William Shakespeare (1564-1616) used many different meanings and connotations of a single word and a whole range of words appropriate for describing certain subjects to create bawdy puns and allusions on sexual issues in his dramas. It is the concern of this essay to examine the subject of ‘bawdiness’ more closely and to work out, why, how and through whom Shakespeare made use of bawdy puns. These results may give some insights into Shakespeare’s thoughts about gender roles, his relationship to sexuality in general and how he thought about the Elizabethan audience’s reaction towards his strong sexual treatment. The first two parts of this essay will provide a short survey of the Early Modern English of the common people in 1600 and will later on particularly examine Shakespeare’s use of witty and insulting language. Part four will present a table with ‘bawdy’ examples out of the two plays of Shakespeare, ‘King Lear’ and ‘As you like it’ with particular attention to the position when and by whom the pun is uttered. Grounding on the examples, the third part of section four will make a comparison between the uses of bawdy in tragedies and comedies and will work out differences, similarities and the profound line of reasoning behind it. The closing part of this essay, part five, offers some main conclusions and thoughts about the topic of ‘bawdiness’ in ‘King Lear’ and ‘As you like it’.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- A Short Survey of the Language of Shakespeare's Time
- Shakespeare's Language – Wordplays and Puns
- The Use of Bawdy in King Lear and As You Like It
- Bawdy in King Lear
- Bawdy in As You Like It
- A Comparison: The Different Treatment of Bawdy
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay aims to examine the use of bawdy puns and allusions in Shakespeare's King Lear and As You Like It. It seeks to understand why, how, and through whom Shakespeare employed this language, and what this reveals about his views on gender roles, sexuality, and his audience's potential reactions.
- The linguistic context of Shakespeare's time and the evolution of Early Modern English.
- Shakespeare's masterful use of wordplay and puns, including bawdy ones.
- The different treatment and function of bawdy in tragedy (King Lear) versus comedy (As You Like It).
- Shakespeare's perspectives on gender roles and sexuality as reflected in his use of bawdy language.
- The audience's potential reception of Shakespeare's bawdy humor.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Introduction: This introductory section sets the stage for the essay, outlining its central objective: to investigate the employment of bawdy language in Shakespeare's plays, King Lear and As You Like It. It establishes the essay's methodology, which involves exploring the "why," "how," and "through whom" aspects of Shakespeare's use of bawdy puns. The introduction previews the essay's structure, promising a survey of Early Modern English, an examination of Shakespeare's linguistic style, and a comparative analysis of bawdy's treatment in the two chosen plays. Ultimately, the introduction suggests a deeper exploration into Shakespeare's attitudes towards sexuality, gender roles, and audience reception within the context of Elizabethan England.
A Short Survey of the Language of Shakespeare's Time: This chapter provides a concise overview of the linguistic landscape of Shakespeare's era, characterizing the Early Modern English as both fluid and rich. It highlights the period's significant linguistic changes, including influences from humanism and the study of classical languages, resulting in increased vocabulary borrowing (especially in science and medicine) and the incorporation of Latin and foreign words. Despite this influx, the chapter notes existing inconsistencies in word order, spelling, and pronunciation, along with a strong desire for orthographic reform and vocabulary expansion. Shakespeare's contributions to this linguistic evolution are also touched upon, particularly his skill in using wordplay to enrich the English language and to establish colloquial levels of speech, which will contrast with the more formal vocabulary of other writers.
Shakespeare's Language – Wordplays and Puns: This section delves deeper into Shakespeare's unique linguistic style, emphasizing his prolific use of wordplays and puns as a means of showcasing the expressiveness of English and impressing his audience. The chapter traces the gradual decline in the use of wordplay later in the 17th century due to increased linguistic scrutiny, contrasting Shakespeare's approach with this later trend. Shakespeare’s skillful manipulation of language is highlighted as a key element contributing both to the difficulty and the uniqueness of his works. The chapter lays the groundwork for the analysis of bawdy language in subsequent sections by showcasing Shakespeare's general dexterity with words and his aptitude for employing various rhetorical figures.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Shakespeare, bawdy language, Early Modern English, wordplay, puns, King Lear, As You Like It, gender roles, sexuality, Elizabethan audience, linguistic analysis, literary style, comedy, tragedy.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview
What is the main focus of this essay?
The essay examines the use of bawdy puns and allusions in Shakespeare's King Lear and As You Like It. It investigates why, how, and through whom Shakespeare used this language, and what this reveals about his views on gender roles, sexuality, and his audience's reactions.
What are the key themes explored in the essay?
Key themes include the linguistic context of Shakespeare's time and the evolution of Early Modern English; Shakespeare's masterful use of wordplay and puns, including bawdy ones; the different treatment and function of bawdy in tragedy (King Lear) versus comedy (As You Like It); Shakespeare's perspectives on gender roles and sexuality as reflected in his bawdy language; and the audience's potential reception of Shakespeare's bawdy humor.
What does the essay cover in its introduction?
The introduction sets the stage by outlining the central objective: investigating bawdy language in King Lear and As You Like It. It establishes the methodology, previews the essay's structure, and hints at a deeper exploration of Shakespeare's attitudes towards sexuality, gender roles, and audience reception in Elizabethan England.
What is covered in the chapter surveying the language of Shakespeare's time?
This chapter provides a concise overview of the linguistic landscape of Shakespeare's era, describing Early Modern English as fluid and rich. It highlights linguistic changes, including influences from humanism and classical languages, resulting in vocabulary borrowing and the incorporation of Latin and foreign words. It also notes inconsistencies in word order, spelling, and pronunciation, and Shakespeare's contributions to this linguistic evolution.
What is discussed in the section on Shakespeare's language, wordplay, and puns?
This section delves into Shakespeare's unique linguistic style, emphasizing his prolific use of wordplays and puns. It traces the decline in wordplay later in the 17th century, contrasting Shakespeare's approach with this later trend. Shakespeare’s skillful manipulation of language is highlighted as a key element contributing to the difficulty and uniqueness of his works. It lays the groundwork for the analysis of bawdy language.
What are the chapter summaries about?
The chapter summaries provide a concise overview of each section of the essay, including the introduction, the survey of the language of Shakespeare's time, and the section on Shakespeare's use of wordplay and puns. They offer a preview of the content and analysis to be found in each chapter.
What are the keywords associated with this essay?
Keywords include Shakespeare, bawdy language, Early Modern English, wordplay, puns, King Lear, As You Like It, gender roles, sexuality, Elizabethan audience, linguistic analysis, literary style, comedy, and tragedy.
What is the overall structure of the essay?
The essay follows a structured format, including an introduction, a survey of the language of Shakespeare's time, an analysis of Shakespeare's wordplay and puns, a detailed examination of bawdy language in King Lear and As You Like It, and a conclusion. It uses a comparative approach to analyze the use of bawdy language across the two plays.
What specific plays are analyzed?
The essay focuses specifically on Shakespeare's plays King Lear and As You Like It, comparing and contrasting the use of bawdy language in these two works.
- Quote paper
- Annett Oswald (Author), 2005, The Use of Bawdy in Shakespeare’s "King Lear" and "As You Like It", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/74618
