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How Shakespeare Influences the Way We Speak Now

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How Shakespeare Influences the Way We Speak Now

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What phrases did Shakespeare make up that we still use today? You should be able to find two or three in the text.

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By Hephzibah Anderson Features correspondent

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(Credit: Getty Images)

"In a pickle", "with bated breath", or "a wild goose chase" - many of the words and phrases coined by William Shakespeare are still in use today. On the 400th anniversary of the publication of the First Folio, Hephzibah Anderson explores the playwright's enduring influence on our everyday speech.

If the fact that William Shakespeare's First Folio, that legacy-defining collection of his plays, is turning 400 has passed you by, you can be sure he'd have had a zinger of a putdown to sling your way. Or better yet, a whole string of them. "Thou art a boil, a plague sore, an embossed carbuncle in my corrupted blood" might just do it, borrowed from King Lear railing against his daughter, Goneril. Then again, perhaps he'd settle for more aloof damnation, along the lines of Orlando's insult to Jaques in As You Like It: "I do desire we may be better strangers."

That isn't a wish likely to be granted to Shakespeare himself any time soon. During his 52 years on Earth, he enriched the English language in ways so profound that it's hard to fully gauge his impact. Without him, our vocabulary would be just too different. He gave us uniquely vivid ways in which to express hope and despair, sorrow and rage, love and lust. Even if you've never read one of his sonnets or seen one of his plays - even if you've never so much as watched a movie adaptation - you're likely to have quoted him unwittingly. Speak the English language, and he's impossible to avoid.

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That's in part because fellow artists draw so readily on him in their paintings, operas and ballets. Shakespeare's influence is evident in pop culture as well: singer-songwriter Nick Lowe's 1970s earworm, Cruel to be Kind, took its title from lines Hamlet addressed to his mother. "I must be cruel only to be kind," the Prince of Denmark tells her in a wriggling kind of apology for killing a courtier and meddling in her new relationship. Hamlet also yielded the title of Agatha Christie's theatrical smash, The Mousetrap, Alfred Hitchcock's evocative spy thriller, North by Northwest, Ruth Rendell's Put on by Cunning, Philip K Dick's Time Out of Joint, and Jasper Fforde's Something Rotten.

It's not just Hamlet, either. Sticking with latter-day minstrels, when Iron Maiden named their song Where Eagles Dare, they were borrowing a phrase from Richard III. Then there's Tupac Shakur's Something Wicked, a nod to a couplet uttered by one of the witches in Macbeth.

Famous phrases

These catchy titles barely gesture to Shakespeare's influence on the minutiae of our lives. If you've ever been "in a pickle", waited "with bated breath", or gone on "a wild goose chase", you've been quoting from The Tempest, The Merchant of Venice and Romeo and Juliet respectively.

The British have a few bugbears when it comes to US English spelling, but is it justified?

Next time you refer to jealousy as "the green-eyed monster", know that you're quoting Othello's arch villain, Iago. (Shakespeare was almost self-quoting here, having first touched on green as the colour of envy in The Merchant of Venice, where Portia alludes to "green-eyed jealousy".)

Allow yourself to "gossip" (A Midsummer Night's Dream), and you're quoting him. "The be-all and end-all" is uttered by Macbeth as he murderously contemplates King Duncan, and "fair play" falls from Miranda's lips in The Tempest. And he even invented the knock-knock joke in the Scottish play.

Some phrases have become so enduringly well-used that they're regarded as clichés - surely a compliment for an author this long gone. "A heart of gold"? You'll find it in Henry V, while "the world's mine oyster" crops up in The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Life imitates art

His impact endures not only in the way we express ourselves, but how we experience and process the world around us. Had Shakespeare not given us the words, would we truly feel "bedazzled" (The Taming of the Shrew)? Had he not taught us the word "gloomy" (Titus Andronicus), would that particular shade of despondency be a feeling we recognised? And could we "grovel" effectively (Henry VI, Part II) or be properly "sanctimonious" (The Tempest) had he not shown us how?

