A Shakespearian Grammar

An Attempt to Illustrate Some of the Differences Between Elizabethan and Modern English

E. A. Abbott

• Éditeur: Dover Publications
• Année: 2013
• ISBN:
  9780486148731
• Sujet: Literatur
• Sous-sujet: Europäische Literarische Sammlungen

The finest and fullest guide to the peculiarities of Elizabethan syntax, grammar, and prosody, this volume addresses every idiomatic usage found in Shakespeare's works (with additional references to the works of Jonson, Bacon, and others). Its informative introduction, which compares Shakespearian and modern usage, is followed by sections on grammar (classified according to parts of speech) and prosody (focusing on pronunciation). The book concludes with an examination of the uses of metaphor and simile and a selection of notes and questions suitable for classroom use. Each of more than 500 classifications is illustrated with quotes, all of which are fully indexed. Unabridged republication of the classic 1870 edition.

GRAMMAR.

ADJECTIVES.

1. Adjectives are freely used as Adverbs.

In Early English, many adverbs were formed from adjectives by adding e (dative) to the positive degree: as bright, adj. ; brighte, adv. In time the e was dropped, but the adverbial use was kept. Hence, from a false analogy, many adjectives (such as excellent) which could never form adverbs in e, were used as adverbs. We still say colloquially, “come quick;” “the moon shines bright,” &c. But Shakespeare could say:

“Which the false man does easy.”—Macb. ii. 3. 143.

“Some will dear abide it.”—J. C. iii. 2. 119.

“Thou didst it excellent.”—T. of Sh. i. 1. 89.

“Which else should free have wrought.”—Macb. ii. 1. 19.

“Raged more fierce.”—Rich. II. ii. 1. 173.

“Grow not instant old.”—Ham. i. 5. 94.

“’Tis noble spoken.”—A. and C. ii. 2. 99.

“Did I expose myself pure for his love.”—T. N. v. 1. 86.

“ Equal ravenous as he is subtle.”—Hen. VIII. i. 1. 159.

We find the two forms of the adverb side by side in:

“ She was new lodged and newly deified.”—L. C. 84.

The position of the article shows that mere is an adverb in:

“Ay, surely, mere the truth. ”—A. W. iii. 5. 58.

So

“ It shall safe be kept.”—Cymb. i. 6. 209.

“Heaven and our Lady gracious has it pleas’d.”

1 Hen. VI. i. 2. 74.

“(I know) when the blood bums how prodigal the soul
Lends the tongue vows.”—Hamlet, i. 3. 116.

Such transpositions as “our lady gracious,” (adj.) where “gracious” is a mere epithet, are not common in Shakespeare. (see 419.) In

“My lady sweet, arise,”—Cymb. ii. 3. 29.

“My-lady” is more like one word than “our lady,” and is also an appellative. In appellations such transpositions are allowed. (See 13.)

Sometimes the two forms occur together:

“And she will speak most bitterly and strange.”

M. for M. v. 1. 90.

2. Adjectives compounded. Hence two adjectives were freely combined together, the first being a kind of adverb qualifying the second. Thus:

“I am too sudden-bold.”—L. L. L. ii. 1. 107.

“Fertile-fresh”—M. W. of W. v. 5. 72.

“More active-valiant or more valiant-young.”

1 Hen. IV. v. 1. 90.

“Daring-hardy.”—Rich. II. i. 3. 43.

“Honourable-dangerous.”—J. C. i. 3. 124. See ib. v. 1. 60.

“He lies crafty-sick.”—2 Hen. IV. Prol. 37.

“I am too childish-foolish for this world.”—R. III. i. 3. 142.

“You are too senseless-obstinate, my lord.”—R. III. iii. 1. 44.

“That fools should be so deep-contemplative.”—A. Y. ii. 7. 31.

“ Glouc. Methinks the ground is even.
Edg.

Horrible-steep.”—Lear, iv. 6. 3.

In the last example it is hard to decide whether the two adjectives are compounded, or (which is much more probable) “horrible” is a separate word used as in (1) for “horribly,” as in T. N. iii. 4. 196. In the West of England “terrible” is still used in this adverbial sense.

There are some passages which are only fully intelligible when this combination is remembered :

“ A strange tongue makes my cause more strange-suspicious.”

Hen. VIII. iii. 1. 45.

Erase the usual comma after “strange.”

“ Here is a silly-stately style indeed.”—I Hen. VI. iv. 7. 72.

Perhaps “ He only in a general-honest thought.”—J. C v. 5. 71.

3. Adjectives, especially those ending in ful, less, ble, and ive, have both an active and a passive meaning ; just as we still say, “ a fearful (pass.) coward,” and “ a fearful (act.) danger.”

“ To throw away the dearest thing he owed,
As ’twere a careless trifle.”—Macbeth, i. 4. 11,

“ Such helpless harmes yt’s better hidden keep.”—SPEN. F. Q. i. 5. 42.

“Even as poor birds deceived with painted grapes,
Like those poor birds that helpless berries saw.”

V. and A. 604 ; Rich. III. i. 2. 13.

“Upon the sightless couriers of the air. ”—Macbeth, i. 7. 23.

“How dare thy joints forget

To pay their awful duty to our presence?”—Rich. II. iii. 3. 76.

“Terrible” is “frightened” in Lear, i. 2. 32; “dreadful,” “awe-struck,” Hamlet, i. 2. 207; “thankful” is “thankworthy,” P. of T. v. 1. 285. So “unmeritable” (act. Rich. III. iii. 7. 155; J. C. iv. 1. 12); “medicinable” (act. Tr. and Cr. iii. 3. 44); “sensible” (pass. Macb. ii. 1. 36; Hamlet, i. 1. 57); “insuppressive” (pass. J. C. ii. 1. 134) ; “plausive” (pass. Hamlet, i. 4. 30) ; “incomprehensive” (pass. Tr. and Cr...