Shakespearian Language and Develop Appropriate Vocal Skills

what I need to know to succeed in clasical theatre (Shakespearian Language)

• To remember elements of language relating to Renaissance scripts. 

• To appropriately physically and vocally interpret a Shakespearian scene through performance  

• To justify an interpretation of a Shakespearian monologue through performance choices and skills

Advice from my tutor:

The majority of people don’t feel that they understand the language that Shakespeare and other classical playwrights use; but don’t panic.

In order to investigate Shakespearian language and be able to interpret the intentions and meaning behind it, we need to begin by looking at language itself and how the language of Shakespeare’s day is different to the language that we use now.

practical exercise

To look at a peom by Lewis Carrol and complete a questionair we did this to prover even though most of the words were made up and uses some old english we could still under stand what the peom was trying to tell us and if we could interpet this peom where half the words are made up we could just as easily read a clasical / Shakespearian play.

JABBERWOCKY

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
    Did gyre and gimble in the wade;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
    And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
    The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
    The frumious Bandersnatch!“

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
    Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree.
    And stood awhile in thought.

by Lewis Carrol

1. What did the slithy toves do in the wade?

*Gyre and gimble

2. How were the borogoves?

*All mimsy

3. Which three things should you beware of, or stay away from?

*The Jabberwock, The Jubjub bird and the Bandersnatch

4. Describe the Bandersnatch in one word…

*Frumious

5. What kind of sword did ‘he’ have?

*Vorpal

6. What kind of enemy did ‘he’ seek?

*Manxome