Shakespeare celebrations 2016

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JaneEyre
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Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 1:04 pm

Re: Shakespeare celebrations 2016

Post by JaneEyre »

I am researching how English teachers analyses the use of ‘O’ in literature, for example in the following lines:
O you beast!/O faithless coward! O dishonest wretch!’ ( Measure for Measure, III. 1, 139-149)

In French, we have a lovely word ( ‘vocatif’) to refer to this use of language, but I am not able to find the English translation of that word ( it seems that there is no such word in the English language :( ). The nearest thing I find is ‘direct address’. Whilst we can mention ‘direct address’ if the character is talking to a real person like in the aforementioned example, I am under the impression that you cannot use it when talking of an immaterial idea like in ‘O heavens’ or an object like in ‘O just, but severe law’. So how do you analyse the 'O' in the last two examples?

In a nutshell, please, where could I find some nice analysis of the use of ‘O’? :?
DGM
Posts: 92
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2015 1:10 pm

Re: Shakespeare celebrations 2016

Post by DGM »

I think this is the vocative (case), isn't it - irrespective of whether addressing a person or an object etc with the O. (Languages, but not an English teacher :) ).
Last edited by DGM on Wed Nov 09, 2016 12:43 am, edited 2 times in total.
JaneEyre
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Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 1:04 pm

Re: Shakespeare celebrations 2016

Post by JaneEyre »

Thanks DGM! :D 'The vocative case' is the phrase I was looking for. Why is it not mentionned in a bilingual dictionary like Collins?? :?
DGM
Posts: 92
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2015 1:10 pm

Re: Shakespeare celebrations 2016

Post by DGM »

I hadn't thought about the vocative in a long time! Probably associate it mostly with Latin. Thank you, JE!
piggys
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Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 9:29 am

Re: Shakespeare celebrations 2016

Post by piggys »

The use of 'O' in those particular two lines is a way to create the iambic pentameter; the first part comes as the second section to Claudio's comment: thus
"That it becomes a virtue."
"O, you beast" - behold the sequence of ten stressed/unstressed syllables.

The second : " O faithless coward, O dishonest wretch" - behold the second sequence of the same.

Shakespeare (and his contemporaries) made pretty good use of the exclamation "O" , partly for dramatic effect but more importantly as a handy syllable to enable successful scanning of the meter!
JaneEyre
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Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 1:04 pm

Re: Shakespeare celebrations 2016

Post by JaneEyre »

Hi Piggys, :D
I see your point which is very interesting, thank you for sharing your thoughts. :D However, personally, I consider that Shakespeare was too clever in his use of langage to use the vocative just as ‘a filler’ to have the right number of feet ( just my personal opinion really, I haven’t read that anywhere and I am just past the very beginning of my understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare :( ).

For example, instead of ‘O faithless coward, O dishonest wretch’, he could have written:
‘perfidious coward, untrustworthy wretch’ or something similar to have the right stressed and unstressed syllables :oops:
but the use of the vocative makes the text so much more powerful! :D I like it, I really like it! :D
JaneEyre
Posts: 4843
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 1:04 pm

Re: Shakespeare celebrations 2016

Post by JaneEyre »

This is a quiz for the experts on Shakespeare! :wink: I just cannot do it. Have fun!

How did Shakespeare originally sound?
http://blog.oup.com/2016/11/shakespeare ... lly-sound/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

For the neophites like me (waving to you all! :D ), there is this interesting part of a conference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ2R-TF ... 18&index=6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
JaneEyre
Posts: 4843
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 1:04 pm

Re: Shakespeare celebrations 2016

Post by JaneEyre »

1000s of historic Shakespeare illustrations are now free to download and use
A digital archive containing 3,000 copyright-free Victorian Shakespeare illustrations is now online – letting you have access for your own work.

http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news ... nload-use/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
JaneEyre
Posts: 4843
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 1:04 pm

Re: Shakespeare celebrations 2016

Post by JaneEyre »

Link which may interest people living in and around London and who are at the same time interested in Shakespeare's work

GREGORY DORAN GIVES THE ANNUAL LONDON SHAKESPEARE LECTURE
'2016 - The Big Year' - Gregory shares his personal reflections on the 400th anniversary year of Shakespeare’s death.​

https://www.rsc.org.uk/news/gregory-dor ... re-lecture" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


PS that I cannot help to write:
Sir Stanley Wells, in honour of whom this lecture is given and whom I will have the pleasure to listen to during a lecture in April, comes from a modest background... went to a GS... and became a Shakespearean scholar, writer, professor and editor who has been honorary president of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, professor emeritus at the University of Birmingham, and author of a number of books about Shakespeare.
Please, I do not want to read that GS do not allow social mobility! They take in bright kids and push them academically while trying to make them well-rounded people.
I am thankful for the system, as I know that my husband would not have been able to pay for a private school for our children who like to be challenged academically.
I witness weekly some six formers who do not understand the importance of attending al the lessons, of doing their homework, and I hear for some A2 student of doing their coursework... and I can tell you it is heartbreaking as some of these pupils (who could do well if they put their heart into their studies!) are just messing up their lives. These teenagers disrupt the learning of other students as they slow down the pace of teaching.
JaneEyre
Posts: 4843
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 1:04 pm

Re: Shakespeare celebrations 2016

Post by JaneEyre »

"Othello is a play that continues to speak to us about racism, intolerance, and the paranoid side of human nature..."

Course Director Dr Miranda Fay Thomas will be exploring the racial tensions in Othello in a short course for adults this spring. Here’s why the subject is as important today as it has ever been:
http://po.st/PerformingOthelloNow" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Globe's adult course Shakespeare and Race: Performing Othello Now runs from Monday 6 – Friday 10 March. To book: http://po.st/ShortCourses" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Want to see Othello performed? Ellen McDougall will direct Othello in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse from Thursday 23 February until Saturday 22 April: http://po.st/Othello2016" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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