Shakespeare's
Language
One of the most difficult aspects of tackling one of Shakespeare's plays is decoding his language. For one, in the 400 years since Shakespeare wrote his plays language has changed quite a bit; while most of his vocabulary is still in use, many words of his are not or else the popular definition has changed significantly since the 16th century. Complicating matter, Shakespeare uses language in a poetic way; he creates unusual sentence structures and makes use of poetic compressions, omissions, and wordplay in order to adhere to different rhythmic structures, most often iambic pantameter.
So how are we supposed to understand what he's trying to say? One of the best ways to understand Shakespeare's language is to read and speak it often. Another great way is to read as much poetry as possible. However, for those of us who need specific strategies here are a few tips:
-
Find a Shakespearean dictionary that you like. I recommend Alexander Schmidt's Shakespearean Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary.
-
Remember that words often have more than one meaning, and each definition creates a different level of understanding. It's like climbing a fire escape:
The word "goose" can mean several different things. On on level, it's the bird with which we're all familiar. Drill down, and "goose" can be a term for a simpleton. Go down even further, and it can be slang for a form of venereal disease or a prostitute. You can see how calling someone a "goose" can have several different meanings.
When doing this kind of analysis it's important to consider the context in which these words appear, and have a reliable dictionary on hand.
-
When you encounter a sentence that makes no sense, go about it this way: 1. find the subject and the verb - Shakespeare often puts the verb first "goes he" instead of "he goes." 2. find the object and subject - this can be more difficult because Shakespeare likes to invert these as well. For example, when Egeus says "And what is mine my love shall render him" in 1.1, if we were to revert the object (what is mine) and the subject (my love) it becomes clearer "And my love shall render him what is mine." Or Helena's line "Things base and vile, holding no quantity / Love can transpose to form and dignity." If we switch it around, it becomes "Love can transpose things base and vile to form and dignity."
3. Sometimes Shakespeare's sentences take a poetic detour. Try to separate the line into phrases "I swear to thee by Cupid's strongest bow
By his best arrow with the golden head
By the simpliciry of Venus' doves
By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves,
And by that fire which burned the Carthage queen
when the false Trojan under sail was seen,
By all the vows that ever men have broke
(in number more than women ever spoke),
In that same place thou hast appointed me,
Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee.
-
Consult the handy-dandy glossary that your dramaturg created for you! If you still have questions, shoot her an e-mail!
GLOSSARY
Act 1.1
Nuptial Hour – Wedding day
Lingers – Prolongs
Manager of Mirth – Master of revels (not in original play script)
I woo’d thee with my sword – In stories, Theseus defeats Hippolyta and her Amazons in battle and then marries her.
Be advised – think carefully
Know of – Learn from
Blood – passion
Abjure – to renounce upon oath
Livery of a nun – Wearing a nun’s habit; taking orders and living chaste
Virgin patent – her entitlement or ownership of her own virginity; the freedom to live as a virgin
Unto his lordship whose unwished yoke…sovereignty – I’d sooner die than give up ownership of my body to some man who I don’t want to marry.
Avouch – Declare it to his face
Made love to – courted
Won her heart – promised her marriage
Laws of Athens – There was a law in the city of Athens which gave to its citizens the power of compelling their daughters to marry whomsoever they pleased; for upon a daughter's refusing to marry the man her father had chosen to be her husband, the father was empowered by this law to cause her to be put to death; but as fathers do not often desire the death of their own daughters, even though they do happen to prove a little refractory, this law was seldom or never put in execution, though perhaps the young ladies of that city were not unfrequently threatened by their parents with the terrors of it. (Charles and Mary Lamb 1909
Beteem – to grant or allow
Phoebe – Otherwise known as Diana, goddess of the moon
Primrose -
Eyne - eye
Act 1. 2
Scrip - Script
Scroll – It was expensive to write down full scripts for every actor, so instead each player received a scroll (role) in which he got only his lines and his cue lines.
Treats on – Deals with
The story of Pyramus and Thisbe - Pyramus and Thisbe are two lovers in the city of Babylon who occupy connected houses/walls, forbidden by their parents to be wed, because of their parents' rivalry. Through a crack in one of the walls, they whisper their love for each other. They arrange to meet near Ninus' tomb under a mulberry tree and state their feelings for each other. Thisbe arrives first, but upon seeing a lioness with a mouth bloody from a recent kill, she flees, leaving behind her veil. When Pyramus arrives he is horrified at the sight of Thisbe's veil, assuming that a wild beast has killed her. Pyramus kills himself, falling on his sword in proper Babylonian fashion, and in turn splashing blood on the white mulberry leaves. Pyramus' blood stains the white mulberry fruits, turning them dark. Thisbe returns, eager to tell Pyramus what had happened to her, but she finds Pyramus' dead body under the shade of the mulberry tree. Thisbe, after a brief period of mourning, stabs herself with the same sword. In the end, the gods listen to Thisbe's lament, and forever change the colour of the mulberry fruits into the stained colour to honor the forbidden love.
