Mason Carter

A deep dive it is.

A deep dive it is.

And maybe even, like, hurl a good-natured Shakespearean insult or two.

And maybe even, like, hurl a good-natured Shakespearean insult or two.

Well, what better place to start them with those pronouns? You know, they're not just like quirky word choices. No, they give us a glimpse into like the intricate social web of Elizabethan England.

Well, what better place to start them with those pronouns? You know, they're not just like quirky word choices. No, they give us a glimpse into like the intricate social web of Elizabethan England.

Exactly. Take, for instance, thee and thou. Now, today we just use you for everyone, right? I mean, nobody really thinks twice about it. But in Shakespeare's time, choosing between you and thou could make or break a relationship.

Exactly. Take, for instance, thee and thou. Now, today we just use you for everyone, right? I mean, nobody really thinks twice about it. But in Shakespeare's time, choosing between you and thou could make or break a relationship.

would be nice if it were that easy but not quite you see while thou was often used for informal address it could also convey like intimacy maybe even affection like imagine a lover declaring my heart beats only for thee i mean the choice of thee just intensifies the emotion wouldn't you say totally it adds this layer of like vulnerability passion even that you just wouldn't get with just a plain old

would be nice if it were that easy but not quite you see while thou was often used for informal address it could also convey like intimacy maybe even affection like imagine a lover declaring my heart beats only for thee i mean the choice of thee just intensifies the emotion wouldn't you say totally it adds this layer of like vulnerability passion even that you just wouldn't get with just a plain old

Exactly. But misuse those pronouns and oh boy, you could cause some serious offense. I mean, using thou with someone of a higher social rank, that would be seen as like downright disrespectful, maybe even insulting.

Exactly. But misuse those pronouns and oh boy, you could cause some serious offense. I mean, using thou with someone of a higher social rank, that would be seen as like downright disrespectful, maybe even insulting.

Exactly. And that's why when we pay attention to these little nuances in language, we start to get a much deeper understanding of the relationships between characters. We even start to see how power was used in Shakespearean society.

Exactly. And that's why when we pay attention to these little nuances in language, we start to get a much deeper understanding of the relationships between characters. We even start to see how power was used in Shakespearean society.

And honestly, that's just the tip of the iceberg.

And honestly, that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Oh, yeah. Remember all those exclamations we always associate with Shakespeare? Like bounds, gazooks.

Oh, yeah. Remember all those exclamations we always associate with Shakespeare? Like bounds, gazooks.

They might just sound like random outbursts. Right. But even those were carefully chosen. They actually reflect the social and religious climate of the time.

They might just sound like random outbursts. Right. But even those were carefully chosen. They actually reflect the social and religious climate of the time.