It’s hilarious how Shakespeare’s are seen in modern times considering what they were originally. They’re full of dirty jokes and the accent they were originally performed in sounded nothing like the “modern” Received Pronunciation used today.
Do you happen to know where to find whole plays done in the original pronunciation? I’m not exactly bad at finding things on the internet, but I can’t find any of Shakespeare’s plays in their original pronunciation, or more than a tiny bit of Chaucer’s Canterbury tales in spoken middle English.
“Fair” in the context of this phrase is meant to convey “beautiful” but literally meant “light or pale skinned.”
“Maiden” is meant to convey “young woman,” but literally meant “virgin” (as in “maiden voyage”).
I can’t believe I never made this connection before.
I learned this wrt romeo and juliet, maidenhead is the hymen or virginity (maidenhood?)
For reference the line in Romeo and Juliet was
How did Bill get that past the censors?!
It’s amazing how far a little royal patronage can get you.
On horseback, mainly.
It’s hilarious how Shakespeare’s are seen in modern times considering what they were originally. They’re full of dirty jokes and the accent they were originally performed in sounded nothing like the “modern” Received Pronunciation used today.
Do you happen to know where to find whole plays done in the original pronunciation? I’m not exactly bad at finding things on the internet, but I can’t find any of Shakespeare’s plays in their original pronunciation, or more than a tiny bit of Chaucer’s Canterbury tales in spoken middle English.
I found this performance of As you like it on the wikipedia article. The quality of the video isn’t great, but beyond that I can only find short excerpts in OP.
Here’s the prologue of Romeo and Juliet. – and here’s a playlist by the same guy
A playlist of sonnets by polýMATHY
Sonnet 116
And short scene from Julius Caesar
Bonus, but unrelated: Here’s The Lord’s Prayer in old English
Thanks! I’d not found the 12th night or the sonnet before. I look forward to sitting down and watching it.
They’d never heard him tell a joke before.
Neither had the maiden.
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