Understanding Shakespearean English: Vocabulary and History

Explore key vocabulary like ‘thou,’ ‘thee,’ and ‘doth’ to understand Shakespearean English.

Why Shakespearean English Vocabulary Matters

This guide helps you practise Guide to Shakespearean English vocabulary with the episode’s real vocabulary, pronunciation points and examples. This episode explores the life, linguistic impact, and enduring mysteries of William Shakespeare, often referred to as “The Bard of Avon”.

Shakespearean English Vocabulary: Fast Recap

This episode explores the life, linguistic impact, and enduring mysteries of William Shakespeare, often referred to as “The Bard of Avon”.

The central learning focuses on understanding Elizabethan English vocabulary (Early Modern English) and recognizing Shakespeare not just as a “whimsical” poet. As a highly successful businessman whose work continues to shape the modern world.

Shakespeare wrote approximately 40 plays and 154 sonnets.

What to Practise

• First, the term ‘prolific’ refers to someone highly productive, such as Shakespeare who wrote roughly 40 plays and 154 sonnets.
• Next, the phrasal verb ‘to suss out’ is used to describe the act of investigating or discovering information.
• Also, in Elizabethan English, ‘thou’ acts as the subject ‘you,’ while ‘thee’ is the object form.
• However, ‘Doth’ and ‘hath’ are archaic Early Modern English verbs for ‘do’ and ‘has’ or ‘have’.
• Therefore, the word ‘ye’ was historically used as the plural form of ‘you’ and is still used in some Irish dialects today.

Shakespearean English Vocabulary: Episode Roadmap

Explanation of the word ‘Whimsical’

This episode defines ‘whimsical’ as fanciful and provides the Spanish translations ‘extravagante’ or ‘capricioso,’ helping learners understand a sophisticated adjective for creative styles.

Pronunciation mnemonic for ‘Shakespeare’

By using the wordplay ‘He shakes beer’ (él agita cerveza), The episode provides a memorable phonetic trick for Spanish speakers to master the English pronunciation of the playwright’s name.

Clarification on the number ‘Four Billion’

This moment highlights a common ‘false friend’ in mathematics, clarifying that an English ‘billion’ is ‘mil millones’ in Spanish, rather than a ‘billón’.

Financial vocabulary and ‘Thrifty’

The segment explains the adjective ‘thrifty’ and uses the comparison of a ‘dime’ (ten cents) and a ‘quarter’ (twenty-five cents) to illustrate money management vocabulary.

Dramatic recitation from ‘Henry V’

Learners benefit from hearing the rhythm, stress, and intonation of a famous dramatic monologue (‘Once more unto the breach’) performed with theatrical delivery.

The guide to ‘Doth’, ‘Thou’, and ‘Thee’

This is a critical grammar lesson on Early Modern English, explaining ‘doth’ as ‘do’ and distinguishing between ‘thou’ as a subject and ‘thee’ as an object.

Key Ideas to Remember

• First, the term ‘prolific’ refers to someone highly productive, such as Shakespeare who wrote roughly 40 plays and 154 sonnets.
• Next, the phrasal verb ‘to suss out’ is used to describe the act of investigating or discovering information.
• Also, in Elizabethan English, ‘thou’ acts as the subject ‘you,’ while ‘thee’ is the object form.
• However, ‘Doth’ and ‘hath’ are archaic Early Modern English verbs for ‘do’ and ‘has’ or ‘have’.
• Therefore, the word ‘ye’ was historically used as the plural form of ‘you’ and is still used in some Irish dialects today.
• Finally, being ‘thrifty’ describes being wise with money and saving, a skill that helped Shakespeare become a successful property investor.
• The idiom ‘under your belt’ is a common expression for having a specific number of achievements or experiences.
• A ‘thespian’ is a more formal or dramatic term for an actor.
• The phrasal verb ‘to tie the knot’ is a widely used idiom for getting married.
• An ‘epitaph’ is the specific inscription or poem found on a tombstone, often containing a final message.

Shakespearean English Vocabulary: Vocabulary

English	Español	Note / Uso
Drop me a line	Dime algo	Used by The episode to invite listeners to contact him with suggestions.
Western world	El mundo occidental	Refers to the cultural context in. This Shakespeare is highly influential.
Whimsical	Extravagante / caprichoso	A key adjective The episode uses to sum up Shakespeare’s fanciful writing style.
Hamlet	Aldea	This episode provides this as the literal translation of the common noun ‘hamlet’ (a small village).
Suss out	Investigar	A phrasal verb of British origin meaning to investigate or discover information.
Four billion	Cuatro mil millones	This episode notes the linguistic difference, as ‘billion’ in English equates to ‘mil millones’ in Spanish.
The plague	La peste	Mentioned in relation to the context of Shakespeare’s sonnets.
Upon	Encima de	Explained during the discussion of the town ‘Stratford-upon-Avon’.
Thesis	Tesis	Identified as a cognate, though The episode highlights the difference in pronunciation.
Dime	Diez céntimos	Used to illustrate Shakespeare’s financial savvy with small amounts of money.
Under his belt	En su haber / acumulado	He also has 154 sonnets under his belt.
Tie the knot	Casarse	She was 26 years old when they tied the knot.
Shrouded in mystery	Envuelto en el misterio	We could say his life is shrouded in mystery.
Off the top of my head	De memoria / sin pensarlo mucho	This is off the top of my head with no rehearsal.
Layman’s terms	Términos para cualquiera / lenguaje sencillo	My mom would put it in layman’s terms.
Talk of the town	El tema de conversación / de lo que todo el mundo habla	This guy is still the talk of the town.

