A Shakespearean Glossary

A SHAKESPEAREAN GLOSSARY

1. Elizabethan Expressions: Here are some Shakespearean expressions that appear frequently in Shakespeare that we no longer use today:

prithee – I pray thee; please

by my troth (rhymes with “oath”) – truly; upon my word

I trow (rhymes with “how”) – I trust, or I think

coz (rhymes with “buzz”) – cousin; relative

marry – really?, or really!: an expression used in reply to a question

(suggests surprise or indignation)

anon – soon, or right away

bootless – useless

fie (rhymes with “pie”) – exclamation expressing disgust or outrage

sirrah (accent the first syllable) – sir; may imply anger or contempt

for the nonce – for the time being

ay – aye, yes

2. Shakespearean Verbs: Elizabethan language also contains many old verb forms that we no longer use, for example:

thy – your

thou art – you are

thou dost – you do

thou know’st – you know

thou see’st – you see

thou did’st – you did

he hath – he has

he doth – he does

he durst – he dared

methinks – I think

3. Contractions: Often letters are omitted in words for the sake of the sound of the line of poetry, for example:

‘tis – it is

thou’rt – thou art

ne’er – never

o’er – over

o’ – of

i – in

‘t – it

ta’en – taken

‘ere – before

Every Shakespearean tragedy is divided into five acts and contains the following six elements:

1. A starting point (exposition): the exposition describes the mood and conditions existing at the beginning of the play. The time and place will be identified as well as the main characters and their positions, circumstances, and relationships to one another.

2. An initial exciting force (initial incident): the exciting force is what gets things going. The exciting force thus begins the conflict which will continue in the play.

3. Rising action: The series of events which will lead up to the climax of the play. These events provide a intensity of interest for the audience. The rising action will involve more than one act.

4. A turning point or climax: The climax represents the turning point of the play. From this point on, the Shakespearean hero moves to his inevitable end.

5. Falling action: The falling action includes those events occurring from the time of the climax up to the hero’s death. The episode will show both advances and declines in the various forces acting upon the hero. Like the rising action, the falling action will involve events in more than one act.

6. An ending, or catastrophe: (Greek: expodus; French: Denouement): The catastrophe concerns the necessary consequences of the hero’s previous actions which must be the hero’s death. The catastrophe will characteristically be simple and brief.

In a Shakespearean tragedy, these six elements can be found in the following acts:

Act I: Exposition, Exciting force, Rising action

Act II: Rising Action

Act III: Rising action, climax, falling action

Act IV: Falling action

Act: V: Falling action, catastrophe

MACBETH has the following structural elements:

Exposition: Main Event: Act I Scenes 1,2,3 (to prophecies)

· Witches appear in a storm

· Macbeth seen as valiant in battle

· Macbeth echoes “foul and fair”

Exciting force: Act I, Scene III

· Prophecies of the witches: Temptation scene

Rising Action: Act I. 4, 5, 6, 7

· (4) Malcolm appointed Duncan’s successor

· (5) Lady Macbeth’s singleness of purpose seen

· (6) Duncan comes to Macbeth’s castle

· (7) Macbeth falters; Lady Macbeth strengthens him

Act II. 1, 2, 3, 4

· (1) Banquo suspects; Vision of dagger

· (2) Murder of Duncan (off stage)

· (3) Porter scene; Murder is discovered

· (4) Macbeth becomes King

Act III. 1, 2

· (1) Murderers hired

· (2) Division begins between Macbeth and his wife

Climax

Act III: Murder of Banquo; Escape of Fleance

Falling Action

Act III

· (4) Ghost appears at banquet

· (5) Hecate plans Macbeth’s ruin

· (6) Macduff goes to England

Act IV

· (1) Witches give three apparitions

· (2) Macduff’s family is murdered

· (3) Malcolm tests Macduff

Act V

· (1) Lady Macbeth walks in her sleep

· (2-3) Military preparations made

· (4) Birnam wood moves

· (5) Lady Macbeth dies

· (6) battle begins

· (7) Macbeth and Macduff meet

Catastrophe

Act V

· (8) Death of Macbeth

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