Introduction to Shakespearean Language

Name: ________________
Class: _____
Date: ____________________
ELA 8 – Introduction to Shakespearean Language
Why do we cringe when we often hear Shakespeare?
Well, if you ask me, it’s often because of his words. All
those “thou”, “thines”, “wherefore”; yet, why is he so
popular? It’s because of Shakespeare’s words
Shakespeare does use a lot of words in his plays and
one of his best accomplishments was his use of insults. They would unify the entire
audience, and no matter where you sat, you could laugh at what was going on stage. Words,
especially dialogue in a dramatic setting, were used to set mood of the scene, to give more
atmosphere to the scene and to develop relationships. Insults developed this in a sharp and
short way.
To start off, consider the following:
What does the word “insult” mean?
Why do people use insults?
In the TED-Ed video, we had examples of insults and their meanings from Hamlet and
Romeo and Juliet. Now it’s your turn to have a little fun with Shakespearean insults!
Activity #1: Creating Your Very Own Shakespearean Insults
Instructions: With a partner, using the chart below, create 5 of your very own Shakespearean
insults.
You must provide a translation into modern day English as well.
Link to find the meanings of some Shakespearean language
• http://www.william-shakespeare.info/william-shakespeare-dictionary.htm
Shakespeare Insult List
Combine one word from each of the three columns below, prefaced with "Thou":
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
artless
bawdy
beslubbering
bootless
churlish
Column 1
base-court
apple-john
bat-fowling
baggage
beef-witted
barnacle
beetle-headed
bladder
boil-brained
boar-pig
Column 2
Column 3
cockered
clouted
craven
currish
dankish
dissembling
droning
errant
fawning
fobbing
froward
frothy
gleeking
goatish
gorbellied
impertinent
infectious
jarring
loggerheaded
lumpish
mammering
mangled
mewling
paunchy
pribbling
puking
puny
qualling
rank
reeky
roguish
ruttish
saucy
clapper-clawed
bugbear
clay-brained
bum-bailey
common-kissing
canker-blossom
crook-pated
clack-dish
dismal-dreaming clotpole
dizzy-eyed
coxcomb
doghearted
codpiece
dread-bolted
death-token
earth-vexing
dewberry
elf-skinned
flap-dragon
fat-kidneyed
flax-wench
fen-sucked
flirt-gill
flap-mouthed
foot-licker
fly-bitten
fustilarian
folly-fallen
giglet
fool-born
gudgeon
full-gorged
haggard
guts-griping
harpy
half-faced
hedge-pig
hasty-witted
horn-beast
hedge-born
hugger-mugger
hell-hated
joithead
idle-headed
lewdster
ill-breeding
lout
ill-nurtured
maggot-pie
knotty-pated
malt-worm
milk-livered
mammet
motley-minded measle
onion-eyed
minnow
plume-plucked miscreant
pottle-deep
moldwarp
pox-marked
mumble-news
reeling-ripe
nut-hook
spleeny
spongy
surly
tottering
unmuzzled
vain
venomed
villainous
warped
wayward
weedy
yeasty
rough-hewn
pigeon-egg
rude-growing
pignut
rump-fed
puttock
shard-borne
pumpion
sheep-biting
ratsbane
spur-galled
scut
swag-bellied
skainsmate
tardy-gaited
strumpet
tickle-brained
varlot
toad-spotted
vassal
unchin-snouted whey-face
weather-bitten
wagtail
Your Shakespearean insults & their modern day meanings:
Insult #1: ___________________________________________________________________________
Modern day meaning:
__________________________________________________________________________
Insult #2: ___________________________________________________________________________
Modern day meaning:
__________________________________________________________________________
Insult #3: ___________________________________________________________________________
Modern day meaning:
__________________________________________________________________________
Insult #4: ___________________________________________________________________________
Modern day meaning:
__________________________________________________________________________
Insult #5: ___________________________________________________________________________
Modern day meaning:
__________________________________________________________________________
Activity #2: Arguing Shakespeare’s Way
Instructions: Shakespeare had a fantastic ability to include very humourous insults in his
plays. You
will be exploring his use of these insults in the following activity.
With a partner, create a scripted scene in which the actors/actresses are having
an
argument. This is a verbal argument and the focus should not be on the physical
aspects
of the scene.
To start off your script, ensure that:
you have a title for your scene as well as a short description of the action that will be
happening during your scene
your insults actually make sense (this might mean doing a little research ahead of time
to ensure that your insults actually translate into what you want it to mean)
share your script on Google docs with your teacher
Title: __________________________________________________
Setting: ________________________________________________
Short description of action:
______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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