Shakespeare and His Long-Lasting Impact on the English Language
That Shakespeare is the famous playwright who wrote the classic love story of Romeo and Juliet, is something you are very likely to know. But did you know that Shakespeare had a significant impact on the English language and that you can still see his fingerprints on the way we speak today? In this series, I will guide you through how his work impacted the English language and show you that even the way you speak English has a Shakespearian touch to it.
On William Shakespeare
Let’s start this first article with some background information on the dramatist William Shakespeare. He was born on April 23rd, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He moved to London just after 1585 to begin his acting apprenticeship, where a few years later, he joined the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, one of the most well-known acting troupes, the Lord Chamberlain’s men (i.e., the King’s Men), in London, in 1594.
In his lifetime, he wrote at least 37 plays, many of which were written and performed during his time with the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. His work spans the genres of tragedy, history, comedy and tragic comedy, but he also wrote many sonnets and poems. Some of his most well-known plays are A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Julia, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Much Ado About Nothing.
Shakespeare’s Influence on the English Language: Words (pt.1)
The work of William Shakespeare changed and solidified the English language in multiple ways. His long-lasting impact on the English language ranges from manifold invented words that are still used today to variations in sentence structure, metaphors, innovative storytelling techniques and much more. In this series, we’ll go through a few of them. Starting with just a few of the 1700 – 3000 (!) words that he invented:
Alligator
“A carnivorous reptile closely related to the crocodile”
This word was first used in Romeo and Juliet, Act 5 Scene 1
ROMEO
“... Sharp misery had worn him to the bones,
And in his needy shop a tortoise hung,
An alligator stuffed, and other skins
Of ill-shaped fishes; and about his shelves,
A beggarly account of empty boxes,
...”
Bedroom
"A room for sleeping in; a room with a bed”
This word was first used in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2 Scene 2
LYSANDER
“... O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence!
Love takes the meaning in love’s conference –
I mean that my heart unto yours is knit,
So that but one heart we can make of it.
Two bosoms interchained with an oath –
So then two bosoms and a single troth.
Then by your side no bed-room me deny,
For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie.”
Critic
“One who judges merit or expresses a reasoned opinion”
This word was first used in Love’s Labour Lost, Act 3 Scene 1
BEROWNE
“And I forsooth in love! I that have been love’s whip,
A very beadle to a humorous sigh,
A critic, nay, a nightwatch constable,
A domineering pendant o’er the boy,
Than whom no mortal so magnificent.
...”
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Are you enjoying this series? If so, stay tuned! In this series, we’ll cover more Shakespearian words, phrases, sentence structures, more of the creative language he used in plays and poems, how to read Shakespeare’s work like a pro, and possibly a deeper dive into some of his works! I invite you to join the conversation on Shakespeare here on the forums!
To be continued :-)
Marieke, OLS Community Manager 
Source: Wikimedia Commons