Influential WordsInfluential Words In 2009, The American Dialect Society deemed

“tweet” the word of the year. In 2010 it was “app”. One of the frontrunners for this year is the word “occupy” because of the all the protests happening around Wall Street, as well as other financial districts in major cities around the world. Early this year, Charlie Sheen’s “winning” had received some major support, but has recently lost some of its edge.

Make a list of 5 words that you believe should be “Word of the Year” for you. Maybe you feel that they apply to the whole country, maybe to your school, or perhaps just amongst your family or friends. For each of the five words, explain what it means, and why it has come to be such an important word to you.

Influence of Shakespeare’s Influence of Shakespeare’s Writing on the English Writing on the English

LanguageLanguage

by Daren by Daren WilkersonWilkerson

Shakespeare: The Man!Shakespeare: The Man!

Born in Stratford-upon-Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, Avon, Warwickshire, England in 1564—Died England in 1564—Died in 1616in 1616

Was an actor, writer, Was an actor, writer, director, and producer.director, and producer.

Wrote 40 plays, 154 Wrote 40 plays, 154 sonnets, and sonnets, and numerous other numerous other poems. poems.

(www.wikipedia.org)(www.wikipedia.org)

Shakespeare’s Shakespeare’s PlaysPlays

14 Comedies (e.g., 14 Comedies (e.g., A Midsummer A Midsummer Night’s DreamNight’s Dream, , Much Ado about Much Ado about NothingNothing, , Twelfth NightTwelfth Night, , The TempestThe Tempest, , The Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of Venice).).

11 Tragedies (e.g., 11 Tragedies (e.g., MacbethMacbeth, , HamletHamlet, , Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet, , Julius CaesarJulius Caesar, , OthelloOthello))

15 Histories (e.g., 15 Histories (e.g., Richard IIRichard II, , Richard IIIRichard III, , Henry IVHenry IV, , King JohnKing John) )

((The Library ShakespeareThe Library Shakespeare))

Shakespeare’s WordsShakespeare’s Words

Shakespeare’s plays Shakespeare’s plays and poems hold and poems hold evidence that he evidence that he may have may have introduced into the introduced into the English language as English language as many as 2,000 many as 2,000 words!words!

(Clayborrne, Anna and Rebecca Treays)(Clayborrne, Anna and Rebecca Treays)

Examples of Words and PhrasesExamples of Words and PhrasesCoined by “The Bard”Coined by “The Bard”

leapfrog, dwindle, leapfrog, dwindle, countless, fretful, countless, fretful, barefaced, lonely, barefaced, lonely, accommodation, accommodation, dislocate, dislocate, indistinguishable, indistinguishable, premeditated, reliance, premeditated, reliance, submerged, submerged, assassination, critical, assassination, critical, emphasis, antipathy, emphasis, antipathy, vast, prodigious, vast, prodigious, obscene, initiate, obscene, initiate, demonstrate, dire, demonstrate, dire, emulate, horrid, emulate, horrid, meditate, modestmeditate, modest

““To be or not to be” To be or not to be”

““Method to the Method to the madness” madness”

““Cruel to be kind”Cruel to be kind”

““The world’s your The world’s your oyster”oyster”

(McCrum, Robert, William Cran, (McCrum, Robert, William Cran, and Robert MacNeil;and Robert MacNeil; Claybourne, Anna and Claybourne, Anna and Rebecca Treays)Rebecca Treays)

““On Quoting Shakespeare” by Bernard LevinOn Quoting Shakespeare” by Bernard Levin

