Shakespeare's Influence on the English Language [Updated]

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William Shakespeare didn't influence just English literature, he influenced the English language in general. Often called England's national poet, even people who've never read his works will know some of his most famous lines.

In this article, we'll explain the appeal of Shakespeare, the most famous playwright in English history, and his impact on the English language.

Who was Shakespeare?

William Shakespeare was a poet, playwright and actor born in England in 1564. He was active in the world of theater during the Elizabethan (1558-1603) and Jacobean (1603-1625) periods.

Early in his career, Shakespeare worked mostly in London. Two long poems he published there, Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape Of Lucrece (1594), are said to have launched his career. In addition to writing, he was a member of an acting group called the Lord Chamberlain's Men.

During his life, Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, two narrative poems and 154 sonnets, a special type of poem made of 14 lines. He is also said to have written over 150 other works of poetry.

Shakespeare’s Appeal

Shakespeare has been called the greatest writer in the English language, and his works are still studied and performed around the world. So what is it about his writing that makes him so special?

Standardization of the English language

Before Shakespeare, the rules of English were not very specific. But through his works, many guidelines for grammar, spelling and vocabulary were standardized — they became common and accepted.

Impact on poetry and literature

Shakespeare is considered a master of the blank verse, a style of writing that uses 10 syllables per line, five stressed and five unstressed. It's estimated that about 75% of British English poetry is written in this style!

English Words and Phrases Created by Shakespeare

Shakespeare is said to have created about 1700 English words. In order to do this, he combined words, changed nouns into verbs, and added prefixes and suffixes to words that already existed. Let's look at some examples.

Words

bedroom

"Bedroom" was first used by Shakespeare by combining the separate words "bed" and "room." At that time, bedrooms were called "bed chambers" or "sleep spaces."

fashionable

This word comes from the tragedy Troilus and Cressida. This first usage didn't mean "stylish," however; instead, it meant "matching popular trends of the time."

gossip

"Gossip" was originally only a noun. It can be used with "be," as in "to be a gossip," but Shakespeare shortened it and made it into a verb — "to gossip."

lonely

He also turned the adjective "lone" (meaning "single" or "only") into the word we commonly use today to express unhappiness due to being alone.

undress

The prefix "un-" means "not" and is used to express the opposite of the word it is attached to. So the opposite of the verb "dress" (to wear) is "undress" (to take off).

Expressions

Many phrases that are common today come from Shakespeare's works. For example:

The world is your oyster

The actual line is "Why, then the world's mine oyster," but it's now often used in its shortened form. The meaning of this expression is "The possibilities are endless" or "The world is whatever you want it to be."

Break the ice

The word "icebreaker" was first used in the comedy The Taming of the Shrew, and since then has been used to describe reducing tension in an awkward situation.

A heart of gold

This idiom describing a kind and generous personality first appeared in the play Henry V. It's now a well-known phrase and is often used in song titles and lyrics.

If you'd like to learn more about how Shakespeare was able to create so many words, we have a Daily News article all about it here.

Four Recommended Titles

A book open to a page reading "The Tragedie of Macbeth"

Let's look closer at four of Shakespeare's famous plays and some of their most iconic lines!

Romeo and Juliet

Genre: romance, tragedy

This story has been made into movies and musicals all over the world. It's about two young people from rival families who fall in love and try to stay together despite their difficult situation.

Here are some well-known lines from Romeo and Juliet:

"Don't waste your love on somebody who doesn't value it."

In other words, you should only give your love to someone who will appreciate it.

"Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs."

"Fume" is another word for smoke, gas or steam. People often sigh when experiencing emotional pain or difficulty. This line suggests that love is not always a positive thing.

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

Genre: political drama, tragedy

Have you ever heard the phrase "Et tu, Brute?" It's a famous line from this political play, and it's still used today to refer to betrayal by someone you trusted.

Here are some other quotes from Julius Caesar:

"Men at some time are masters of their fates. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves, that we are underlings."

An "underling" is a person with low rank who works for someone more powerful. The lesson is that we must think carefully about our own actions instead of blaming others for our situation.

"The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones."

The word "oft" in this line is an old way of saying "often." This quote contains another life lesson: When a person dies, the bad things they did may be remembered more than the good things.

Hamlet

Genre: tragedy

Hamlet is one of the world's most famous revenge stories. It's about a Danish prince who wants revenge against his uncle, who has murdered his father, taken the throne and married his mother.

Hamlet has many great lines, such as:

"Give every man thy ear but few thy voice."

In modern English, this would be "Listen to many people, but speak to only a few." In other words, listening is often more important than talking.

"To be, or not to be. That is the question."

This line about life and death is not only the most famous line in Hamlet but also one of the most famous in all of Shakespeare's works. You might even hear it in modern movies and TV shows.

Macbeth

Genre: tragedy

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's four great tragedies (dramatic plays with tragic stories) along with Hamlet, Othello and King Lear. This is the shortest of the four and is said to be the last one he wrote.

Let's take a look at some quotes from Macbeth.

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."

"Fair" is related to beauty and goodness. "Foul," on the other hand, is related to dirtiness or dishonesty. So this line expresses the idea that goodness can exist in evil, and evil in goodness. It can also be understood as "What was beautiful once will one day become ugly."

"Things without all remedy should be without regard: what's done, is done."

"Remedy" means "cure." This quote therefore means that there is no reason to worry about something that is finished and cannot be changed. These days, it's often shortened to "What's done is done."

Wrap-up

We hope you've learned a bit about the greatness of Shakespeare and why he's so respected, even many years after his death. Few historical writers have created so much that is still so common in modern times.

If you'd like to learn more about Shakespeare, we have another Daily News recommendation: A Beginner's Guide to Shakespeare. Why not study it in a lesson with an Engoo tutor?