
Shakespeare's Common Language
Alysia Kolentsis(Author)
The Arden Shakespeare (Publisher)
Published on 17. June 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-1-350-23597-7 (ISBN)
Description
What can developments in contemporary linguistics and language theory reveal about Shakespeare's language in the plays? Shakespeare's Common Language demonstrates how methods borrowed from language criticism can illuminate the surprising expressive force of Shakespeare's common words. With chapters focused on different approaches based in language theory, the book analyses language change in Coriolanus; discourse analysis in Troilus and Cressida; pragmatics in Richard II; and various aspects of grammar in As You Like It. In mapping the tools of linguistics and language theory onto the study of literature, and employing finely-grained close readings of dialogue, Shakespeare's Common Language frames a methodology that offers a fresh approach to reading dramatic language.
Reviews / Votes
Written in clear and accessible prose, Kolentsis's book on the linguistic aspects of Shakespeare's dialogues evolved from her dissertation research. In close readings of quotidian and easily overlooked words within dramatic dialogue (e.g., will/shall, if, here/this), Kolentsis (Univ. of Waterloo, Canada) reveals her profound knowledge of the Shakespearean corpus and linguistic methods. The core of the book is four self-contained chapters, each devoted to one play and each applying a linguistic approach (such as discourse analysis or historical sociolinguistics) to a small set of words in that play's dialogues. The structure of the chapters is well defined: each introduces the chapter's purpose, describes the theoretical or methodological basis of the linguistic approach being applied, and then delves into a close reading of a play. The consistency of the format allows readers or instructors to easily extract the portions that are most relevant to their research or teaching needs. Kolentsis's writing style, concise summaries of linguistic approaches, and thoughtful analyses of dialogue make this book appropriate for nonspecialists and specialists alike. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE * This book brings Shakespeare's verbal experimentation with some of the most frequently used "small" words of the English language (shall, will, this, and if) vividly to life. Writing in a highly accessible style, Kolentsis equips students with innovative approaches to close reading that fruitfully combine literary and linguistic analysis to illuminate key dynamics of the drama -- Lynne Magnusson, Professor of English, University of Toronto, CanadaMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Weight
204 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-350-23597-7 (9781350235977)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Alysia Kolentsis
Shakespeare's Common Language
E-Book
01/2020
1st Edition
The Arden Shakespeare
€36.49
Available for download

Alysia Kolentsis
Shakespeare's Common Language
E-Book
01/2020
1st Edition
The Arden Shakespeare
€36.49
Available for download
Person
Alysia Kolentsis is Associate Professor of English at St. Jerome's University in the University of Waterloo, Canada.
Content
Introduction: Shakespeare's Common Language
Chapter 1: Language Change, Coriolanus, and 'Shall'
Chapter 2: Discourse Analysis, Troilus and Cressida, and 'Will'
Chapter 3: Pragmatics, Richard II, and 'This'
Chapter 4: Grammar, As You Like It, and 'If'
Notes
References
Index
Chapter 1: Language Change, Coriolanus, and 'Shall'
Chapter 2: Discourse Analysis, Troilus and Cressida, and 'Will'
Chapter 3: Pragmatics, Richard II, and 'This'
Chapter 4: Grammar, As You Like It, and 'If'
Notes
References
Index