# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Almost everyone reads at least one work of Shakespeare in his or her life. Heck, you might be even be studying one of his works now! Shakespeare used a form of archaic English in his works that can be at times confusing, irritating, and downright silly. The words that I will discuss today are the archaic forms of "you." Because using the word "you" is very common, it is not surprising that Shakespeare also used it quite a bit in his works.

Specifically, these words are:

Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine and Ye.

To add to the confusion, sentences in Shakespearean English are often switched around, so reading them as-is can cause you to scratch your head. Learning these words will give you the tools to translate these often confusing sentences. I will also provide a few examples later on to help you on your way. Once you become adept at learning the "lingo" and translating the sentences using the tools you are about to learn, you will be well on your way to reading Shakespeare as well as any English major can!
Onward.
To make this lesson easier, I have created a table that illustrates the words, their translation, and when to use them.
Translation Table

You

When "you" is the subject of the sentence.

You

When "you" is the object of the sentence.

Your

Possessive form of you. Commonly used before a noun that begins with a consonant/consonant sound (like the article, "a").

Your

Possessive form of you. Commonly used before a noun that begins with vowel/vowel sound (like the article, "an"). Also used when indicating that something is "absolute and understood".

You (plural)

Plural form of "you" when addressing a group of people.

Examples
Now, let's look an example. We will use a scene from Romeo & Juliet to illustrate our newly learned skill of translating the archaic form of "you."

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

We know that "thou" means "you" and that you is the subject of the sentence. A few other archaic words crop up here. Art is a form of the word "be" and wherefore means "what is the purpose of."
O Romeo, Romeo, what is the purpose of you being Romeo?
From the table above, we know that "thy" means your. Notice how it precedes a consonant sounding word.
Refuse your father and refuse your name;

Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love

Once again, thou means "you" and is used as the object. In this sentence, wilt translates to "will".
If you will not, then swear to love me.
To illustrate the use of the words thee and thine, we turn our attention to this Chinese proverb.

"If thine enemy wrong thee, buy each of his children a drum."

We know that "thine" means your. Note that it precedes a vowel sounding word. We also know that "thee" translates into "you" when "you" is used as an object.
If your enemy wrongs you, buy each of his children a drum. Final Thoughts
Right now I am reading Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory in an effort to keep up with my wife's rapidly expanding literary knowledge. At first I had trouble reading this book because it is written largely in archaic English (pre-Shakespearean). Once I understand the various forms of common words, the reading became much easier and enjoyable. I know that many people read Shakespeare in high school or college (not by choice) and at times it can become very confusing. Hopefully this post helps to clear up some confusion and provides a foundation for you to better understand Early Modern English works. Good Luck!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Thou, Thee, Thy, Thine & Ye: Shakespearean English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Almost everyone reads at least one work of Shakespeare in his or her life. Heck, you might be even be studying one of his works now! Shakespeare used a form of archaic English in his works that can be at times confusing, irritating, and downright silly.

# data[].attributes.body
Original text / Modern translation

# data[].attributes.body
We don't need no stinking translations!
The OG text, straight up.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A spirit who claims to be the ghost of Hamlet's father describes his murder at the hands of Claudius and demands that Hamlet avenge the killing. When the councilor Polonius learns from his daughter, Ophelia, that Hamlet has visited her in an apparently distracted state, Polonius attributes the prince's condition to lovesickness, and he sets a trap for Hamlet using Ophelia as bait.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hamlet (Shakespeare) - Thug Notes Summary and Analysis

# data[].attributes.body
Definitions and Examples

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is a Literary Device?

A literary device is a technique used by a writer to convey a message. William Shakespeare used many different literary devices in his plays, and this lesson will discuss some examples found in Hamlet. This lesson discusses:

Repetition

In written works, repetition is defined as the repeating of words for emphasis. An example of repetition in Hamlet is found in the following lines, both said by the character Hamlet:

Hamlet: I humbly thank you; well, well, well.

Hamlet: Words, words, words.