Back in 2008, two antiquarian booksellers in the US, George Koppelman and Daniel Wechsler, declared that they'd found the dictionary Shakespeare used. The book, which they bought on eBay, was a copy of John Baret's Alvearie, a popular late-16th-Century dictionary in four languages. It's densely annotated throughout but the clincher, they claim, is the handwritten "word salad" on the tome's blank back page, a sheet filled with a mix of French and English words, some of which ended up in Shakespeare's plays. They've gone on to publish a book about it, Shakespeare's Beehive, but their claims as to the dictionary's provenance remain contentious.

Victorian word expert F Max Muller estimated that Shakespeare used 15,000 words in his plays and poems, a portion of which he invented himself by merging existing words and anglicising vocabulary from foreign languages, changing nouns into verbs, and adding prefixes and suffixes. By contrast, Milton used a mere 8,000, and the Old Testament is made up of only 5,642. Meanwhile, an unschooled agricultural worker of the day would supposedly have said all that he had to say in fewer than 300 words.

It's now thought that Shakespeare used in excess of 20,000 words, and of those that were his own conjuring, many have become indispensable. Imagine not having the word bedroom, for example (that one cropped up for the first time in A Midsummer Night's Dream). And what about "eyeball" (Henry VI Part 1), "puppy dog" (King John), "hurry" (The Comedy of Errors), "jaded" (Henry VI Part 2) or "kissing" (Love's Labour's Lost)?

Dispute simmers on among lexicographers over just how many words and phrases Shakespeare actually coined, and how many he merely popularised by bedding them down in a memorable plot and vivid sentences. In recent years, academics have harnessed digital resources, simultaneously searching thousands of texts and concluding that his contribution to the English language has been overestimated.

In 2011, Ward EY Elliott and Robert J Valenza of America's Claremont McKenna College published a paper arguing that new words attributed to Shakespeare have probably been over-counted by a factor of at least two. Dr David McInnis, a Shakespeare professor at the University of Melbourne, has since accused the early compilers of the first Oxford English Dictionary of "bias", saying they preferred famous literary sources when it came to finding examples of a word's first usage. He's also noted that, as a writer, Shakespeare would have wanted his audience to understand him, so most of the words he used would have been in circulation already.

The OED increasingly reflects this: in the mid-20th Century, Shakespearean language expert Alfred Hart estimated Shakespeare's tally of first citations stood at 3,200. Today, thanks in part to the greater availability of texts searchable by computers, that figure has dropped to around 1,700.

In some ways, this makes Shakespeare's flair and originality all the more impressive. His linguistic arsenal didn't perhaps dwarf that of his contemporaries, and yet how he used it. His are the stories, the lines we remember. Not that 1,700 words is bad going for a lexical experimenter, especially when so many of them saturate our everyday speech.

How did he manage it, you might wonder? It's partly his turn of phrase. Would "fashionable" have caught on had he not set it in such a wry sentence as this in Troilus and Cressida? "For time is like a fashionable host, that slightly shakes his parting guest by th' hand."

Then there's the fact that these words are voiced by some unforgettable characters - men and women who, despite the extraordinary situations in which they tend to find themselves, are fully and profoundly human in both their strengths and frailties. It's little wonder that critic Harold Bloom titled his 1998 book on the man Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. If the mark of a great writer is that they're still read, then perhaps the mark of an ingenious one is that they're still spoken, too.

This article was originally published in 2014.

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First Folio at 400: The Shakespeare words you don't know you know

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Even if you've never seen a Shakespeare play, you'll have used one of his words or phrases. Hephzibah Anderson explains his genius - and enduring influence.

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Use the translator to find how common phrases we use today would be said by the great poet himself.

