Pronouncing Shakespeare's Words: A Guide from A to Zounds

(Hardback)

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Shakespeare is the most influential poet and playwright of the English language. His works usually include notes on the meanings of obscure words, names and phrases, but do not give guidance on pronunciation. Students, actors and even Shakespearean experts rely on guesswork or must consult a specialized dictionary when confronting unusual words. This volume aims to help readers quickly find the correct pronunciation of any difficult word in Shakespeare's works. In order to determine which pronunciations are actually in use today, 100 Shakespearean scholars and dramaturges from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom were asked for their recommendations on over 300 controversial words. This survey together with research from a variety of dictionaries and linguistic studies are the authorities for the pronunciations given here.

Reviews

"This indispensible new reference work negotiates between the past and the present, and between the study and the stage. Coye ... helps readers and actors to overcome their fear of Shakespeare's vocabulary." Cary M. Mazer, Associate Professor of English and Chair of The Theatre Arts Program, University of Pennsylvania - "Pronouncing Shakespeare's Words is an eminently sensible and straightforward guide for students, teachers, and actors of Shakespeare. It is destined to become a standard guidebook in rehearsal halls and classrooms everywhere." Richard Paul Knowles, Department of Drama, University of Guelph, Canada

Author Bio

DALE F. COYE is Assistanst Professor of English at The College of New Jersey.