sábado, 26 de junio de 2010

Shakespeare and Early Modern English


1. Define and explain, The Great Vowel Shift.



The Great Vowel Shift was a change in the pronunciation of the English Language it means the long vowel form the main difference between the pronunciation of Middle English and Modern English. During the Great Vowel Shift, the two highest long vowels became diphthongs, and the other five underwent an increase in tongue height with one of them coming to the front.



2. Name 5 dialects of Modern English.



American English, Australian English,British English,Canadian English and South African English between others.



3. One of the problems with Early Modern English was a lack of uniformity in spelling. Which 2 people (1-English, 1-American) helped establish standardized spelling?



Early Modern English lacked uniformity in spelling, but Samuel Johnson's dictionary, published in 1755 in England, was influential in establishing a standard form of spelling. Noah Webster did the same in America, publishing his dictionary in 1828; see American and British English spelling differences.


4. How many countries in the world have given Modern English official status?


The Sovereign states that have given to Modern English official status are: 56 approximately.


5. The most recent statistics show that approximately how many people speak Modern English as a:I. First language? II. Second Language?


As a First Language: 309 – 380 million
As a Second Language: 199 – 600 million aprox.



6. When was Early Modern English spoken?


Since the latter half of the 15th century to 1650.



7. How are the use of Pronouns different between Early Modern & Modern English?


In Early Modern English, there were two second person personal pronouns: thou, the informal singular pronoun, and ye, which was both the plural pronoun and the formal singular pronoun.Like other personal pronouns, thou and ye had different forms depending on their grammatical case; specifically, the objective form of thou was thee, its possessive forms were thy and thine, In other respects, the pronouns were much the same as today. One difference is that my and thy became mine and thine before words beginning with a vowel and letter h; thus, mine eyes, thine hand, and so on.



8. Which language families does Modern English belong in?


Indo-European, Germanic, West Germanic, Anglo–Frisian, Anglic.


9. Name 4 worldwide uses for Modern English.



United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, United States of America between others.




10. In your opinion, what was the greatest influence on the spread of Modern English around the world? Why?



I think the greatest influence on the spread of modern english was the migration of large numbers of people to the United States from others countries. The reason about migrations was the World War I and World War II it allowed the spread of the language for the people, people became to use the language to communicate and some words keep in others cultures.



11. There has been a lot of controversy over the true authorship of Shakespeare's writings. Which 3 people are also candidates as the possible authors of Shakespeare's plays?



The 3 candidates as the possible authors of Shakespeare’s plays are Francis Bacon,Christopher Marlowe and Edward de Vere.



12. Briefly explain The Oxfordian Theory.


The case for Oxford's authorship is based on perceived similarities between Oxford's biography and events in Shakespeare's plays and sonnets; parallels of language, idiom, and thought between Oxford's letters and the Shakespearean canon; and underlined passages in Oxford's Bible that may correspond to quotations in Shakespeare's plays.


13. Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, which according to the Folio Classification, fall into 3 categories. Name the 3 categories.


Comedies, Histories and Tragedies.



14. In which town was Shakespeare born?


He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon.


15. Which famous London theatre (built by actors, for actors) is connected with Shakespeare's plays?


The Globe Theatre



16. Even though Richard III is the most performed play, Hamlet is Shakespeare's most famous play. In your opinion, what does this portion of Hamlet's famous soliloquy mean:



To be or not to be, that is the question;
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing, end them.
To die, to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to — 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd.
To die, to sleep;
To sleep, perchance to dream.
Ay, there's the rub,...


I think Hamlet’s dilemma was the pains of living v/s death. In this soliloquy, he wonders if it is nobler to bear his grief, or to take action.


17. Name 5 post-Shakespearean artists whose work was heavily influenced by the writings of William Shakespeare.


George Steiner, Thomas Hardy, William Faulkner, Charles Dickens and Herman Melville’s.



18. Which of Shakespeare's plays are included in The Wars of the Roses series?


Richard II; Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; Henry V; Henry VI, Part 1; Henry VI, Part 2; Henry VI, Part 3; and Richard III.


19. Shakespeare wrote most of his works in blank verse composed in iambic pentameter. What is blank verse & iambic pentameter?


Blank verse was Shakespeare's standard poetic form, and this is composed in iambic pentameter. This meant that his verse was usually unrhymed and consisted of ten syllables to a line, spoken with a stress on every second syllable


20. Name 4 actors from Shakepeare's original company.


Richard Burbage, William Kempe, Henry Condell and John Heminges.



21. What were the Wars of the Roses (1377-1485)?


The War of The Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England, fought between supporters of two rival branches of the Royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York (the "red" and the "white" rose, respectively).


22. Why was this war called the Wars of the Roses?



The Wars of the Roses had got its name because the house of York and the house of Lancaster. Both had a rose in their royal badges. The White rose for the house of York and the red one for the house of Lancaster.



23. What were the names of the 2 houses which fought in this war?


The house of Lancaster, The house of York (The "red" and the "white" rose).



24. What prompted this civil war to begin?


Following the early death of Edward III's heir apparent, there was a series of wars between the descendants of two of Edward III's younger sons: the Duke of Lancaster and the Duke of York because they wanted the throne of England.



25. How did the war end?


After many battles a period of comparative peace followed, but Edward died unexpectedly in 1483. His surviving brother Richard of Gloucester first moved to prevent the unpopular Woodville family of Edward's widow from participating in government during the minority of Edward's son, Edward V, and then seized the throne for himself, using the suspect legitimacy of Edward IV's marriage as pretext. Henry Tudor, a distant relative of the Lancastrian kings who had inherited their claim, overcame and defeated Richard at Bosworth in 1485. He was crowned Henry VII, and married Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, to unite and reconcile the two houses.



26. Which Kings of England were participants in the Wars of the Roses?


House of York Henry IV (1399 - 1413) and House of Lancaster Edward IV (1461 - 1483)

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