The Effect of Shakespeare on the English Language Today Critical Essay

Introduction

Shakespeare’s works had a massive impact on the development of modern English language. From his plays and poems, Shakespeare heavily impacted on the English language from various fronts. According to Adamson (98), English language was gaining a lot of popularity during Shakespeare’s time. According to this scholar, Shakespeare is remembered for the impact he had on the Early Modern English.

Shakespeare used his power in literature to develop English language in a way that the society then did not realize. In the early 18th century, Shakespeare contributed greatly to the standardization of this language through introduction of many new phrases and words.

Shakespeare also brought about new ways of constructing language during this time. As Jackson (29) puts in, Shakespeare was a talented play writer who knew how to develop his words in a way that would satisfy the listener.

Shakespeare and the Old English

English language has developed from the early days, through early modern English, to what it currently is in the modern society. This development of English is partly attributed to the works of Shakespeare. According to Dobson (57), Shakespeare had a way of making his message reach the heart of the target audience. He was best known for his romantic and tragic plays presented in a way that brought a lot of intrigues.

Shakespeare influenced the popularity of English in this century. People developed interest of learning the language because of the need to understand the message that was in the plays. Shakespeare plays became very popular in theatres and this made them develop interest in knowing the language. This was his first positive impact in the development of this language.

As time went by, the language was getting transformed. New items were coming into existence and an English name had to be found. New processes were developed and their names or expression to their effect had to be developed. The world was increasingly being globalized, and with this became the need to improve the language.

In his plays, there was need to develop new expressions as he tried to explain what happens in other worlds other than England. Given the fact that British were a world power that colonized various nations around the world, it became easier to spread this language to various other nations.

Adamson (113) says that one of the most important contributions of Shakespeare in the development of this language during these early times was the fact that he made Britons proud of the language. Others living in England who did not know this language during these early times developed strong urge to understand the language.

William Shakespeare and the Modern English

William Shakespeare had a massive influence in the development of the modern English. As Jackson (97) says, during his times, Shakespeare had become known widely for his prowess in play and poem writing. He would perform before the queen and other state officials. As was stated early, during his times, the British emperor was at its best.

The British Empire was expanding, and through this expansion, new inventions and innovations were developed. This would demand a change in the morphology of the language. One of the main agents of change was William Shakespeare. According to Adamson (121), Shakespeare had a strange way of coming up with words and phrases to fit his scenes when writing plays.

This scholar says that English was generally poor in vocabulary, and this was something that Shakespeare would not allow to pin him down in his career as an accomplished poet and a play writer. He came up with words that are still in use even today, several years after his departure, and even after a great transformation of the language.

One of the most popular plays written by Shakespeare that had a heavy impact in the modern English is Romeo and Juliet. This is one of the best romantic plays of all times. This play became very popular among the Britons during this time, especially due to unique application of words and phrases.

Another book that had such an impact was The Merchant of Venice. This book used some words that were not in existence before. Dobson (93) says that Shakespeare was known for borrowing vocabularies from foreign languages and classical literature. The following are some of the words that Shakespeare managed to introduce into the mainstream language through his work.

Thou– you

Thou art– you are

Thus Saith– that is what he says

Thus Speaketh– That is what he speaks about.

As witnessed above, some of these words have transformed in the current world. For instance, the words saith, speaketh, knoweth among others are no longer in use. However, they helped a lot in the development of the current world.

Conclusion

Shakespeare has had massive contribution in the modern English. The modern English has developed for a very long period. This development was based on new inventions that necessitated development of new words and phrases. Shakespeare played a huge role in this development.

Works Cited

Adamson, Sylvia. Reading Shakespeare’s Dramatic Language: A Guide. London: Thomson Learning, 2001. Print.

Dobson, Michael. The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Print.

Jackson, Howard. Words, Meaning, and Vocabulary: An Introduction to Modern English Lexicology. London: Continuum, 2004. Print.