These two quotes use a repetition of a single word three times for emphasis.

Another literary device, the metaphor, or a comparison between two things (that does not use 'like' or 'as'), is also found in the play. In Act III Scene I, Hamlet says:

Hamlet: 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?

In this quote, Hamlet compares his troubles to a sea. This tells us that Hamlet sees his troubles as vast, large, and seemingly endless, much like a sea. Another example is found as well:

Hamlet: who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns

In this metaphor, Hamlet compares death to an undiscovered country. This comparison tells us that Hamlet sees death as something unknown or foreign.

Similes and Anadiplosis

Simile

Similes, comparisons using the words 'like' or 'as,' can also be found in Hamlet:

Hamlet: A little month, or ere those shoes were old
With which she follow'd my poor father's body,
Like Niobe, all tears

This quote compares Queen Gertrude to Niobe, a character from Greek mythology. The gods killed Niobe's children and she wept bitterly, unlike Queen Gertrude who did not seem to show much emotion for the death of her husband, Hamlet's father.

Hamlet is not the only character to speak using similes. At one point, Claudius uses one, saying:

Claudius: His beard was as white as snow

In this quote, Claudius is talking to himself about Hamlet's father, who he murdered. He compares the beard of Hamlet's father to snow because of its white color. Even Gertrude uses them:

Gertrude: These words, like daggers, enter in mine ears

Hamlet's cruel words to his mother are more than she can bear. Gertrude compares the words to daggers because they hurt her feelings like daggers might hurt her body.

Anadiplosis

A less common literary device, the anadiplosis, may also be found. Anadiplosis is when a writer ends a phrase with a word and starts the next phrase with the same word. Hamlet says:

Hamlet: To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream

One phrase ends with 'to sleep,' and the next phrase begins with the same set of words: 'to sleep.' This literary device creates a flow and connection between the two phrases.

Anaphora and Alliteration

Anaphora

Anaphora, repeating the same word at the beginning of each phrase, is present in the play when Polonuis speaks:

Polonius: Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.

The word 'doubt' is repeated at the beginning of each phrase, except for the last phrase. The point of this literary device is to repeat the things to doubt to build correlation, and then emphasize in the last line that his love cannot be doubted.

Alliteration

A more common device, alliteration, or the repetition of the same sound or letter in words, is found in too many instances to count throughout the play. Some of these examples include:

Allusion and Personification

Allusion

To include allusion in work is to include references to other symbols, stories, and pieces of literature. There are two main types of allusion in Hamlet: allusion to Christian symbols and stories and allusion to Greek and Roman mythology.

Hamlet: The spirit that I have seen
May be the devil: and the devil hath power
To assume a pleasing shape

After Hamlet has seen his father's ghost, he references the devil, the villain in Christian religion.

Claudius: O, my offence is rank it smells to heaven;
It hath the primal eldest curse upon't,
A brother's murder.

In this quote, Claudius is thinking about how he killed Hamlet's father. He compares his killing of his brother to a famous bible story of Cain and Abel.

Hamlet: What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
That he should weep for her?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
literary devices used in hamlet - video & lesson transcript | study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Literary Devices Used in Hamlet - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A literary device is a technique used by a writer to convey a message. William Shakespeare used many different literary devices in his plays, and this lesson will discuss some examples found in Hamlet. This lesson discusses: In written works, repetition is defined as the repeating of words for emphasis.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
David Tennant Explains Why Shakespeare Still Matters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
No Fear Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
No Fear Shakespeare by SparkNotes features the complete edition of Much Ado About Nothing side-by-side with an accessible, plain English translation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Buy Othello (1995): Read 244 Movies & TV Reviews - Amazon.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Buy Much Ado About Nothing: Read 495 Movies & TV Reviews - Amazon.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Buy Hamlet (1996): Read 856 Movies & TV Reviews - Amazon.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Buy Hamlet (2009): Read 371 Movies & TV Reviews - Amazon.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Othello (Shakespeare) – Thug Notes Summary & Analysis