Class with Mason
Review of Speaketh Like the Bard: A Guide to Speaking in Shakespearean English
Mon, 21 Oct 2024
Review of Speaketh Like the Bard: A Guide to Speaking in Shakespearean English by Mason Carter. the book is available on amazon: https://a.co/d/4xMbx2o
Okay, so are you ready to, like, unlock a linguistic time capsule or what? Because today we are diving deep, and I mean deep, into Shakespearean English.
A deep dive it is.
You guys send in those excerpts from Speaketh Like the Bard, and clearly you are all ready to start throwing around those D's and O's.
And maybe even, like, hurl a good-natured Shakespearean insult or two.
Maybe. Who knows? But seriously, though, where do we even begin?
Well, what better place to start them with those pronouns? You know, they're not just like quirky word choices. No, they give us a glimpse into like the intricate social web of Elizabethan England.
It's like Shakespeare hid a secret code in his work or something. And like by cracking that code, we can like uncover these layers of meaning we wouldn't get otherwise.
Exactly. Take, for instance, thee and thou. Now, today we just use you for everyone, right? I mean, nobody really thinks twice about it. But in Shakespeare's time, choosing between you and thou could make or break a relationship.
Oh, wow. I did not realize it was that serious. So was it like as simple as like thou for friends and you for everybody else?
would be nice if it were that easy but not quite you see while thou was often used for informal address it could also convey like intimacy maybe even affection like imagine a lover declaring my heart beats only for thee i mean the choice of thee just intensifies the emotion wouldn't you say totally it adds this layer of like vulnerability passion even that you just wouldn't get with just a plain old
Exactly. But misuse those pronouns and oh boy, you could cause some serious offense. I mean, using thou with someone of a higher social rank, that would be seen as like downright disrespectful, maybe even insulting.
So Shakespeare's characters, they weren't just like speaking their lines, they were carefully navigating this like complex system of social cues and power dynamics with like every single word.
Exactly. And that's why when we pay attention to these little nuances in language, we start to get a much deeper understanding of the relationships between characters. We even start to see how power was used in Shakespearean society.
Wow, it's insane how much meaning those two tiny pronouns carried.
And honestly, that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Oh, there's more.
Oh, yeah. Remember all those exclamations we always associate with Shakespeare? Like bounds, gazooks.
Yeah, those are great.
They might just sound like random outbursts. Right. But even those were carefully chosen. They actually reflect the social and religious climate of the time.
Wait, hold on. Are you saying those words weren't just for, like, dramatic flair?
Well, they definitely added drama, but they also served a real purpose. See, Elizabethan England was deeply religious. I mean, deeply. And blasphemy laws. Yeah, those are like strictly enforced. So instead of invoking God's name directly when someone was surprised or angry, people use these, you could call them euphemisms as a kind of, you know, workaround.
So it's kind of like saying, oh, my gosh, instead of, oh, my God.
Exactly.
So you could express those strong emotions without, you know, getting in trouble with the church.
Precisely. And Shakespeare, being the genius that he was, used this to great effect. He added all these layers of meaning to his character's words, and we get this little glimpse into the religious sensitivities of his time.
It really is amazing how much weight a single word could carry back then.
Right.
It makes you realize how much language has evolved, even in the way we talk casually every day.
Absolutely.
Speaking of expressive language, we got to talk about Shakespeare's insults, because those are legendary.
Ah, yes, the insults. Those are definitely legendary. They're like a fascinating window into how Elizabethans saw the world. But before we get into those, maybe we should switch gears for just a second and talk about those incredible Shakespearean monologues. You know, the speeches that just said shivers down your spine.
Like are we talking Hamlet's To Be or Not To Be?
Yes.
Or maybe Macbeth's Is This a Dagger I See Before Me? Those speeches are practically musical. Is that because of the iambic pentameter we always hear about?
You hit the nail on the head. Iambic pentameter is like the rhythmic backbone of so much of Shakespeare's verse. And it's a huge reason why his words just stay with us.
OK, so for those of us who aren't Shakespearean scholars, can you break down exactly what iambic pentameter is? Like, what is it about it that makes it so powerful?
