Shakespeare's Language: A Glossary of Unfamiliar Words in His Plays and Poems - Hardcover

Eugene F. Shewmaker

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 081607125X ISBN 13: 9780816071258

Publisher: Facts on File, 2008

Synopsis

Offers a guide to the ornate and sometimes bewildering language of Shakespeare's plays and poetry. This work contains more than 17,000 definitions - from the adjective chop-fallen in Hamlet to the verb beshrew in Much Ado About Nothing. It includes background on Shakespeare's life and works.

About this title

About the Author

Eugene F. Shewmaker is a retired editor of dictionaries and other reference books. He earned an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama and pursued an interest in theater. He lives in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—Shakespeare's eloquent and sometimes-difficult language has often been a major stumbling block for those attempting to understand his works. To this end, Shewmaker has produced this new glossary to clarify the meaning behind the "arcane references, unfamiliar expressions, and words of [Shakespeare's] own invention." This update to the 1996 edition is a comprehensive listing of approximately 17,000 words, which are defined and then contextualized in an accompanying quote. The new chapter "Introduction to Shakespeare and His Language" both explains how the manuscripts we have today came to be and highlights specific well-known passages, indicating how an understanding of the words increases one's enjoyment of their author's genius. A guide to Shewmaker's abbreviations and a list of Shakespeare's poems and plays indexed in the text have been updated to include three plays recently accepted into the canon: Two Noble Kinsmen, Edward III, and Sir Thomas More. Thus, the current edition features more than 2000 new references, as well as an extensive updated bibliography, in keeping with the most current scholarship. Some listings, such as "accomplements" (from Edward III) are completely unique to this update, while others, such as "addressed" vs. "addrest," reflect spelling changes used in various texts since 1996. Although the print is somewhat smaller, the book is more inviting overall. Shewmaker's scholarly work will be of use to students who are trying to clarify uncommon words and/or usages from the Bard's dramatic and poetic works.—Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Facts on File
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 081607125X
• ISBN 13: 9780816071258
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 628