Whether you simply want to be able to sight-read Shakespearean English with more fluency in an audition or are hoping to get ahead of the game and address your cast mates with a “Hail fellow well met,” you’re going to need to be on top of the Bard’s lingo in order to pull it off.
Far from being a dead language, Shakespeare’s words have heavily influenced modern vocabulary and speech patterns. A bedroom would not be called a bedroom had Shakespeare not called it such in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Act II, Scene II), nor the word gossip had he not coined it in The Comedy of Errors (Act V, Scene I).
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Shakespearean English, also called Early Modern English (used between the late 15th century and early 17th century), sits between Middle English (the 14th century language you encounter when reading Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales) and the English we use today.
Although structurally similar to Modern English, Shakespeare’s language uses words, syntax, and phrasing that often feel foreign to contemporary speakers. His vocabulary was made up of more than 20,000 words, some of which he invented himself, leading to a rich yet sometimes complex language for modern actors to navigate.
To understand Shakespearean language, keep a few things in mind:
1. Inversions: Shakespeare often rearranged sentence structures for rhythm and emphasis. For example, instead of saying, “I will go,” Shakespeare might have written, “Go will I.”
2. Thou, thee, thy, and thine: These words are older forms of “you” and “your.”
- Thou: Used as the informal “you” when addressing someone directly.
- Thee: The object form of “thou,” like saying “I give thee.”
- Thy and thine: The equivalent of “your” and “yours,” respectively.
3. Poetic rhythm: Much of Shakespeare’s work is written in iambic pentameter, a rhythmic pattern that alternates between unstressed and stressed syllables. Understanding this rhythm helps actors deliver lines with natural emphasis and flow. The pentameter has five pairs of stressed/unstressed syllables in each line (five iambic feet), so the line has a da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM pattern. A famous example from the Bard’s best-known tragedy Romeo and Juliet is the line: "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?", which you can break down into the five feet as follows: “But soft | what light | through yon | der win | dow breaks.”
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To bring Shakespeare’s language to life, here’s a guide to some of the most essential words and phrases. Learn them and you’ll soon be able to improvise using Shakespearean words.
1. Forsooth
- Meaning: Indeed; truly.
- Example: “Forsooth, I know not why I am so sad.” (A variation of the opening line from The Merchant of Venice.)
- Insight for actors: “Forsooth” conveys a sense of honesty or insistence. Use it to emphasise a character’s certainty or self-assurance.
2. Fie
- Meaning: An expression of disgust, disapproval, or shock.
- Example: “Fie upon thee, thou rogue!” (Twelfth Night)
- Insight for actors: “Fie” is a powerful word for expressing anger or disappointment. Let the disdain or frustration come through in your tone.
3. Anon
- Meaning: Soon; shortly; right away.
- Example: “I come, anon!” (from multiple plays)
- Insight for actors: “Anon” should be said with the urgency of impending action.
4. Hark
- Meaning: Listen; pay attention.
- Example: “Hark! The lark at heaven’s gate sings.” (Cymbeline)
- Insight for actors: “Hark” is a cue for both the character and the audience to listen closely. Use it to signal an important moment or revelation.
5. Methinks
- Meaning: I think; it seems to me.
- Example: “Methinks I see my cousin’s ghost.” (Romeo and Juliet)
- Insight for actors: “Methinks” implies introspection or doubt; use it when a character is questioning or reflecting on their feelings or surroundings.
6. Wherefore
- Meaning: Why; for what reason.
- Example: “Wherefore art thou Romeo?” (Romeo and Juliet)
- Insight for actors: “Wherefore” is commonly misunderstood as “where,” but it actually means “why.” In the context of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet isn’t asking where Romeo is, but why he has to be a Montague.
7. Alas
- Meaning: An expression of sorrow or regret.
- Example: “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio.” (Hamlet)
- Insight for actors: Use “alas” to convey genuine grief or melancholy. This word is often paired with poignant moments of loss or reflection.
8. Marry
- Meaning: An exclamation similar to “indeed” or “well.” It’s derived from the Virgin Mary and serves as a mild oath.
