Pronouncing Shakespeare

Pronouncing Shakespeare chronicles the process of mounting the first Original Pronunciation (OP) production of Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in 400 years. David Crystal, a renowned phonologist, documents the technical and artistic challenges of recreating how Shakespeare's plays would have sounded in Elizabethan times. The book details the research methods used to determine authentic 16th-century pronunciation, drawing from contemporary sources, rhyme patterns, and linguistic evidence. Crystal examines how actors and directors worked to implement these historical speech patterns while maintaining dramatic clarity for modern audiences. The narrative follows the production from initial discussions through rehearsals to opening night, capturing both the scholarly and practical aspects of this linguistic experiment. The text includes phonetic transcriptions, practice exercises, and explanations of key pronunciation differences between modern and Elizabethan English. This work connects the technical aspects of historical linguistics with the living art of theater, revealing how language shapes meaning and audience experience. The broader implications for Shakespearean performance and our understanding of Early Modern English emerge through this unique theatrical experiment.

Readers found the book explains Original Pronunciation (OP) concepts clearly for non-experts. They appreciated the detailed examples showing how pronunciation affects rhymes, puns, and wordplay in Shakespeare's works. Likes: - Accessible writing style for complex linguistic topics - Inclusion of audio examples and phonetic guides - Practical applications for actors and directors - Historical context about Elizabethan speech Dislikes: - Some felt it was too short at 160 pages - Limited coverage of certain plays - Technical sections challenged readers without linguistics background - Wanted more practice exercises One reader noted: "Perfect introduction to OP - made me hear Shakespeare's language in a new way." Another said: "Could have gone deeper into the research methods." Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (89 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (32 ratings) LibraryThing: 4.0/5 (12 ratings) Review counts are relatively low but consistently positive across platforms.

Speaking Shakespeare by Patsy Rodenburg A guide on how historical pronunciation and vocal techniques shaped the delivery of Shakespeare's works.

Shakespeare's Words by David Crystal, Ben Crystal A comprehensive examination of Shakespeare's vocabulary, language patterns, and original meanings of words in Elizabethan English.

The Story of English in 100 Words by David Crystal An analysis of language evolution through time using specific words that reflect changes in pronunciation and meaning from Old English to Modern English.

Think on my Words: Exploring Shakespeare's Language by David Crystal A breakdown of Shakespeare's linguistic devices, word choices, and rhetorical patterns in their historical context.

Original Pronunciation: The State of the Art by Paul Meier A technical exploration of reconstructing historical English pronunciation through academic research and theatrical practice.

🎭 David Crystal conducted experiments with Original Pronunciation (OP) at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in 2004, marking the first time OP was used there in modern times. 📚 Many rhymes in Shakespeare's plays that don't work in modern English pronunciation work perfectly in OP - for example, "love" rhymed with "prove" in Shakespeare's time. 🗣️ The reconstruction of Elizabethan pronunciation relies heavily on spelling variations, rhymes, puns, and contemporary documents describing speech patterns from the period. 🌍 Original Pronunciation performances have shown that Shakespeare's works are generally easier for modern audiences to understand, as OP is closer to many modern American and Irish accents than to current British Received Pronunciation. 🎬 The first full-length Shakespeare play performed in OP since the 17th century was Romeo and Juliet at University College London in 2004, shortly after Crystal's work at the Globe.