The Language of Shakespeare

When William Shakespeare began writing plays in 1590, the early modern English language was still under 100 years old and at a crucial point of development. Official records and documents were still written in Latin, and the first official dictionary had not yet been compiled (Robert Cawdry’s Table Alphabeticall of 1604 was the first monolingual English dictionary published, containing around 3000 words.) As the foremost playwright of his era, Shakespeare’s use of language within his plays made an important--and entertaining--contribution to the English language.

Key Dates & Events

• 1592 - William Shakespeare left his family behind in Stratford-upon-Avon to move to London around this time.
• 1593 - London’s theatres were closed during a severe wave of plague which killed around 10,000 of London’s residents.
• 1599 - The first Globe Theatre opened and was a huge success.
• 1599 - The first of Shakespeare’s plays to be performed at the Globe Theatre was believed to have been Julius Caesar.
• 1613 - The first Globe Theatre burned down on June 29th during a performance of Henry VIII.
• 1642 - The Second Globe Theatre was shut down by the Puritans, along with the rest of London’s playhouses.