If you cannot understand my argument and declare If you cannot understand my argument and declare "it's Greek to me", you are quoting Shakespeare. If "it's Greek to me", you are quoting Shakespeare. If you claim to be "more sinned against than sinning", you claim to be "more sinned against than sinning", you are quoting Shakespeare; if you “recall your salad you are quoting Shakespeare; if you “recall your salad days”, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act "more days”, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act "more in sorrow than in anger", if your "wish is father to the in sorrow than in anger", if your "wish is father to the thought", if your lost property has "vanished into thin thought", if your lost property has "vanished into thin air", you are quoting Shakespeare. If you have ever air", you are quoting Shakespeare. If you have ever refused "to budge an inch" or suffered from "green-refused "to budge an inch" or suffered from "green-eyed jealousy", if you have "played fast and loose", if eyed jealousy", if you have "played fast and loose", if you have been "tongue-tied" - "a tower of strength" - you have been "tongue-tied" - "a tower of strength" - "hoodwinked" or "in a pickle", if you have "knitted "hoodwinked" or "in a pickle", if you have "knitted your brows" - "made virtue of necessity", insisted on your brows" - "made virtue of necessity", insisted on "fair play" - "slept not one wink" - "stood on "fair play" - "slept not one wink" - "stood on ceremony" - "danced attendance" (on your lord and ceremony" - "danced attendance" (on your lord and master),"laughed yourself into stitches", had "short master),"laughed yourself into stitches", had "short shrift" - "cold comfort", or "too much of a good thing", shrift" - "cold comfort", or "too much of a good thing", if you have "seen better days", or lived "in a fool’s if you have "seen better days", or lived "in a fool’s paradise", why, be that as it may, "the more fool you", paradise", why, be that as it may, "the more fool you", for it is a "foregone Conclusion" that you are "as good for it is a "foregone Conclusion" that you are "as good luck would have it", quoting Shakespeare.luck would have it", quoting Shakespeare.

If you think “it is early days” and “clear out bag and If you think “it is early days” and “clear out bag and baggage”, if you think "it is high time", and that "that is baggage”, if you think "it is high time", and that "that is the long and the short of it", if you believe that "the the long and the short of it", if you believe that "the game is up", and that “the truth will out", even if game is up", and that “the truth will out", even if involves your "own flesh and blood", if you "lie low" till involves your "own flesh and blood", if you "lie low" till "the crack of doom" because you suspect "foul play", if "the crack of doom" because you suspect "foul play", if you have "teeth set on edge” (at one fell swoop) - you have "teeth set on edge” (at one fell swoop) - "without rhyme or reason", then "to give the devil his "without rhyme or reason", then "to give the devil his due" if the "truth were known" for surely you have a due" if the "truth were known" for surely you have a "tongue in your head", you are quoting Shakespeare. "tongue in your head", you are quoting Shakespeare. Even if you bid me "good riddance" and "send me Even if you bid me "good riddance" and "send me packing", if you wish I was "dead as a doornail", if you packing", if you wish I was "dead as a doornail", if you think I am an "eyesore" - a "laughing stock" - the "devil think I am an "eyesore" - a "laughing stock" - the "devil incarnate" - "a stony-hearted villain" - "bloody-minded", incarnate" - "a stony-hearted villain" - "bloody-minded", or a "blinking idiot", then "by Jove" - "o Lord"- "Tut, tut!" or a "blinking idiot", then "by Jove" - "o Lord"- "Tut, tut!" - "For goodness sake" - "what the dickens!" - "but me no - "For goodness sake" - "what the dickens!" - "but me no buts" - "it is all one to me", for you are quoting buts" - "it is all one to me", for you are quoting Shakespeare...Shakespeare...

(Levin, Bernard)(Levin, Bernard)

Standardization of the Standardization of the LanguageLanguage

The popularity and The popularity and amount of his work, amount of his work, combined with the combined with the recent advent of recent advent of the printing press, the printing press, helped to helped to standardize the standardize the English language.English language.

(McCrum, Robert, William Cran, (McCrum, Robert, William Cran, and Robert MacNeil)and Robert MacNeil)

Shakespeare’s TheatersShakespeare’s Theaters ““The Theatre” was a The Theatre” was a

theater used until theater used until 1599, and was then 1599, and was then torn down and moved torn down and moved across the Thames, across the Thames, where it was renamed where it was renamed “The Globe”. It “The Globe”. It burned down and was burned down and was rebuilt in 1613, but rebuilt in 1613, but was torn apart by was torn apart by Puritans in 1644. A Puritans in 1644. A replica was erected in replica was erected in London in 1996. London in 1996.

