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Camille Flynn
OConnor
Honors English 9
23 May 2016
How Shakespeare Influenced the English Language
Shakespeare wrote in Modern English, even though many Modern-Englishspeakers cannot understand his literature
Shakespeare invented around 2,000 words and idioms. The English Language
borrowed his intelligence and still uses many of his phrases today.
Shakespeare wrote his plays with accents, which helped change Middle English to
Modern English
In Middle English, a prominent feature was the different vowel sounds. Middle
English would be unrecognizable today, and Shakespeare helped shift the vowel sounds
to be made in the front of the mouth, instead of the back.
Examples of words that Shakespeare created: : frugal, dwindle, lonely
Examples of phrases that Shakespeare created: breaking the ice, heart of gold
Shakespeare helped shape blank verse, which is a widely used form of poetry.
Shakespeare is known for borrowing plots and stories from other writers, which
was common in his time. However, his creation of words, use of puns, and eloquence in
his plays set him apart from other playwrights.
Shakespeare died 400 years ago. He lives on through his plays, words, and
phrases that are read, seen, and heard around the globe.
However, many of the phrases and sayings from his plays are used slightly
differently than Shakespeare intended. Taking these words out of context and into modern
language was bound to create deviations.
An example of how a phrase deviated from its original meaning: Sweets to the
sweet means a lustful desire or gesture. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the phrase was
referring to flowers at a funeral.

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However, sources such as Macrone state that society can never be sure who first
came up with a word, phrase, pun, or saying. Evidence shows that Shakespeare was
extremely unoriginal when concerning the plots of his plays, which negatively impacts
how much credit he receives for his contribution to the English language.
Nobody is totally certain who created a word or saying, even though many of
words and sayings that Shakespeare supposedly created were first documented in his
works. The written record of many words in our English language only recedes back to
Shakespeare.
Before Shakespeare became famous, many modern spelling and grammar rules
were not in existence. Shakespeare created standards for the English language.
One way that Shakespeare amused his audience and add a comedic element to his
plays was his use of insults. Shakespeare used a wide range of insults, and some of his
insults are still used today.
Some examples of his less commonly used insults are: bolting-hutch of
beastliness, ugly a fiend, and affable wolves.
Shakespeare was very proficient and talented in the English language, and his
plays appealed to his audience at the time. He attended King Edward VI School,
Stratford-upon-Avon, and become a master at the English language. Therefore, his plays
were intelligent and respected. The words and phrases that he used in his plays were
bound to become commonplace around the globe, as long as his plays were still popular.
Due to his well-known and prominent works, the language that he invented and
used became well-known and prominent, leading to over 2,000 of his words still being
used today.

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Works Cited
"The History of the English Language - an Introduction." The History of the English Language an Introduction. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2016.

Joki, Kimberly. "How the English Language Is Shakespeares Language."Grammarly Blog How
the English Language Is Shakespeares Language Comments. Grammarly Inc., 22 June 2012.
Web. 24 May 2016.

"William Shakespeare." William Shakespeare the Greatest English Playwright.

AbsoluteShakespeare.com, n.d. Web. 24 May 2016.

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Vernon, Jennifer. "Shakespeare's Coined Words Now Common Currency."National Geographic.
National Geographic Society, 22 Apr. 2004. Web. 24 May 2016.