Shakespeare Tackles the Football

The football will be kicked, thrown and spiked today as millions of spectators watch Super Bowl LII. Did you know that Shakespeare tossed football into some of his works, as well?

• In King Lear (Act I Scene IV), a servant is rude to Lear. When Lear’s protector, Kent, strikes the servant, the servant protests and says, "I’ll not be struck, my lord."

Kent replies, "Nor tripped neither, you base football player."

• In The Comedy of Errors (Act II Scene I) Dromio, a servant, explains how he feels he is being rejected by his masters:

"Am I so round with you as you with me,

That like a football you do spurn me thus?

You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me hither.

If I last in this service, you must case me in leather."

Imagine if Shakespeare's notorious quote, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players," was written as, "All the world's a football field, and all the men and women merely players." Perhaps, then the Great American Sport would also be known as the Great Game of England.

Kindred Spirits

Shakespeare used the term cousin very loosely. He did not care if his characters were connected by blood, by marriage, by being in the same social status or by just being friends — they were all cousins.

We see Shakespeare's use of "cousin" in so many of his stories,  including:

• Richard III when the Duchess of York said to Clarence's children  (Act II Scene II), "My pretty cousins, you mistake me much." The children she calls cousins are actually her grandchildren.

• In Henry VI Part 1, King Henry says to Richard and Somerset (Act IV Scene I), "Good cousins both...." Richard and Somerset are kinsmen through different marriages of King Henry's great-grandfather.

• In As You Like It (Act I Scene I) Celia says to Rosalind, "I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry." Celia is the daughter of Duke Frederick and Rosalind is the daughter of Duke Senior. While they are no where near related, they share the same social status.

So, if Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, Joey and Chandler were to have a hit play during Shakespearean days, perhaps the appropriate title would be "Cousins?"

Exit — Stage Left

When Shakespeare's characters bid their farewells they never give a simple "good-bye" and fade quietly into the night. They often find dramatic ways to say farewell — usually using several words to make it known that "this conversation is done."

In Hamlet alone, Shakespeare often creates an over-the-top moment when a character simply departs the scene. In Act 1, Scene V, Hamlet can't say just one Adieu — he wants to leave an impression and says, "Adieu, adieu, remember me." In Act II Scene II, Hamlet says, "God bye to you" [with God bye meaning God be with you]. He immediately lets his audience know for dramatic effect, "Now I am alone."

We see an example of a farewell with kind regards attached when Osric says to Hamlet (Act V Scene II),  "I commend my duty to your lordship."Osric's dedication to Hamlet is reinforced in his good-bye.

Shakespeare's exits should never be overlooked - and never dismissed.

.....Now, I must part ways — adieu, until next time my readers.

How Now Brown Cow

The nonsense phrase "how now brown cow" can be dated back to 1926 when teaching someone the English language and how to pronounce the vowel "o" when it makes its "short" sound. Although not used today, the phrase "how now" was very common, particularly in William Shakespeare's Elizabethan culture (1558-1603). Shakespeare used "how now" in many of his plays as an informal greeting and a "cool, contemporary" way to shorten the longer phrase, "How say you now?" He also used the word to express his characters' emotions.

We see Shakespeare use this in:

• Love's Labor Lost (Act IV Scene III): When the King says, "How now! What is in you?," showing an element of surprise.
•A Midsummer's Night Dream (Act I Scene I): When Lysander say, "How now, my love? Why is your cheek so pale? He greet Hermia with an inquiry about her health/well being.

Shakespeare also links "how" to other words/phrases:

• In King Henry V (Act I Scene II) he uses howbiet when King Henry says, "Howbiet they would hold up this Salic law to bar your highness," meaning although they hold up.
• In The Tempest (Act V Scene I) he uses howsoever/howsoe'er when Prospero says, "But, howsoe'er you have been justled from your senses, know for certain I am Prospero," meaning to whatever extent you are confused just know this is certain.

Reading through Shakespeare's works you will find "how" often he actually uses the 3-letter word "how" to express his character's emotions. 

Mary Poppins Meets Shakespeare

 

When the beloved character Mary Poppins enunciates, "supercalifragilisticexpialidocisious" then goes into full song and dance about this 34-letter word, how could anyone feel anything but extraordinarily good. Mary Poppins described it as the word to use "when you have nothing to say," but since the movie Mary Poppins debuted in 1964, this silly word has been a source of plentiful conversation.

While supercalifragilisticexpialidocisious is usually associated with Mary Poppins, The Oxford English Dictionary estimates that the word was introduced in the 1940s and is basically "used as a nonsense word by children to express approval." While it is not the longest word in the English language, the self-described "practically perfect" Mary Poppins could sit back and be proud —  of what Shakespeare would call — the "honorificabilitudinitatibus" of rallying a culture to appreciate long words.

The 27-letter honorificabilitudinitatibus — which means the state of being able to achieve honors — is the longest word used by Shakespeare and  can be found in his comedy, Love Labour's Lost when Costard says (Act V, Scene I): "O, they have lived long on the alms-basket of words, I marvel thy master hath not eaten thee for a word; for thou art not so long by the head as honorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art easier swallowed than a flap-dragon."

While honorificabilitudinitatibus is not as popular in today's culture as the fun-filled supercalifragilisticexpialidocisious, I'd say it could easily fit into Mary Poppin's song:

Honorificabilitudinitatibus
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough
You'll always sound precocious
Honorificabilitudinitatibus!

Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I

Happy "NEW" Year

Happy New Year to all you Shakespeare fans and those who just enjoy learning a new word.  Shakespeare paired the word "new" with many other words to create fresh dialogue. Among some fun pairings, include:

• new-enkindled: Shakespeare used this to mean freshly lit. You can find this phrase in King John (Act 4, Scene 2) where it reads, "With eyes as red as new-enkindled fire."

• new-fangled: Shakespeare used this to mean distracted by new things in As You Like It (Act 4 Scene) when Rosalind "as Ganymede" says to Orlando, "More new-fangled than an ape."

• new-ta'en: Shakespeare used this to mean freshly caught, just captured. You can find this phrase in Troilus and Cressida (Act 3 Scene 2) where Pandarus says to Troilus, "She fetches her breadth as short as a new-ta'en sparrow.

Among many other "new" words found in Shakespeare's works, includes new-tuned (Henry V) meaning freshly coined, fashionable; new-found (The Two Gentlemen of Verona) meaning recently invented, freshly created; and new-begot (Henry VI) meaning newly acquired, freshly obtained.

Hark! Who Goes There?

Hark! Who goes there?

How many times have we heard this phrase or even said it ourselves? Have you ever wondered what hark even means?  In his play, Hamlet, William Shakespeare simply intended the character Hamlet — who utters this word — to grab everyone's attention. In Act II Scene II, Hamlet says to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, "Hark, you Guildenstern — and you too (Rosencrantz); at each ear a hearer." In essence, Hamlet is saying, "Listen! Someone is coming!"

Shakespeare also brings hark to the ears of his audience in his play, Taming of the Shrew. In Act I Scene I,  Lucentio says to Tranio, "Hark, Tranio thou mayst hear Minerva speak." He references Minevra, the Goddess of Wisdom. So, this phrase can be translated to Lucentio saying, "Hey listen to your inner wisdom and do what your gut tells you to do."

Hark is listed in today's dictionary, while it may not be an everyday word we utter, it is defined as meaning to listen, lend an ear, pay close attention.