Help me with Shakespeare language?!?!?

Question

I have to write a love letter in "shakespearian" language. In the letter I have to try and get this person to love me and describe my emotional and physical state. I have to praise my "beloved" and finish by asking them on a date.

ALL IN SHAKESPEARE'S VOCABULARY.

Answer 1

AH! “Shakespearean language”? Shakespeare’s vocabulary? Shakespeare’s language was English, modern English. His vocabulary is your vocabulary. I cannot stress that enough. In fact over 90% of the words he used are still used today, in the same context! Ok had to get that out.
The key is look at the grammar. Shakespeare’s grammar is different that today’s. He tends to rearrange things a bit: “To be or not to be, that is the question” instead of “The question is: To be or not to be.” He uses metaphor quite a bit. I would choose a metaphor, like “eyes like the sea after a storm,” and build on it throughout the letter. You may want to look at the sonnets. They are, in a way, love letters, and requests for “dates.” They tend to start very broad and as they move down toward the end the focus in. You could talk about your supposed loves’ appearance starting general and focusing into a specific, such as the eyes, Shakespeare likes eyes. As you talk about the physical appearance mention how it affects you. A note: In Shakespeare’s time you and thou had different meanings. Today we think thou is an archaic you, in fact it was used for informal, and inferior address: “Thou Lysander, thou, thou!”(Midsummer’s Night Dream, Act 1, scene 1) You was used in formal address, and more often to a superior. Many of the sonnets use thou because they are in a way informal, and in a way to an inferior. (Please note I am talking about status as per Early Modern England, NOT that women are inferior.)
I sonnet does have a specific rhyme scheme and meter count, but I would fudge that a bit to get the language to work. It is a very good idea to read a lot of Shakespeare’s works to get the grammar down. R&J or course has some wonderful stuff (Note the first 14 lines that Rome and Juliet speak make a sonnet). Also I would look at the wooing scene in Henry V, As You Like It and Twelfth Night also have some wonderful bits.

Raven
Graduate
Mary Bladwin College
MLitt/MFA In Shakespeare
and Renaissance Literature
in Performance

Answer 2

Just for starters, people didn't go on 'dates' in Shakespearean times, so your assignment isn't going to be quite as difficult as it seems at first glance.
With a copy of Romeo and Juliet in one hand, write your beloved a letter, praising her beauty. Women weren't praised in Willie's time for their brains or their business achievements. Beauty seemed to be the only factor. So lay it on thick. Compare your beloved to a summer's day, her eyes to a dew-kissed violet, her cheeks to the flush of a freshly-opened rose, etc.etc.etc.
Your own state, of course, is pure misery and the only way she can lighten your load is by returning your love. So point out that you are less than dust beneath her feet, that you live in shadows until the sunshine of her smile lights your day, etc.etc.etc. And of course, you will do all this in Shakespearean English, which won't be hard as you have obviously read several of his works or your teacher wouldn't be giving you this assignment.
Make haste, lest fleeting shards of day break into night 'ere you complete your task. ......

Answer 3

Go ahead and write your love letter as you would normally.

Then go back to your Shakespearean texts or the Internet and look at his sonnets. DON'T COPY what he writes, but look at the words and the way he sets things up. Some of the words are archaic, but mainly it's confusing because of the way he organizes the words: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate."

Get out your thesaurus and your dictionary and go to work.

Be prepared to work hard and sweat a little. But it will be worth it in the end.
Good Luck.

P.S. I hope you weren't expecting someone to write it for you!!

Answer 4

That's a neat assignment. Shakespeare had a bunch of sonnets about love. I'd choose vocabulary out of those, it should give you all you need.

Answer 5

I'm guessing shakespearian insults won't work.......sorry, thats the only "shakespearian" language i know......

Answer 6

http://www.william-shakespeare.info/william-shakespeare-dictionary.htm

try this web site, you will have to just keep browsing till you find the right words. good luck

Answer 7

*Gulp!

Best of luck!