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7.07 Understanding Shakespeare

Part 1: Everything Old is New Again!

Translating Early Modern English into Modern English

Below are some lines from some of William Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, written in Early Modern English. On the lines below each quote, translate each sentence into Modern English, as we might speak it today.

1. "To thine own self be true; and it must follow, as the night the day, thou can'st not then be false to any man." Hamlet, Act i, Sc.3

2. "What is best, that best I wish in thee." Troilus & C, Act ii, Sc.2

3. "Safe may'st thou wander, safe return again!" Cymbeline, Act iii, Sc.5

4. "Give me thy hand, 'tis late; farewell, good night." Rom & Jul, Act iii, Sc.3

5. "Have more than though showest; speak less than thou knowest; lend less than thou owest." K Lear, Act i, Sc.4

6. "Thy glass will show thee how thy beauties wear, thy dial how thy precious minutes waste." Sonnet 77

7. "This above all: to thine own self be true." Hamlet, Act i, Sc.3

Part 2: Ordering Shakespeare Around

Word order in Shakespearean Writing

When Shakespeare wrote his prose, he often used a slightly different word order than we are used to. The subject, verb, and object did not always follow in a 1, 2, 3 order. Look at the following sentence. Rewrite the sentence four times, changing the word order each time. Put one word on each blank provided below the original sentence.

Original Sentence: I lost my homework.

Rewrite #1:                        .

Rewrite #2:                        .

Rewrite #3:                        .

Rewrite #4:                        .

Look at each of your rewritten sentences above. Has the meaning of the original sentence changed? No matter how you word it...you're toast if your homework is lost!

Now, think about how Yoda spoke in the Star Wars movies. We understood exactly what he was saying, even though the word order was slightly different than what we are used to hearing. It's your turn to makeup a short sentence like the one above and rewrite it several different ways. (You may use more than one word in a blank.) Does the meaning change with the rewrites?

Original Sentence:                        .

Rewrite #1:                        .

Rewrite #2:                        .

Rewrite #3:                        .

Rewrite #4:                        .

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