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Shakespearean English to Modern English or the other way around ― LingoJam

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Shakespearean English, also called Elizabethan English, was spoken in the Early Modern English era (1476-1667). Shakespeare made a big influence even on modern English. He invented about 1700 words by himself! Many of these words are still used today, like bandit, critic, elbow, lonely, etc.

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Tell me what you find! (HINT: most information regarding this should be found under the "Shakespeare Inventions" heading!)

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The History of Shakespeare

William Shakespeare led a full and interesting life in the world of literature and theater.

Early Life

William Shakespeare was born April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. As an adult, he moved to London shortly after 1585 to begin his acting apprenticeship.

Poetry

In 1593 and 1594, Shakespeare wrote his first two poems, "Venus and Adonis" and "The Rape of Lucrece." Between 1593 and 1601, Shakespeare composed his sonnets, 154 of which were eventually published in 1909. Each sonnet comprises three quatrains (four-line verses) and one couplet (two successive lines of verse). Shakespeare's sonnets examine the passage of time and the failure of language to immortalize beauty and love. The sonnets fall into two groups: sonnets 1-126, which address a handsome and noble young man, and sonnets 127-152, which refer to a "dark lady" whom the poet loved in spite of himself.

Theater

In 1594, William Shakespeare joined the Lord Chamberlain's Men acting troupe. One of the most well-known troupes in London, the Lord Chamberlain's Men performed at court, receiving noble patronage. By 1599, the troupe had enough money to build the Globe Theatre. In 1603, the Lord Chamberlain's Men became the King's Men. By 1608, the King's Men were performing at the Blackfriars Theatre and The Globe.

Modern Shakespeare Studies

People still study and perform Shakespeare's works in schools and organizations around the world. However, Shakespeare's works didn't make it into school curricula until the late 1700s. Harvard students began reading him on their own before demanding he be integrated into their literature studies. At first, Shakespeare's works served only as oratory tools, with a focus on elocution and speaking skills, but by the 1860s and 1870s, students were reading his scenes with context and learning how Shakespeare crafted his stories, instead of just his grammar and style.

Shakespeare Inventions

Shakespeare was a pioneer in the fields of literature and theater. He used the tools of his time while also creating new words and ideas.

Shakespeare's Inventions in Language

Over his career, Shakespeare invented thousands of words. He would combine or contort Latin, French, and other roots to create new words. These words would be familiar enough to the audience that, with context clues, they could understand their meanings. Some of the words include "birthplace," "dewdrop," "radiance," "watchdog," and "blanket." He also created phrases that we still use today, such as "break the ice," "cold comfort," "in a pickle," "wild goose chase," and "what's done is done." Furthermore, he is credited with inventing blank (unrhymed) verse and popularizing iambic pentameter (a ten-syllable line with alternating unstressed and stressed syllables).

Shakespeare contributed to the standardization of the English language in the 17th and 18th centuries. As his work gained importance, correctly spelling words became more common. He created compound words, adverbs, and adjectives from verbs. Shakespeare added suffixes and prefixes to many words.

Through his experimentation, he expanded the idea of characterization, plot development, and genre. Shakespeare was the first to connect romance and tragedy in a lasting way. He believed that tragedy required romance.

Shakespeare's Influences

Shakespeare's work reflected the new political and societal discussions beginning in London. Popular works such as "Arcadia" by Sir Philip Sidney and Essays by Michel de Montaigne influenced Shakespeare's ideas. While many of his plays were written during the Elizabethan Age, Shakespeare's later works were written in the dawn of the , which emphasized the questioning of the social order. He examined how his society functioned, how relationships were formed, and how religion influenced politics. For example, Hamlet was full of allusions to skepticism about love and religion.

Shakespeare's Plots

Shakespeare employed certain themes in his works, many of which have influenced modern storytelling. One of these themes is known as the prodigal son, which explores a powerful person's struggle to meet expectations. Henry IV, The Merchant of Venice, and King Lear​ incorporate the prodigal son theme. Another common theme is star-crossed lovers. Many of Shakespeare's plays follow the story of young lovers, a still-common plot today. Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Two Gentlemen of Verona all revolve around love at first sight, the struggle to be together, and the eventual victory of true love.

