people beneath them • Address God, ghosts, witches • Males address their wife with “thou” and the wives answer respectfully with “you” • Special intimacy, affection, formality, politeness, and distance • Inferior to a superior • Express feelings of anger and insulting or disrespect

8. The Use of the Word “You” • “You” • Lower status to those above them • Formal way of upper class to talk to one another • When a husband would address his wife she would respectfully respond using the word “You”

9. Manipulation of words • Created words, but also created nouns into verbs • To eyeball/ elbow someone • To be caked in something • To label someone • Something is “flawed”

10. Works cited • Mabillard, Amanda. Words Shakespeare InventedShakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. 11 April 2011. • “Shakespeare’s Development of Middle English to Early modern English.” nosweatshakespeare. 7 April 2011. Web.