Shakespeare’s Influence On

Language

Shakespeare is one of the most famous Englishmen because of his development on early modern English

His development on English was huge because he was able to incorporate it into everyone’s everyday normal speech with a lot of phases and words Shakespeare invented

Shakespeare's Influence on Early Modern English

Grammar was changing because inflectional endings had largely disappeared.

Modern English was becoming flexible and that was the forerunner to the Renaissance explosion which created the inventible language.

Shakespeare was a leader in this movement.

Shakespeare's Influence on Grammar

Writers for years have been able to invent new uses for words to fit their writings needs

English was being set free for writers to take it where they wanted

Shakespeare took it to many places through his texts showing the way to how we use it today

For example Ceaser made the noun antic which is a fool and then Shakespeare made it into a verb to make a foul of

Shakespeare's Modification of English

Early Modern and strictly Modern English are almost identical which makes both easier to understand.

Some differences are the use of “thees” and “thous”.

Shakespeare exploited (to his advantage) the fact that the usage of words was in transition

Early Modern English Compared to Modern English

“You” in Modern English is used in both singular and plural and as a noun but in Old English it’s used as differently

In Old English you was around, but used as the object of a sentence, but when you’re talking to or about people you use thou for one person and ye for more than one person

By Early Modern English time ye and thou had become out dated and virtually disappeared and you had become the norm

Shakespeare’s use of plural and singular forms of “you”

In Early Modern English you was now used for singular and plural but had a role as an alternative to thou and thee

“You” was used by lower class to speak to or address higher class

Thou and thee were used by higher class to speak to lower class and others such as witches and when addressing God

Shakespeare’s use of plural and singular forms of “you” Continued

The following is a list of words that William Shakespeare invented:

Accommodation Amazement Assasination Bloody Bump Critic Gloomy Hurry Impartial Majestic Obscene Road

Words Shakespeare Invented

The following is a list of phrases that William Shakespeare invented:

Catch a ColdHeart of GoldHot-BloodedLacklusterMethod to his madness.Too much of a good thing.Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve.

Phrases Shakespeare Invented

The following is a list of insults that William Shakespeare invented:

Thou art like a toad; ugly and venemous.A most notable coward, an infinite and

endless liar, an hourly promise breaker, the owner of no good quality.

Thou art as loathsome as a toad.Thine face is not worth sunburning.Your brain is as dry as the remainder biscuit

after voyage.

Shakespeare Insults