Shakespeare often explored conflict between children and parents. A common practice today, Shakespeare wrote coming-of-age stories, focusing on a child's struggle to find their own way. The Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest, and Hamlet all explore what causes children to outgrow their parents and how their desire to find themselves strains familial bonds. He also used true stories and real history. Shakespeare's histories were based on true events, using real political figures as characters. These stories dramatized Britain's history and told the story of a few legends. Richard III, King Lear, and the other histories all record and dramatize real events.

Modern Shakespeare Performances, Adaptations, and Reimaginings

Not only are students reading and studying Shakespeare's works today, but stage productions and film adaptations of his plays continue to bring new life to the poet and playwright.

Shakespeare on the Stage

The top 10 most popular Shakespeare plays performed worldwide by number of productions since 1992 are A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, The Comedy of Errors, and Julius Caesar

Shakespeare on the Big Screen

Many of Shakespeare's plays have served as the inspiration for movies, some of which kept the original structure, while others took liberties with the traditional storylines. Examples include Julius Caesar (1953), King Lear (1970), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Richard III (1995), and Romeo + Juliet (1996).

More Evidence of Shakespeare's Influence

Film producers, screenwriters, and authors have further reimagined Shakespeare's plots in movies, books, and other media that tell his stories from a different vantage point. Five films that adapted Shakespeare's stories are West Side Story (1961), Chimes at Midnight (1965), The Lion King (1994), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), and Deliver Us From Eva (2003). His plots also appear in novels such as Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (1838), Moby Dick by Herman Melville (1851), Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1931), The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (1951), and A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (1991).

Shakespeare's Lasting Legacy

William Shakespeare was well-known in his time, and his legacy continues today. His language innovations, the multiple uses of his works and themes, and his plays' enduring popularity mark him as an undeniable influence on modern literature. Shakespeare's works are still studied and performed around the world, and writers will continue to find new ways to tell his stories for decades to come.
Sources Encyclopedia Britannica, Jacobean Literature Encyclopedia Britannica, William Shakespeare Folger Library, The Collection The Great Courses Daily, "Even Shakespeare Knew-Great Artists Steal" The Guardian, "Top 10 Novels Inspired by Shakespeare" Oprah Daily, "The 17 Best Movies Based on William Shakespeare's Plays" Poets, William Shakespeare Royal Shakespeare Company, Collection and Archive Shakespeareances, Play Popularity Index Shakespeare Online, Shakespeare: General Q&A Shakespeare Resource Center, Shakespearean Theatre Companies The Upcoming, "How Shakespeare Changed Literature ArouShakespearances, The Bard on The Boardsnd the World" Washington Post, "13 Shakespeare-Inspired Movies to Stream in Honor of His Birthday" Your Dictionary, 40 Common Words and Phrases Shakespeare Invented

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William Shakespeare's Influence on Contemporary Literature

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William Shakespeare led a full and interesting life in the world of literature and theater. William Shakespeare was born April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. As an adult, he moved to London shortly after 1585 to begin his acting apprenticeship. In 1593 and 1594, Shakespeare wrote his first two poems, "Venus and Adonis" and "The Rape of Lucrece."

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Shakespeare died 400 years ago, and yet his effects on the literary world are undeniable. Where can you see his work reflected?

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Shakespeare died 400 years ago, and yet his effects on the literary world are undeniable. Where can you see his work reflected?

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This could be in modern adaptions, themes, retellings, anything you can find!

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How Did William Shakespeare Become THE British Literary Master?

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How Did William Shakespeare Become THE British Literary Master?

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Start here! Learn about where Shakespeare started.

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Straight Outta Stratford-Upon-Avon - Shakespeare's Early Days: Crash Course Theater #14