Weaver – A weaver created or repaired fabric; There was a stereotype in Shakespearean times that weavers short-changed their customers
Bottom’s poem in 1.2 – Probably a verse from an old play, probably based on Hercules.
Bellows-mender – Someone who repairs a device that puffs air into a fire to make it hotter.
Joiner – A carpenter
Extempore – Off the cuff
Act 2.1
Park – A piece of ground enclosed and stored with beasts of chase
Pale – Fenced-in area
Dew her orbs – grace her fairy circles
Lob – oaf; lout
Fell – fierce/ugly wrath
Changeling boy - A changeling child was believed to be a fairy child that had
been left in place of a human child stolen by the fairies. The theme of the swapped
child is common in medieval literature and reflects concern over infants thought to
be afflicted with unexplained diseases, disorders, or developmental disabilities.
From CMU’s casebook on Midsummer Night’s Dream:
"So why is the Changeling Boy from India? Why didn’t Shakespeare write the fairies stealing a child from Athens, where the play is set, or from Britain, which seems more natural to a British audience?
Europeans had been trading with India for a few centuries — when Columbus sailed west from Spain in 1492, he was searching for a sea passage to India and East Asia — and exploration and colonization were increasing in Shakespeare’s time. A few years after Midsummer was written in 1600, the East India Company was founded to trade spices between England and the Indies.
India was a fascinating place in the English consciousness: a place of riches, luxurious goods like spices, unexplored and fantastic. It was also one of the farthest places most people could imagine. By giving Titania and Oberon a foothold in India (not only does Titania apparently have devotees there, but Oberon has returned to Athens “from the farthest steppes of India” for Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding), Shakespeare tells his audience that these are characters of far-reaching influence and high status — and the changeling boy, an Indian prince, is a worthy addition to their court."
Room – make way
Wanton – to play or dally
Steppe of India – a vast uninhabited plain; savage or unexplored land
Amazon – A race of women warriors
Buskin – Medieval shinguards
Mead - Meadow
Sport – play; courting
Henchman – a page
Votress – a female devotee
Chide – make fun of
Girdle- encircle
Adamant – A stone of impenetrable hardness
Spaniel – a dog; emblem of fawning submissiveness
Act 2.2
Roundel – A dance done in a circle; a fairy ring
Blindworms – a kind of lizard believed to be poisonous
Philomel – the nightingale
Ounce – a lynx or other great cat
Weeds of Athens – Referring to the crown of laurels; Athenian garb
Churl – Peasant or rude/ill-bred fellow
Transparent – clear
Act 3.1
Pat – Fitly/exactly
Bully – a brisk, dashing fellow
Bush of thorns and a lantern (Man in the moon) – One of the pictures that people saw
by watching the shadows on the moon:
Brake - Thicket
Ninus – An ancient king of Assyria
Bower – Private room
Act 3.2
Nole – Noodle/head
Being o'er shoes in blood – up to your ankles in blood
Guest-wise sojourn'd – my love was a temporary visitor in my heart and it has left for its final
destination
Engilds – to make spendent; to guild
Confederacy – group of friends/ team
Make mouths upon me – Talk behind my back
Cat – An insult
Juggler – A cheat/charlatan
Canker-blossom – A worm that destroys flower buds
Puppet – A small human figure, made to play with
Maypole – A colorful pole erected to celebrate May Day
Cheek by jowl – Side by side/cheek to cheek
Act 4.1
Musk-roses – A very fragrant rose
Red-hipped humble-bee…honey bag – Kill me a striped honeybee and bring me his honey.
Provender – Dry food for beasts
The rite of May – May Day celebrations
Act 4.2
Hearts – Hearties/good fellows
Good strings to your beards – secure your false beard
New ribbons to your pumps – Fancy-up your shoes
Act 5.1
Abridgement - Entertainment
Would you desire lime and hair to speak better? – Do you think a real wall would be a better actor?
Horned moon - A crescent moon
Horns on his head - Cuckolded
Cowslip – a kind of yellow flower
Fairy time – Late night when fairies come out to play.