(Claybourne, Anna and Rebecca (Claybourne, Anna and Rebecca Treays)Treays)

No Roles for Women?No Roles for Women? In Shakespeare’s day, In Shakespeare’s day,

acting was considered a acting was considered a “low” occupation, so “low” occupation, so women were not women were not allowed on-stage. This allowed on-stage. This didn’t stop Shakespeare didn’t stop Shakespeare from writing female from writing female characters, though. So characters, though. So the female parts were the female parts were usually given to young usually given to young men, who would men, who would occasionally use “high” occasionally use “high” voices. voices.

Claybourne, Anna and Rebecca Claybourne, Anna and Rebecca Treays)Treays)

A Man of the People!A Man of the People!

Many people, from all Many people, from all walks of life attended his walks of life attended his plays. The poor people plays. The poor people stood on the ground in stood on the ground in front of the stage, and front of the stage, and were known as were known as “groundlings”. But middle “groundlings”. But middle class people, and even class people, and even royalty attended his plays. royalty attended his plays. He occasionally performed He occasionally performed certain plays privately for certain plays privately for Queen Elizabeth, and later Queen Elizabeth, and later King James!King James!

(Claybourne, Anna and Rebecca Treays)(Claybourne, Anna and Rebecca Treays)

Knowing his Audience!Knowing his Audience!Sometimes, in a piece of dialogue, he would write Sometimes, in a piece of dialogue, he would write two different lines back to back with the same two different lines back to back with the same meaning—one for the well-educated, and one for the meaning—one for the well-educated, and one for the poor people down front:poor people down front: Here’s an example from Macbeth:Here’s an example from Macbeth:

““Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this bloodWill all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood

Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will ratherClean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather

The multitudinous seas incarnadine, The multitudinous seas incarnadine,

Making the green one red.”Making the green one red.”

““The multitudinous seas incarnadine” is a Latinate The multitudinous seas incarnadine” is a Latinate phrase, and “Making the green one red” is a plain phrase, and “Making the green one red” is a plain Anglo-Saxon phrase, though both express the Anglo-Saxon phrase, though both express the same idea, that the blood from Macbeth’s hand same idea, that the blood from Macbeth’s hand will make the water turn red with blood. This will make the water turn red with blood. This way, everyone’s happy! way, everyone’s happy!

(McCrum, Robert, William Cran, and Robert MacNeil)(McCrum, Robert, William Cran, and Robert MacNeil)

Hmmm . . . He looks dead, but I better take him to a doctor, just to make sure.

Found another one, sir. Do you think this one’s

dead, too?

Works CitedWorks Cited

Clayborn, Anna, and Rebecca Treays. Clayborn, Anna, and Rebecca Treays. The The World of World of ShakespeareShakespeare. London: Usborne . London: Usborne Publishing. 1996.Publishing. 1996.

Levin, Bernard. “On Quoting Shakespeare”.Levin, Bernard. “On Quoting Shakespeare”. McCrum, Robert, William Cran, and Robert McCrum, Robert, William Cran, and Robert

MacNeil. MacNeil. The Story of EnglishThe Story of English. New York: Viking . New York: Viking Penguin Inc. Penguin Inc. 19861986

Shakespeare, William. Shakespeare, William. The LibraryThe Library ShakespeareShakespeare. . Illus. Sir Illus. Sir John Gilbert, John Gilbert, George Cruikshank, George Cruikshank, and R. Dudley. and R. Dudley. London: Trident Press Int. 1999.London: Trident Press Int. 1999.

Wikipedia. “William Shakespeare” Wikipedia. “William Shakespeare” www.wikipedia.org May 15, 2009. May 15, 2009.