1. Define and explain, The Great Vowel Shift.
- It was a major change in the pronunciation of the English Language. It was between 1200 and 1600.
During the Great Vowel Shift, the two highest long vowels became diphthongs, and the other five underwent an increase in tongue height with one of them coming to the front.
2. Name 5 dialects of Modern English.
- American English
- British English
- Caribbean English
- South African English
- Indo-Pakistani English.
3. One of the problems with Early Modern English was a lack of uniformity in spelling. Which 2 people (1-English, 1-American) helped establish standardized spelling?
- Samuel Johnson (English) and Noah Webster (American).
4. How many countries in the world have given Modern English official status?
- 53 countries.
5. The most recent statistics show that approximately how many people speak Modern English as a:
I. First language?
- First language: 380 million.
II. Second Language?
- Second language: 600 million.
6. When was Early Modern English spoken?
- From about the end of the Middle English period (the latter half of the 15th century) to 1650.
7. How are the use of Pronouns different between Early Modern & Modern English?
- The pronouns were much the same as today. One difference is that, much as a becomes an before a vowel, my and thy became mine and thine before vowels as well; hence, mine eyes, thine uncle, and so on.
8. Which language families does Modern English belong in?
- Indo-European
- Germanic
- West Germanic
- Anglo-Frisian
- Anglic.
9. Name 4 worldwide uses for Modern English.
- It use in such diverse applications as controlling airplanes, developing software, conducting international diplomacy and business relations.
10. In your opinion, what was the greatest influence on the spread of Modern English around the world? Why?
- The greatest influence of the Modern English is that everyone can learn it, because is an easy language and its helps other parts of the world to stay in contact or maybe make some trades.
11. There has been a lot of controversy over the true authorship of Shakespeare's writings. Which 3 people are also candidates as the possible authors of Shakespeare's plays?
- Francis Bacon
- Christopher Marlowe
- Edward de Vere.
12. Briefly explain The Oxfordian Theory.
- It wrote the plays and poems attributed toWilliam Shakespeare of Srratford-upon-Avon.
13. Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, which according to the Folio Classification, fall into 3 categories. Name the 3 categories.
- Comedies
- Histories
- Tragedies.
14. In which town was Shakespeare born?
- He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon.
15. Which famous London theatre (built by actors, for actors) is connected with Shakespeare's plays?
- The Lord Chamberlain's Men.
16. Even though Richard III is the most performed play, Hamlet is Shakespeare's most famous play. In you opinion, what does this portion of Hamlet's famous soliloquy mean:
To be or not to be, that is the question;
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to — 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub,...
- Clearly Shakespeare talks about a crossroad of his life, to die or to live, to smile or to cry, he talks about the two faces of life.
17. Name 5 post-Shakespearean artists whose work was heavily influenced by the writings of William Shakespeare.
- Shakespeare influenced novelists such as:
Thomas Hardy, William Faulkner, Charles Dickens; the American novelist Herman Melville, the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.
18. Which of Shakespeare's plays are included in The Wars of the Roses series?
- Henry VI part 1.
19. Shakespeare wrote most of his works in blank verse composed in iambic pentameter. What is blank verse & iambic pentameter?
- Blank verse: is a type of poetry, distinguished by having a regular meter, but no rhyme. In English, the meter most commonly used with blank verse has been iambic pentamer.
- Iambic pentameter: is a type of meter that is used in poetry and drama. It describes a particular rhythm that the words establish in each line. That rhythm is measured in small groups of syllables; these small groups of syllables are called "feet". The word "iambic" describes the type of foot that is used. The word 'pentameter' indicates that a line has five of these 'feet'.
20. Name 4 actors from Shakepeare's original company.
- Richard Burbage
- William Kempe
- Henry Condell
- John Heminges.