You know, it's helpful to think of iambic pentameter like as the heartbeat of Shakespeare's verse. It's a rhythm. Yeah. A pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables. And there are five pairs, five pairs to be exact. And that pattern, it gives the language a natural flow, you know, and it makes it sound kind of grand, too.
Oh, I see. So it's not just what Shakespeare says. It's how he says it. The rhythm itself, like add something extra.
Exactly. It's like take that line from Hamlet to be or not to be. That is the question. Hear how those stressed syllables, those B's and that that how they just land. It makes it sound heavy. You know, like the speaker is really thinking hard and that just like deepens the emotion of the words.
Wow. You're so right. It's like the rhythm is carrying some of the weight of that line, like you were saying.
Exactly. And the thing is, Shakespeare didn't just use iambic pentameter for his tragedies. I mean, it's everywhere. Comedies, histories. It just adds this touch of formality, like the language is dressed up for a special occasion.
So even when they're cracking jokes, there's this rhythm underneath it all that makes it sound like more poetic or something.
Exactly. Though Shakespeare was also really good at knowing when to break the rules, like when to ditch the rhythm if it would make the scene even better.
So he wasn't afraid to switch things up when he needed to.
Not at all. He used a mix of like rhymed verse and unrhymed verse. And they both have a purpose. Think about the rhymed verse. It's like in his sonnets. That's the language of big emotions, you know, love, despair, all that.
So if a character is like pouring their heart out, they're probably speaking in rhymes.
Yeah, most likely. Yeah. The rhyme scheme just makes it sound more formal, more structured, even if the emotions are like all over the place. It's like imagine a sonnet is this carefully crafted jewel box and inside are all the deepest emotions.
That's such a cool image.
Right.
But those regular everyday conversations, just the back and forth, that's where the unrhymed verse comes in.
Yes, exactly. We call it blank verse. And it still uses iambic pentameter, but it ditches the rhyme. So it just sounds more natural, like how people actually talk.
So Shakespeare, he was going back and forth between these different kinds of verses to like control the mood of the scene, the pace, everything. He was like composing this symphony with his words, big melodies one minute, quiet reflection the next.
Love that analogy. And you know, speaking of words, Shakespeare was definitely not afraid to use a lot of them. And some of them, while they sound like they're from a different time period, which of course they are.
So true. Like wherefore instead of why and pretty instead of please. I have definitely felt intimidated by some of those words. Was he just trying to show off his vocabulary?
Well, you can't deny he loves language, but there's more to it than that. Remember that language was changing a lot during Shakespeare's time? I mean, he was writing just when English was shifting from Middle English to Modern English. And his plays, they capture that evolution.
Oh, wow. So we're not just reading his plays. We're seeing a language being like reborn right in front of us.
Exactly. And that's part of what makes his work so cool. He wasn't afraid to use words and phrases that were already considered like old fashioned back then. And then he'd throw in these new terms that were just starting to catch on. It's this amazing blend that just makes his language so rich, so deep. People are still fascinated by it, whether they're Shakespeare scholars or just casual readers.
That's amazing. It's like he's giving us a front row seat to history. You know, like we can hear echoes of the past in our language and the way we speak today.
And that's the beauty of studying Shakespeare. It's not like a dictionary hunt for archaic words. It's about connecting with history, understanding how we got from there to here, and just appreciating the fact that stories have always had power and they always will.
Speaking of stories, we've talked about how Shakespeare changed the English language. But what about like Theater itself. He wasn't just writing plays. He was creating a whole new way for people to like experience stories.
Absolutely. You can't talk about Shakespeare without talking about the Globe Theater. You know, that super iconic open air space where almost all his plays were performed for the first time.
It's almost as famous as the plays themselves. What was so special about it?
It wasn't just a building, you know, it was like the statement. See, unlike all the fancy indoor theaters back then, the ones for the wealthy people, the globe was open to everybody. So commoners would be right there with the nobles shoulder to shoulder experiencing the magic of Shakespeare together.
So it wasn't just the stories on stage that were breaking down barriers. It was the building itself. It was bringing people together from all walks of life.
Yes, exactly. And Shakespeare, he knew how to use that space, how to create this immersive experience that everyone could enjoy no matter their social standing. I mean, he was a genius with dramatic structure, unforgettable characters and a real knack for spectacle.
