Early Modern English Exemplified in Shakespeares Hamlet, Act V Scene 1

Early Modern English Exemplified in Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act V Scene 1 The period of Early Modern English occurred from approximately Fifteen Hundred to some time between Sixteen Fifty and Sixteen Seventy. While this period was characterized mostly by the translation of texts from other languages into English, the language saw its first prominent writer in William Shakespeare contribute works of literary significance to the world. Hamlet Prince of Denmark, in its abbreviated, performed version, was originally included in the quarto of 1603. The current version of the text is based on the 1604-05 version of the text, which is believed to be printed from Shakespeare's own draft (Farnham). Lines 241-280 of Act V scene 1 in Hamlet are an example of Early Modern English as written (and possibly spoken) in the early Seventeenth century; it illustrates aspects of the language such as vocabulary, spelling, syntax and grammar relative to this time period. The dialogue in Hamlet would be recognizable to readers from the Seventeenth century to the present: although Shakespeare's style may differ from the spoken and written dialects of these time periods, his vocabulary is not totally alien. The online version of the Oxford English Dictionary indicates many of the words in this passage had the same or similar meanings when Shakespeare wrote as they do presently. Some examples include madness, "mental disease or insanity"; dangerous, "Fraught with danger or risk; causing or occasioning danger; perilous, hazardous, risky, unsafe"; and whine, "To utter a low somewhat shrill protracted sound or cry, usually expressive of pain or distress." The concept of madness, the adjective dangerous, and the infinitive 'to whine' originate prior to t... ...-279). In the Sixteenth and Seventeenth centuries, while common people were becoming increasingly literate, it was mostly an intellectual demographic that wrote; one certainly would not consider Shakespeare a common user of Early Modern English. However, although Shakespeare did write Hamlet, he intended it to be performed: theatre-goers might have been impressed hearing a more refined and thought-out usage of Early Modern English than what they spoke, but players would have difficulty speaking a language with which they were unfamiliar, just as an audience would have difficulty understanding the performed lines. Therefore, while his writing may be more structured than the general speech of the time, Shakespeare's text can be considered a likely portrayal of the language of his time. Works Cited Hamlet. Edited by Willard Farnham. New York: Penguin Books, 1957.