Shakespeare's Language

Praise for the previous edition:
"...the essential companion for anyone seeking the immeasurable pleasures of Shakespeare." Booklist

Rife with arcane references, unfamiliar expressions, and words of his own invention, Shakespeare's texts can intimidate even the most learned reader. Shakespeare's Language, Second Edition is a comprehensive and straightforward guide to the ornate and sometimes bewildering language that may be unfamiliar to today's readers of Shakespeare's plays and poetry.

This revised and updated edition contains approximately 17,000 definitions more than 2,000 of which are new from the adjective "acerb" in Othello to the verb "zwaggered" in King Lear. It also features an all-new chapter, "Introduction to Shakespeare and His Language," which provides essential background on Shakespeare's life and works, as well as an in-depth discussion of how modern readers can approach his works in order to best understand and enjoy them.

Entries feature:

• Definitions of words as they are used in the texts
• A Shakespearean quote placing each defined word or phrase in context
• The word's part of speech
• Variant usages.

Coverage includes geographical references, historical and mythological figures, and foreign-language expressions.

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.