It's crazy. We really do owe a lot of what we love about live theater to what Shakespeare did at the Globe.
For sure. The way stories are told, even just the design of many theaters, it all goes back to him. But what blows me away is that even after all this time, his work still connects with us on this like personal level.
So true. Whether you're a Shakespeare expert or you're just now starting to read his work, there's always something new to find, something else to understand.
Exactly. And that's the amazing thing about it. There's no right way to enjoy Shakespeare. Read the plays, watch them, listen to them, even try writing your own sonnet. It's about finding what works for you and then just letting those words do their thing.
It's not even just about understanding all those these and thous. It's about... Like experiencing how musical his language is, the wit, how his stories never get old.
Yes. And you never know. Maybe you'll even find yourself using a Shakespearean phrase or two in your own life. Right. Wouldn't that be something?
Totally. But OK, before we get too carried away, we have to talk about one last thing about Shakespeare's work. Something people don't always notice with all the drama and everything. How he portrays women.
Ah, yes, that's a big one. And it's definitely sparked a lot of debate, especially considering when Shakespeare was writing. I mean, Elizabethan England wasn't exactly known for its, how do you say it, progressive views on gender equality.
That's for sure. So how did Shakespeare deal with that? Were his female characters just products of their time? Or was he trying to, I don't know, challenge those norms in a subtle way, maybe even a subversive way?
That is the million dollar question. And honestly, people are still trying to figure it out. And to really get into it, we have to look at the women themselves.
I mean, you've got iconic characters like Juliet, right? She's like family. Who cares about family? I'm in love. But then you've got like way more complicated characters like Lady Macbeth. Talk about ambition. That woman was hungry for power.
Oh, for sure. And Lady Macbeth, she's a really interesting one. I mean, she's strong, she's smart, and she is not afraid to go after what she wants, even if it means breaking some rules. But, you know, in the end, all that ambition leads to her downfall.
It's so interesting how Shakespeare doesn't shy away from showing just how complicated these women are. I mean, they're not just like the good girl or the bad girl. They're real people with their own wants and flaws and reasons for doing the things they do.
Exactly. And don't forget about Rosalind from As You Like It. Witty, resourceful, and like she straight up disguises herself as a man so she can navigate all the drama going on in the forest of Arden. I mean, Shakespeare is using Rosalind to explore gender roles and like flip those societal expectations on their head in a way that's still kind of mind blowing today.
I know, right? It's crazy to think these plays were written so long ago, but they're still relevant to conversations we're having today. Kind of makes you wonder, like, did Shakespeare have some secret agenda when he was creating these female characters? Or was he just reflecting the world around him, you know, a world that was starting to change?
That's the big question, isn't it? And honestly, there's no easy answer. Some experts think Shakespeare was way ahead of his time, like he was hiding messages about women's rights in his plays.
But then others, they think he was just a really good observer of people, like he saw how complicated women's lives were, the challenges they faced just for being women, and the ways they found to overcome those challenges.
It's interesting that nobody can really agree on one answer. It says a lot about how powerful Shakespeare's work is, that we're still talking about this stuff today, centuries later, and we're still dealing with the same questions about gender roles and equality.
Totally. And that's what's so cool about digging into Shakespeare. He's not giving you the answers. You know, he's not making things simple. He's making us really think about these things, draw our own conclusions.
He definitely gives us a lot to think about. So as we wrap up this deep dive, what's like the one big thing you hope people will take away from our conversation about Shakespearean English?
You know, I think the most important thing to remember is that Shakespeare's language isn't meant to just be studied. It's meant to be enjoyed. It's meant to be heard, spoken, felt. So don't be afraid to like dive into those plays, listen to the words, let them wash over you and just get transported to these incredible worlds he created.
It's so much more than figuring out what the and Dow mean. It's about feeling the music in the words, the jokes, how his stories are timeless.
Yes, exactly.
And hey, you might even find yourself using a Shakespearean phrase here or there in your own life.
Right. Wouldn't that be amazing?
I think so. It's been so fun geeking out over Shakespeare with you today. Thanks for taking us on this journey with us.
Anytime.
And to everyone listening, until next time, may your days be full of amazing conversations, witty banter, and hey, if you need to throw out an insult, just remember to do it with a little Shakespearean flair.