William Shakespeare

(1564 - 1616)

Marriage and Family

Married Anne Hathaway in 1582

He was 18 years old, she was 26 years old and three months pregnant. (It was not a marriage of choice)

Kids:

Susanna (b. 1583)

Hamnet and Judith (b.1585)

-Hamnet died at age 11

Terms

He invented over 1700 of our common words by changing nouns into verbs, changing verbs into adjectives, connecting words never before used together, adding prefixes and suffixes, and devising words wholly original.

Some Examples:

Addiction

Advertising

Assassination

Bedroom

Blushing

Buzzer

Drugged

Elbow

Gloomy

Gossip

Hint

Luggage

Olympian

Puking

Summit

Swagger

Torture

Undress

❖154 sonnets❖38 plays❖2 long narrative poems

Works

Some scholars doubt that one man wrote so many works in such a short time… but we know that’s not true.

Tips: How to Talk Like Shakespeare

● Instead of you, say thou or thee (and instead of y’all, say ye).

● Men are Sirrah, ladies are Mistress, and your friends are all called Cousin.

● Instead of cursing, try calling your tormentors jackanapes or canker-blossoms or

poisonous bunch-back’d toads.

● Don’t waste time saying "it," just use the letter "t" (’tis, t’will, I’ll do’t).

● When in doubt, add the letters "eth" to the end of verbs (he runneth, he trippeth, he

falleth).

● To add weight to your opinions, try starting them with methinks, mayhaps, in sooth or

wherefore.

An Example of Shakespeare’s Language