- Example: “Marry, this is the shortest day of all the year.” (The Winter's Tale)
- Insight for actors: “Marry” often adds a lighthearted or emphatic tone, similar to saying “indeed” or “of course” in modern English, but it should not be confused with its other meaning, to wed. While the matrimonial sense of “marry” persisted because of its practical association with marriage ceremonies and legal unions, the exclamatory “marry” faded from use – likely due to shifts in style, the decline of oaths referencing religious figures in everyday speech, and evolving norms of conversational English, which moved towards less formal expressions.
9. Soft
- Meaning: An interjection to command silence or attention, akin to “wait” or “hold on.”
- Example: “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?” (Romeo and Juliet)
- Insight for actors: Use “soft” to draw attention to a moment of revelation or discovery, often signalling a shift in the scene.
10. Zounds
- Meaning: An oath expressing surprise, frustration, or anger; short for “God’s wounds,” it alludes to Jesus Christ and the Crucifixion. The contraction may seem illogical at first; however, this shortening follows a linguistic process common in Early Modern English, where oaths referencing sacred names or concepts were deliberately truncated to avoid blasphemy or to soften the religious connotation.
- Example: “Zounds! A dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat to scratch a man to death!” (Romeo and Juliet)
- Insight for actors: Use “zounds” to give the character’s anger or shock extra emphasis, making the exclamation explosive.
11. Dost
- Meaning: A second-person singular form of the verb "do” that’s the equivalent of “do you” or “you do.”
- Example: “Why dost thou stay?” (Julius Caesar)
- Insight for actors: “Dost” reflects the formal or intimate address of “thou,” often used in rhetorical or emotional moments. It conveys a directness and sometimes an element of challenge or urgency.
1. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” (Romeo and Juliet)
- Meaning: Names themselves hold no intrinsic value; it’s the essence that matters.
- Usage: This line invites actors to delve into Juliet’s youthful yet profound perspective, combining her romantic idealism with a mature understanding of identity. In delivery, the phrase should convey quiet reflection, as Juliet ponders aloud the insignificance of Romeo’s family name in contrast to the love she feels for him. The actor might emphasise the poetic rhythm and softness of the words to reflect Juliet’s inner vulnerability and her hopeful desire to overcome societal constraints.
2. “The better part of valour is discretion.” (Henry IV, Part I)
- Meaning: True bravery includes knowing when to avoid danger.
- Usage: This phrase can help actors understand the character’s pragmatism or self-preservation instincts.
3. “To thine own self be true.” (Hamlet)
- Meaning: Be honest and true to yourself, and it will guide you correctly.
- Usage: This line resonates with audiences because it encourages authenticity and sincerity on the actor’s part. The advice traces back to the ancient Greek maxim, “Know thyself” (“gnōthi seauton”), famously inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Shakespeare’s version adds a practical dimension: Self-awareness leads to integrity and success in dealings with others, bridging classical philosophy and Early Modern values.
4. “All that glisters is not gold.” (The Merchant of Venice)
- Meaning: Not everything that appears valuable truly is.
- Usage: Actors can use this line to communicate caution or wisdom.
5. “There is method in’t.” (Hamlet)
- Meaning: There’s a plan or sense behind seemingly irrational behaviour.
- Usage: This line is often spoken to suggest that actions may appear random but have purpose. It’s the origin of “There’s a method to your madness,” used today to describe order hidden within chaos. Shakespeare’s original phrasing highlights Polonius’ role as a foil to Hamlet – trying to unravel the prince’s strategy but ultimately misunderstanding its depth.
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When you look at Shakesepare’s words on the page, they can seem intimidating, but speak them out loud and the meaning will often reveal itself. Some of his best loved lines so accurately encapsulate a particular emotion that they feel contemporary.
Take, for example, this insult by Parolles in All's Well That Ends Well: “A most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise breaker, the owner of no one good quality.” Sure, it’s wordy, but the sentiment is easy to glean. Other lines, though frillier and arguably less relatable, are fun to play with.
Next time you have a gripe with somebody, you could try this put-down by Falstaff (directed at Prince Hal in Act II, Scene IV of Henry IV, Part 1) “You starvelling, you eel-skin, you dried neat’s-tongue, you bull’s-pizzle, you stock-fish.”