Who was William Shakespeare? Why is he so famous? And did he really invent 1700 English words and phrases?
Let’s discuss this on today’s episode of Thinking in English!
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Vocabulary
- Classics (noun): Works of literature that are considered of the highest quality and lasting significance.
- Many students study Shakespeare’s classics, such as “Romeo and Juliet” and “Hamlet.”
- Iconic (adjective): Widely recognized and admired, representing a symbol or characteristic.
- Shakespeare is perhaps the most iconic English writer.
- Playwright (noun): A person who writes plays.
- William Shakespeare, a renowned playwright, wrote numerous plays that continue to be performed worldwide.
- Feud (noun): A prolonged and bitter quarrel or dispute.
- The Montague-Capulet feud in “Romeo and Juliet” serves as a central conflict in the play.
- Popularized (verb): Made widely known and accepted.
- Shakespeare popularized many words and phrases still in use today.
- Works (noun): Literary creations or compositions, such as plays and poems.
- Shakespeare’s works encompass a wide range of genres, from tragedies like “Macbeth” to comedies like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
- Sonnet (noun): A specific form of poem that typically consists of 14 lines.
- One of Shakespeare’s most famous sonnets, Sonnet 18, begins with the line “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
- Giant (noun): Used metaphorically to signify immense influence and significance in the world.
- William Shakespeare is often referred to as a literary giant.
Classics of British Literature
There are many famous figures in British literature. Charles Dickens, the author of classics like a Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist. JRR Tolkien, the mind behind the Lord of the Rings. Jane Austen who wrote classics including Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma.
Perhaps the most famous and iconic of all British writers is William Shakespeare.
Shakespeare’s plays and poems are still studied today by school children across the UK, watched and enjoyed by audiences in theatres, and known around the world.
But did you know that Shakespeare’s impact goes beyond the beauty of his language? He was a vocabulary making machine. Estimates vary (which we’ll talk about a little later in this episode), but many sources online will tell you that William Shakespeare invented 1700 English words.
Many common words and phrases that are now used every single day were either invented, or first used in print, or popularised, by Shakespeare.
Maybe you are a critic of movies or food – well Shakespeare first used the word critic. If you are generous, you could support Thinking in English on Patreon… and you would be following Shakespeare’s defintion of generous. And the next time you feel lonely, Shakespeare was apparently the first to use the word lonely in English.
Today, I want to take a deeper look at Shakespeare. I’ll first give you a brief introduction to the man and his famous works, and then we’ll take a look at his prolific habit of using new words!
Who Was William Shakespeare?
Who was William Shakespeare?
William Shakespeare was born in April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, a small and quaint market town in England. If you like Shakespeare and are fortunate enough to visit the UK, I’d recommend a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon – it is a popular tourist town and full of Shakespeare based attractions.
Born to John and Mary Shakespeare, William grew up in a modest household. Little is known about his childhood, but it is believed that he attended the local grammar school.
His father was a glove-maker (a person who made gloves) but also held a number of roles in the local town. Shakespeare was also the oldest surviving child of his parents. These two factors meant it was possible, or more likely, for his father to be able to send him to school.
At school he would have acquired a solid foundation in Latin and classical literature.
When he turned 18, Shakespeare married the 26 year old Anne Hathaway (not to be confused with the current Hollywood actor). She was already pregnant, so the marriage was rushed through. William and Anne are thought to have had 3 children.
Between the years of 1585 and 1592, little is known about Shakespeare’s life. But by 1592, we know he had moved to London and had started to build his reputation.
He entered the world of acting and soon became associated with the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a popular acting company. His exceptional skills as an actor and a playwright quickly brought him some fame and popularity, and he soon became a sought-after figure in London’s theatrical scene.
His writing career can be divided into three distinct periods: the early, middle, and late years.
In the early years, he crafted comedies such as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Twelfth Night,” showcasing his wit and language. The middle years saw the emergence of tragedies like “Hamlet” and “Othello,” exploring the complexities of human nature and the consequences of ambition. In the later years, he delved into darker themes with plays like “King Lear” and “Macbeth.”
Beyond his plays, Shakespeare also wrote a collection of 154 sonnets. Sonnets are a specific form of poem that are short and often used to express love and deep emotions.
In 1613, a fire at the Globe Theatre led Shakespeare to semi-retire to Stratford-upon-Avon. He spent his final years there, passing away on April 23, 1616, at the age of 52.
I could go into a lot more detail about Shakespeare and his life, but I think this short biography should give you a good idea about the man. Now let’s take a quick look at a few of his famous plays.
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Shakespeare’s Most Famous Works!
William Shakespeare is credited with writing a total of 39 plays. These plays can be broadly categorized into three genres: tragedies, comedies, and histories. Some of his most well-known works include “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” “Othello,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and “Henry V,” among others. In addition to his plays, Shakespeare also wrote 154 sonnets and several longer poems.
Romeo and Juliet
“Romeo and Juliet” is a tragedy that tells the story of two young lovers from Verona, Italy, whose families, the Montagues and the Capulets, are engaged in a long-standing feud. Despite the enmity between their families, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet fall deeply in love and secretly marry. The play explores themes of love, fate, and the consequences of family strife.
Even today, this story is immensely popular. Director Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 adaptation of “Romeo + Juliet” brought a modern twist to the classic tale with a contemporary setting and soundtrack.
And the classic musical “West Side Story”, which is set in 1950s New York, reimagines the feud between the Jets and the Sharks, echoing the Montague and Capulet conflict. And the love story between Tony and Maria draws parallels to the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.