Practice Ideas

Concept	Explanation	Why it matters
Prolific	A term used to describe someone who is highly productive and produces a great deal of work in their field.	It explains Shakespeare’s massive output of approximately 40 plays and 154 sonnets, highlighting his dedication to his craft.
Suss out	An informal phrasal verb meaning to investigate, discover, or figure something out.	This episode uses this to invite the audience to explore the mysteries surrounding Shakespeare’s life and identity.
Whimsical	An adjective describing something fanciful, extravagant, or capricious.	It perfectly sums up Shakespeare’s unique and creative writing style in a single word.
Bard	An older term for a storyteller or poet; specifically, Shakespeare is known as ‘The Bard of Avon.’	Recognizing this nickname is essential for understanding cultural and literary references to Shakespeare in English.
Thrifty	A personality trait describing someone who is wise with money and knows how to save and invest effectively.	It dispels the myth of the ‘starving artist’ by showing Shakespeare was a successful businessman and property investor.
First Folio	The first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays, published by his fellow actors seven years after his death.	It is the primary source of his literary legacy; without it, many of his works might have been lost to history.
Elizabethan English	Also known as Early Modern English, this is the version of the language used by Shakespeare and in many Bible translations.	Understanding its specific vocabulary (like ‘thou’, ‘thee’, and ‘hath’) is key to reading and appreciating classic literature.
Layman’s terms	The act of explaining complex information in simple, clear language that anyone can understand.	It is a useful idiomatic expression for learners to use when they need a simpler explanation of difficult concepts.

Examples From the Episode

Source / Moment	Why it helps	Review cue
Dick Van Dyke in ‘Mary Poppins’	Used as an example of a famously bad British (Cockney) accent by an American actor.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Guinness Book of World Records	Confirms Shakespeare as the world’s best-selling playwright with over four billion copies sold.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Hamlet	The name of a famous character and play, but also a common noun meaning ‘aldea’ (small village).	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Klingon (Star Trek)	Illustrates the global reach of Shakespeare’s work, having been translated even into fictional languages.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Anne Hathaway	Shakespeare’s wife; they married when he was 18 and she was 26 (‘tied the knot’).	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
The First Folio	The essential source of 36 of Shakespeare’s plays, published by fellow actors Hemmings and Condell.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Miguel de Cervantes	Cultural comparison used to explain why Shakespeare’s English (Elizabethan) feels like a different language today.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Henry V Monologue	Practical example of dramatic recitation: ‘Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more’	Use this as context while reviewing the video.

Common Learner Traps

Watch out for	Why it matters	Better move
Hamlet	This episode provides this as the literal translation of the common noun ‘hamlet’ (a small village).	Say it in a short sentence, then check whether the meaning changes if you translate it literally.
Thesis	Identified as a cognate, though The episode highlights the difference in pronunciation.	Say it in a short sentence, then check whether the meaning changes if you translate it literally.

Try It Yourself

Use these prompts after reading the article. They are designed for active recall: say the answer aloud first, then check the tables above.

1. Explain this in your own words: The term ‘prolific’ refers to someone highly productive, such as Shakespeare who wrote roughly 40 plays and 154 sonnets.
2. Explain this in your own words: The phrasal verb ‘to suss out’ is used to describe the act of investigating or discovering information.
3. Explain this in your own words: In Elizabethan English, ‘thou’ acts as the subject ‘you,’ while ‘thee’ is the object form.
4. Make one original sentence with “Prolific” without starting from “Productivo” in Spanish.
5. Make one original sentence with “Playwright” without starting from “Dramaturgo” in Spanish.
6. Make one original sentence with “Drop me a line” without starting from “Dime algo” in Spanish.

Shakespearean English Vocabulary: Glossary

Term	Meaning / Spanish
Prolific	Productivo
Playwright	Dramaturgo
Drop me a line	Dime algo
Western world	Mundo occidental
Whimsical	Extravagante / capricioso
Hamlet	Aldea
Suss out	Investigar / darse cuenta
Four billion	Mil millones
The plague	La peste
Upon	Encima de
Tied the knot	Casarse
Thesis	Tesis

Questions Learners Ask

Who was William Shakespeare and what is his literary legacy?

William Shakespeare was a prolific playwright, poet, and actor often referred to as the 'Bard of Avon'. He remains the world's best-selling playwright, with over four billion copies of his plays and poetry sold. His works have been translated into every major living language, and he is credited with significantly propagating and shaping the English language.

Was Shakespeare financially successful during his lifetime?

Yes, Shakespeare was a highly successful businessman, property investor, and 'thrifty' saver who knew how to grow his wealth. Although his plays were not published while he was alive, he earned money as an actor and through a joint-stock company he established with his fellow performers.

How were Shakespeare's plays preserved if they weren't published while he was alive?

Seven years after his death, two of his fellow actors, John Hemmings and Henry Condell, compiled 36 of his works into a collection known as the 'First Folio'. This publication serves as the primary source for most of Shakespeare's books and ensured his literary legacy survived.

What are the common terms used in Elizabethan English?

Shakespeare wrote in Early Modern English, also known as Elizabethan English. This features archaic terms like 'doth' (do), 'hath' (have or has), and 'art' (are). It also distinguishes between 'thou' as a subject (you) and 'thee' as an object (you), as well as using 'ye' for the plural 'vosotros'.

How many plays did Shakespeare write and how are they categorized?

Shakespeare wrote approximately 40 plays, averaging about one and a half plays per year during his career. These works are generally categorized into three genres: Tragedies (such as Hamlet and Othello), Comedies (like 12th Night), and Histories (such as Henry V and Richard III).

What is the mystery surrounding Shakespeare's grave?

Shakespeare was buried at Holy Trinity Church and left a curse on his grave epitaph, warning anyone against moving his bones. Despite this curse, there are reports that grave robbers eventually stole his head. This is said to be missing to this day.

Shakespearean English Vocabulary: Quick Quiz

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