Shakespeare’s Language

Ms. Marshall-Krauss8th Grade English

HCMS

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Shakespeare’s LanguageNovember 28, 2011

• Warm up: 1. What language does

Shakespeare write in? Give an example and explain your answer.

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Today’s objective • is to listen to examples of the

English language, take notes on the important events in the development of the English language, and write connections to our own lives in order to identify the broad differences between Early Modern English and Modern English.

Old English?• Beowulf

LO, praise of the prowess of people-kings

of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped,

we have heard, and what honor the athelings won!

Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes,

from many a tribe, the mead-bench tore,

awing the earls. Since erst he layfriendless, a foundling, fate repaid

him:for he waxed under welkin, in

wealth he throve,till before him the folk, both far and

near,who house by the whale-path,

heard his mandate,gave him gifts: a good king he!

Language Questions

2. After listening to Beowulf in Old English, do you think this is the language Shakespeare wrote in? Explain.

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English Language Timeline

Language

Date Event

Old English

Middle English

Mid 400's Germans invade British Isles

900 Beowulf Written

1066 Norman invasion and William the Conqueror

Starts 1200 Great Vowel Shift

1300's Geoffrey Chaucer writes Canterbury Tales

1476William Caxton starts printing, but not using a fixed language

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Middle English?Chaucer

When April with his showers sweet with fruitThe drought of March has pierced unto the rootAnd bathed each vein with liquor that has powerTo generate therein and sire the flower;When Zephyr also has, with his sweet breath,Quickened again, in every holt and heath,The tender shoots and buds, and the young sunInto the Ram one half his course has run,And many little birds make melodyThat sleep through all the night with open eye(So Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage)-Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage,And palmers to go seeking out strange strands,To distant shrines well known in sundry lands.And specially from every shire's endOf England they to Canterbury wend,

The holy blessed martyr there to seekWho helped them when they lay so ill and wealBefell that, in that season, on a dayIn Southwark, at the Tabard, as I layReady to start upon my pilgrimageTo Canterbury, full of devout homage,There came at nightfall to that hostelrySome nine and twenty in a companyOf sundry persons who had chanced to fallIn fellowship, and pilgrims were they allThat toward Canterbury town would ride.The rooms and stables spacious were and wide,And well we there were eased, and of the best.And briefly, when the sun had gone to rest,So had I spoken with them, every one,That I was of their fellowship anon,And made agreement that we'd early riseTo take the road, as you I will apprise.

English Language Timeline

Language

Date Event

Early Modern English

Modern English

1490's Richard Pynson starts using government Lang-uage as a standard in printing.

1590's-1612 Shakespeare writes plays.

1662 Book of Common Prayer printed with wide distribution.

1776 Declaration of Independence written in U.S.

Present Mass communication, fixed language, education

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Act 1 Prologue Lines 1-4

Two households both alike in dignity,In fair Verona where we lay our scene,From ancient grudge, break to new mutiny,Where civil blood makes civil hands

unclean.

Modern English Translation

In the beautiful city of Verona, where our story takes place, a long-standing hatred between two families erupts into new violence, and citizens stain their hands with the blood of their fellow citizens.

Language Questions

3. Shakespeare writes in Early Modern English. Why is this information important for students reading Shakespeare today? Explain.

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Shakespeare’s Language Cont. November 29, 2011

Warm up: What can you as a reader do to help you understand early modern English? Explain.

• Today’s objective is to list strategies for understanding early modern English and use those strategies to interpret lines of Shakespearean text.

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In groups

• Review your answers to the warm up. • Develop a list of at least three

strategies for understanding Shakespeare.

• Write those ideas on the paper provided.

Practice

• Practice the strategies on the worksheet provided.

Reflection: How do you feel about Shakespeare’s language now? Explain.

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