Hamlet
“Hamlet” is a tragedy that revolves around Prince Hamlet of Denmark. After the sudden death of his father, Hamlet discovers that his uncle, Claudius, has married his mother and seized the throne. Haunted by his father’s ghost, Hamlet grapples with questions of revenge, mortality, and existentialism. The play is known for its psychological depth and complex characters.
Most famously, the Disney classic The Lion King is inspired by the story of Hamlet. The story and relationship between the lions in the movie have a lot of similarities to the tale of Hamlet!
Macbeth
“Macbeth” is a tragedy that follows the ambitious Macbeth, a Scottish general, and his descent into madness and tyranny. Encouraged by the prophecies of three witches and spurred on by his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth commits regicide to become king. However, guilt and paranoia consume him, leading to a series of tragic events.
As well as the numerous modern film, TV, and theatre adaptations of Macbeth, the 1957 Japanese movie Throne of Blood by renowned director Akira Kurosawa is heavily influenced by Shakespeare’s story. It is set in feudal Japan and explores themes of ambition and betrayal.
How Many Words Did Shakespeare Invent?
Now we know a little more about Shakespeare and his famous plays, let’s get to the core question. How many words did Shakespeare invent?
One popular idea attributes a staggering 1,700 words to Shakespeare, suggesting that he either invented or introduced them to the English vocabulary. These words range from everyday terms like “bedroom” and “manager” to words like “obscene” and “rant.”
However, the accuracy of this claim has been a subject of scholarly debate.
Different word counting methodologies and methodologies for finding word origins yield varying results. Early estimates by Alfred Hart in 1942 proposed that Shakespeare was the first user of about 3,200 words. Over the years, scholars have presented figures ranging from “more than two thousand” to “around 1200” to “over 1600.”
One factor in this is that early attempts by dictionaries to find the origins of words were done by hand. Today we take the internet and massive amount of information at our fingertips for granted but imagine when the first editions were being made. They had to search themselves for the earliest mentions of words in literature.
And as Shakespeare’s plays are some of the most well-known pieces of early English literature, the dictionary researchers naturally used Shakespeare a lot!
Recent studies, such as those conducted by linguistics professor Jonathan Culpeper, have also question the claims that Shakespeare invented 1700 words. Culpeper suggests that Shakespeare may have recorded around 400 genuinely new words. While this figure may seem modest compared to earlier estimates, it would still be the most by any single person.
In essence, while the exact number of words credited to Shakespeare may remain uncertain, his influence on the English language is undeniable.
Famous Words and Phrases
As we’ve discussed, even if Shakespeare didn’t necessarily invent every word he is credited with, he certainly played a major role in popularising many terms! Let’s take a look at a few examples.
Alligator
It might surprise you, but one of the earliest examples of the word alligator in English can be found in Romeo and Juliet.
And in his needy shop a tortoise hung, An alligator stuff’d, and other skins Of ill-shaped fishes;
Romeo and Juliet
An alligator is a large, carnivorous reptile closely related to the crocodile. Now, Shakespeare didn’t completely make this word up himself. It comes from the Spanish term el lagarto de indias meaning Lizards of the Indies (or Lizard of the Americas), which then became aligarto.
However, Shakespeare is often given credit for using the word in its modern English form alligator rather than the Spanish form.
Bedroom
Where do you sleep? Most likely in a bedroom. A bedroom is a room for sleeping, typically furnished with a bed.
Interestingly, this word (as a single compound noun) didn’t really exist in English until Shakespeare.
The earliest usage comes in the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream;
Then by your side no bed-room me deny;
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie
However, Shakespeare actually uses the word bedroom slightly differently here – he means the literal space in the bed you have for sleeping.
Foulmouthed
Do you swear a lot? Do you often use obscene or rude words? We can describe people like this as foulmouthed.
Foul has a few meanings in English, but generally means disgusting or offensive. So if you are foulmouthed, your mouth (or I guess the words that come out your mouth) are disgusting.
Shakespeare first used this phrase in Henry IV:
… he speaks most vilely of you, like a foul-mouthed man as he is, and said he would cudgel you.
Henry IV
Inaudible
If you can’t be heard, or it is impossible to hear you, we can describe this as inaudible. The prefix in- negates the word audible.
Shakespeare used this work in his play All’s Well That Ends Well –
For we are old, and on our quick’st decreesTh’inaudible and noiseless foot of timeSteals ere we can effect them
All’s Well That Ends Well
What is nice here is that Shakespeare actually defines the word immediately by saying noiseless.
Wild Goose Chase
A wild goose chase is an idiom that described a pointless search for something. It tends to mean that you will, or are, wasting a lot of time doing something.
Shakespeare used this idiom in the play Romeo and Juliet:
“Nay, if thy wits run the wild-goose chase, I have done, for thou hast more of the wild-goose in one of thy wits than, I am sure, I have in my whole five.”
Romeo and Juliet
These were just five of the hundreds of English words credited to Shakespeare. If you want to check out some more words, I’ll leave a few links to other articles in the transcript!
Final Thought
William Shakespeare was a literary giant. Hundreds of years after his death, he is celebrated for classics like “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet,” and “Macbeth.”
His plays and poems are still performed, read, and studied today around the world. And the themes and storylines he created can still be seen in popular movies and shows.
His influence is not just felt in literature, but in the English language itself. While experts still debate the exact count, ranging from a conservative 400 to a more ambitious 1,700, that Shakespeare influenced our vocabulary and popularised hundreds of words and phrases.
Have you ever read or seen a Shakespeare play? Who is the most influential writer in your language? Does your language have an equivalent to William Shakespeare?
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