Shakespeare introduced nearly 3,000 new words to the English language and had a vocabulary of over 29,000 words. Understanding Shakespeare can be difficult because meanings of words have changed and pronunciations were different. Shakespeare mostly wrote in poetic forms like blank verse, rhyming couplets, and sonnets, reserving prose for scenes requiring wit or lower-status characters. Puns, wordplay, and inventive uses of language were common in Shakespeare's works.

1. Shakespeare’s Language

13. What device is Shakespeare using in these passages? "Death, death, O amiable lovely death." "Parting is such sweet sorrow."

14. They are both oxymorons. " Death , death, O amiable lovely death." "Parting is such sweet sorrow ."

17. What do these passages illustrate? King Henry IV, who was not fat, was called "portly." In The Merchant of Venice , a servant who intends to hurry tells his mistress he will go with all "convenient" speed. When Antony makes an alliance with Octavius in Julius Caesar, he calls him his "competitor."

18. They contain words that have shifted meaning. King Henry IV, who was not fat, was called " portly .“ (stately; imposing) In The Merchant of Venice , a servant who intends to hurry tells his mistress he will go with all " convenient " speed. (near at hand) When Antony makes an alliance with Octavius in Julius Caesar, he calls him his " competitor .“ (one who strives in common/agrees)

19. What are these passages examples of? King Henry IV says the soil of England will no longer "daub her lips with her children's blood." In A Midsummers' Night Dream , the course of young love is described as "swift as a shadow, short as any dream, brief as lightning." In Romeo and Juliet , Romeo says, "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."

20. They all use metaphors. King Henry IV says the soil of England will no longer "daub her lips with her children's blood." In A Midsummers' Night Dream , the course of young love is described as "swift as a shadow, short as any dream, brief as lightning." In Romeo and Juliet , Romeo says, "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."