Shakespeare's Words
Shakespeare’s language can often sound strange, almost like a foreign language! When reading Shakespeare’s plays, its important to remember that language changes very quickly over time. Words change meaning, and the sounds of word change, too! Think of how quickly words are changing in our lifetime as technology such as the internet and s.m.s. texting become popular forms of communication.
To make matters more difficult, writing was not as popular as it is today, and so words often had many different ways of being spelled! Even "Shakespeare" was spelled in at least six different ways!
Shakespeare also loved to make up new words. Some people have suggested that he added more than five hundred new words to the English language, many of which we still use today. Some examples are: moonbeam, schoolboy, amazement, rival and radiance.
Even though it sometimes doesn’t feel like it, Shakespeare’s language is definitely English! If you are having trouble with a word or phrase, the best way to understand it is to read it out loud. Many editions of Shakespeare’s words become clearer when spoken out loud, because they are often phonetic (that means they are spoken like they are written), and you can often connect Shakespeare’s older word to one we use more commonly today.
Shakespeare wrote plays. His words were never meant to be read in a book. He chose words very carefully because they create a specific mood, or because they sound a particular way. Certain words make us open up our face when we say them out loud, others make us squint our eyes or clench our jaw. For actors, these actions are clues to help us understand how a character is feeling or tell us how to move our bodies. Read the words out loud to see if you can pick up any of these clues – it will help you to understand what is happening in a scene!
When reading the play, here are a few things to remember:
- CONTENT is the structure of the argument; what you argue about, how you argue it, and what you feel about it. The feelings cannot be seen in the modern text, only in the folio scripts.
- SPELLING: When some words are spelled differently, it means something to the character’s attitude and sound of his words.
- IDEAS: Each sentential (sentence) is a complete thought. Thoughts are collected by commas, leading up to a full stop, symbolized by a period.
- RHETORIC: debate, linking one idea to another.
- VERY SHORT PHRASES or LONG SINGLE SENTENCES: something is happening.
- Shakespeare usually balanced lines with POLLYSYLABLES and SHORT WORDS. A line of PURE, SHORT
- VOWELS (monosyllables) signifies very simple, naked thoughts.
Punctuation is also a good way to understand the plays. Punctuation (commas, semi-colon, periods) are like signposts showing us how text is to be spoken and understood.
- COMMA: short links of thought; a breath thought.
- SEMICOLON: [;] a major link between one idea and the next; an emotional pause.
- COLON: [:] an intellectual pause; e.g. "The quality of mercy is not strained, It droppeth as the gentle rain from the Heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes." Merchant of Venice, Act IV; i
- PERIOD: completion of a thought or idea.
- QUESTION MARK: a higher emotional sense of question, and one that demands an answer; e.g. "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" Romeo and Juliet, Act II; ii
- PARENTHESIS: an uninterrupted though; e.g. "Upon my life, she finds (although I cannot), Myself to be a marvelous proper man." Richard III, Act I; ii
- SQUARE BRACKETS: ( [ ] ) indicate editor’s notes.
- HYPHEN: linking two different things or two different worlds; e.g. "She-Wolfe of France" Henry VI, Act I; i
- EXCLAMATION MARKS: (!) Don’t mean anything! They were added later by editors.
- CAPITAL LETTERS: indicate thoughts or ideas; small letters represent emotions (lost in character thought). This applies to the folio scripts.
Iambic Pentameter
- IAMBIC PENTAMETER is the rhythm of Shakespeare’s poetry.
- BLANK VERSE means "free verse" with no rhyme scheme.
- Note – SONNETS have rhyme schemes; e.g. "ab ab cd cd ef ef gg"
- The basic rhythm of IAMBIC PENTAMETER is,
- "de DUM de DUM de DUM de DUM de DUM"
- That is, ten syllables alternating light and strong stresses: "In sooth I know not why I am so sad" Merchant of Venice, Act I
- Words that are not in iambic are usually the main points of the argument: e.g. "To be or not to be; THAT is the question:" Hamlet, Act III; i
- REVERSE PENTAMETER is the stronger emotion.
- The "IAMBIC" is the even, lively beat of the human heart.
- You may well speak the meter in your daily communication without realizing it. A simple sentence such as, "How much for that hamburger and some fries?" or "Fill up the car with gas and check the oil" do in fact scan into IAMBIC PENTAMETER.
Why did Shakespeare write his verse in the form of the iambic pentameter?
Because the basic rhythm of the English language is iambic and because, by the end of the sixteenth century, the development of prosody ("the art of science and versification") had determined five to be the most satisfying number of iambic feet per line for English dramatic, or heroic verse.
What does "iambic" mean?
The term "iamb" probably derives from the Greek word meaning to drive forth, to assail, and to shoot. It comes from the metric terminology of Greek and Latin classical poetry representing push, persistency, determination, and aspiration. Its steady thrust forward is ideal for the drive of an ongoing narrative. Its rhythm is a weak beat followed by a strong beat (or stress).
Why is it called a foot?
Because such measures of rhythm were originated in the march melodies and dances of Ancient Greece, and the foot comes down on the stressed beat. (Poetry, dance and music have been interrelated throughout the ages and the influences they have had upon each other are manifold.)
What is a pentameter?
A line of verse made up of five feet. The ‘pent’ prefix means 5 (from Greek) and ‘meter’ means ‘measure.’ The Renaissance brought in a deep admiration for Greek and Latin classical literature, hence the adoption of the metric terminology of those times.
References: Sister Miriam Joseph – Shakespeare & The Arts of Rhetoric; and Kristen Linklater – Freeing Shakespeare’s Voice.