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![‘A study of [Shakespeare’s] linguistic
techniques, in such areas as functional shift,
affixation, idiomatic allusiveness and
collocation, can add to our awareness of the
language’s expressive potential and increase
our confidence as users. At the same time, of
course, the more we study Shakespeare from
a linguistic point of view, the more we will
increase our understanding and enjoyment
of the plays as literature and theatre.’
(Crystal, 2003)](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/lendmeyourears-130428093836-phpapp01/85/Lend-me-your-ears-23-320.jpg)
Uploaded byChris Lima
Lend me your ears’
This document discusses Shakespeare's language and some common myths about it. It argues that Shakespeare's vocabulary was not unusually large, that he did not invent as many words as believed, and that his language is not as difficult to understand as thought. While Shakespeare used complex language at times, he also effectively conveyed complex ideas with simple language. Understanding the social and historical context as well as imaginative elements like metaphor are more important to comprehending Shakespeare than the specific words themselves. Studying Shakespeare's linguistic techniques can help increase readers' appreciation and understanding of his works.
Lend me your ears’
- 1. ‘Lend me your ears’ Shakespeare& the English language Chris Lima April 2013
- 2. Overview Myths aboutShakespeare’s language Everyday Shakespeare Implications of language teaching and learning Questions
- 3. What does itmean? Lend me your ears. a. I can’t hear very well. Please may I borrow yours? b. I want to know what my friends are saying about me. Eavesdrop on them for me please. c. I have something important to say. Please listen to me.
- 4. ‘Friends, Romans,countrymen, lend me your ears’ is the first line of a famous and often-quoted speech by Mark Antony in the play Julius Caesar. ‘Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song’ (The Beatles, 1967)
- 5. How difficult isShakespeare’s language? a. Very difficult b. Quite difficult c. Quite easy d. Very easy
- 6. The Myths The quantitymyth The invention myth The translation myth The style myth
- 7. The quantity myth End of 16th century: 150,000 21st century: 600,00 Fluent speaker: 50,000 Shakespeare’s vocabulary: 20,000 ‘It is not as much the number of words we have as what we do with those words that makes the difference between an ordinary and a brilliant use of language.’ (p.3)
- 8. The invention myth First recorded user in the OED 2,200 words first recorded in Shakespeare 1,700 plausible Shakespearean inventions About half of them stayed in the language anthropophagy, assassination, insultment, outswear ear, eye, lip, mouth, scandal, word uncomfortable, uncompassionate, uneducated, unaware, undo (314)
- 9. The translation myth 10% of Shakespeare's grammar is likely to cause a comprehension problem 95% of Shakespeare’s vocabulary are words we know and use every day only 5% of all different words in all Shakespeare’s plays will give you a hard time
- 10. The style myth Vocabulary, sentence length, structure, word-order, sounds, interaction between speakers Characters' styles: groups or individuals Genres: tragedies, comedies, history plays Early and later plays Language choices between alternatives in particular lines
- 11. The big question Ifquantity, unusual words and ‘style’ are not the major problems, why do so many people find it difficult to understand Shakespeare? ‘A distinction has to be drawn, first of all between difficulty of language, and difficulty of thought.’ (p.11)
- 12. Lend him yourears ‘To be or not to be, that is the question’. ‘Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.’ Simple language can sometimes express a complex though. ‘a lily-livered, action- taking, whoreson, glass-gazing, super- serviceable, finical rogue’ Complex language can sometimes express a simple thought.
- 13. The answer? Imagination Creative use of language Concision Use of metaphors
- 14. The Merchant ofVenice The Tempest
- 15. The Taming ofthe Shrew Henry V
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- 18. Will in Hollywood Percy Stow's The Tempest (1908) Over 750 film adaptations 16 films in 2005 alone
- 19. The Taming ofthe Shrew Twelfth Night Hamlet The Tempest A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- 20. Everywhere! To be ornot to be To clone or not to clone To diet or not to diet To fight or not to fight B2 or not B2? 2B or not 2B? Thanks me no thankings Vow me no vows Diamond me no diamonds Poem me no poems But Me No Buts
- 22. What does itmean for us? An EAP language student must… Have a good size vocabulary Be aware of the grammar rules to understand how writers break them Write in a concise and precise way Be able to use different written genres and styles Be able to understand and express complex ideas
- 23. ‘A study of[Shakespeare’s] linguistic techniques, in such areas as functional shift, affixation, idiomatic allusiveness and collocation, can add to our awareness of the language’s expressive potential and increase our confidence as users. At the same time, of course, the more we study Shakespeare from a linguistic point of view, the more we will increase our understanding and enjoyment of the plays as literature and theatre.’ (Crystal, 2003)
- 26. 1564-1616 ‘Some authors indeed aredead, but not William Shakespeare.’ (Bloom, 1998, p.14)
- 28. Bibliography Braunmuller, A. R.,and Michael Hattaway, eds., The Cambridge Companion to English Renaissance Drama (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003) Briggs, Julia, This Stage-Play World: Texts and Contexts, 1580-1625 (Oxford: Oxford Paperbacks, 1997) Bloom, Harold, Shakespeare. The Invention of the Human. (New York, NY: Riverhead Books, 1998) Chernaik, Warren, The Cambridge Introduction to Shakespeare’s History Plays. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007) Crystal, Ben, Shakespeare on Toast: Getting a Taste for the Bard (London: Icon Books, 2009) Crystal, David, and Ben Crystal, Shakespeare’s Words: A Glossary and Language Companion (London: Penguin, 2004) Crystal, David, Think of My Words: Exploring Shakespeare’s Language (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008) Grazia, Margreta de, and Stanley Wells, eds., The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001) Greenblatt, Stephen, Renaissance Self-fashioning: From More to Shakespeare (Chicago,Il: University of Chicago Press, 2005) Greenblatt, Stephen, Will In The World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare (London: Pimlico, 2005) Hattaway, Michael, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare’s History Plays (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002) Jackson, Russell, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007) Leggatt, Alexander, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Shakespearean Comedy (Cambridge University Press, 2001) Shaughnessy, Robert, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare and Popular Culture (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007) Wells, Stanley, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare Studies (Cambridge University Press, 1986) Wells, Stanley, and Sarah Stanton, eds., The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Stage (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002)
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