Shakespeare and Early Modern English

1. Define and explain, The Great Vowel Shift.
The Great Vowel Shift was a major change in the pronunciation of the English language that took place in the south of England between 1450 and 1750.

2. Name 5 dialects of Modern English.
Australian English, British English, Jamaican English, New York Latino English and Spanglish

3. One of the problems with Early Modern English was a lack of uniformity in spelling. Which 2 people (1-English, 1-American) helped establish standardized spelling?
In 1755, as an effort to establish a standard form of spelling, Samuel Johnson publish his Dictionary of the English Language. And in 1828, the American Noah Webster contributed by publishing a dictionary on his own called An American Dictionary of the English Language.

4. How many countries in the world have given Modern English official status?
Approximately 56 countries have given English an official status .

5. The most recent statistics show that approximately how many people speak Modern English as a:I. First language? II. Second Language?
People speaking english as a First Language: 309 – 380 million. People speaking english as a Second Language: 199 – 600 million aprox.

6. When was Early Modern English spoken?
It was spoken since the latter half of the 15th century to 1650.

7. How are the use of Pronouns different between Early Modern & Modern English?
In Early Modern English, there were two second person personal pronouns: thou, the informal singular pronoun, and ye, which was both the plural pronoun and the formal singular pronoun, (like modern French tu and vous and modern German du and ihr). (Thou was already falling out of use in the Early Modern English period, but remained customary for addressing God and certain other solemn occasions and sometimes for addressing inferiors.)
Like other personal pronouns, thou and ye had different forms depending on their grammatical case; specifically, the objective form of thou was thee, its possessive forms were thy and thine, (compare modern German; thou - du, thee - dich, thine - dein); and its reflexive or emphatic form was thyself, while the objective form of ye was you, its possessive forms were your and yours, and its reflexive or emphatic forms were yourself and yourselves.
In other respects, the pronouns were much the same as today. One difference is that my and thy became mine and thine before words beginning with a vowel and letter h; thus, mine eyes, thine hand, and so on.
In modern English, we can see the disuse of the T-V distinction (thou, ye). The use of auxiliary verbs becomes mandatory in interrogative sentences and the rise and fall of prescriptive grammarians.

8. Which language families does Modern English belong in?
Indo-European, Germanic, West Germanic, Anglo–Frisian, Anglic.

9. Name 4 worldwide uses for modern english.
Basic English, Manually Coded English (British and American Sign Language), E-prime and Policespeak.

10. In your opinion, what was the greatest influence on the spread of modern english around the world? Why?
I believe that with the development of technology and globalization, it's been necessary to have a common language among the countries of the world. Inmigration also has a role on the spreading of english language.

11. There has been a lot of controversy over the true authorship of Shakespeare’s writings. Which 3 people are also candidates as the possible authors of Shakespeare’s plays?.
The 3 candidates as the possible authors of Shakespeare’s plays are Francis Bacon,Christopher Marlowe and Edward de Vere.

12. Briefly explain The Oxfordian Theory.
The case for Oxford's authorship is based on perceived similarities between Oxford's biography and events in Shakespeare's plays and sonnets; parallels of language, idiom, and thought between Oxford's letters and the Shakespearean canon; and underlined passages in Oxford's Bible that may correspond to quotations in Shakespeare's plays.

13. Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, which according to the Folio Classification, fall into 3 categories. Name the 3 categories.
They are Comedies, Histories and Tragedies.

14. In which town was Shakespeare born?
He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon.

15. Which famous London theatre (built by actors, for actors) is connected with Shakespeare's plays?
The Globe Theatre.

16. To me, it is the dilemma that we've always had in some point of our lives. Wether to do or not to do, Speak or not to speak, Take a chance or watch carefully. Whatever we do or say, or do not do or say changes our lives drastically or just a bit, and that is huge dilemma if you come to think of it.

17. Name 5 post-Shakespearean artists whose work was heavily influenced by the writings of William Shakespeare.
Shakespeare influenced diverse artists, from novellists such as Thomas Hardy, William Faulkner and Herman Melville to Musicians and painters like Giuseppe Verdi and Herny Fuseli.

18. Which of Shakespeare's plays are included in The Wars of the Roses series?
Shakespeare's plays included in the Wars of the Roses series are the following: Richard II; Henry IV Part 1; Henry IV Part 2; Henry V; Henry VI Part 1; Henry VI Part 2; Henry VI Part 3; and Richard III.

19. Shakespeare wrote most of his works in blank verse composed in iambic pentameter. What is blank verse & iambic pentameter?

Blank verse was Shakespeare's standard poetic form, and this is composed in iambic pentameter. This meant that his verse was usually unrhymed and consisted of ten syllables to a line, spoken with a stress on every second syllable

20. Name 4 actors from Shakepeare's original company.
Richard Burbage, William Kempe, Henry Condell and John Heminges.

21. What were the Wars of the Roses (1377-1485)?
The War of The Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England, fought between supporters of two rival branches of the Royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York (the "red" and the "white" rose, respectively).

22. Why was this war called the Wars of the Roses?
The name has its origins in the badges associated with the two royal houses, the White Rose of York and the Red Rose of Lancaster.

22. - Why was this war called the Wars of the Roses?
The Wars of the Roses had got its name because the house of York and the house of Lancaster. Both had a rose in their royal badges. The White rose for the house of York and the red one for the house of Lancaster.

23. - What were the names of the 2 houses which fought in this war?
The house of Lancaster and The house of York (The "red" and the "white" rose)

24. - What prompted this civil war of the houses of rose to begin?
Following the early death of Edward III's heir apparent, there was a series of wars between the descendants of two of Edward III's younger sons: the Duke of Lancaster and the Duke of York because they wanted the throne of England.

25. - How did the war end?
After many battles a period of comparative peace followed, but Edward died unexpectedly in 1483. His surviving brother Richard of Gloucester first moved to prevent the unpopular Woodville family of Edward's widow from participating in government during the minority of Edward's son, Edward V, and then seized the throne for himself, using the suspect legitimacy of Edward IV's marriage as pretext. Henry Tudor, a distant relative of the Lancastrian kings who had inherited their claim, overcame and defeated Richard at Bosworth in 1485. He was crowned Henry VII, and married Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, to unite and reconcile the two houses.

26. - Which Kings of England were participants in the wars of the Roses?
House of York: Henry IV (1399 - 1413), House of Lancaster: Edward IV (1461 - 1483)