THE RENAISSANCE

Not only did Shakespeare write about fate, love, revenge, in short, about human nature, but he also invented around 1700 words and expressions which we still use in everyday English today. He often changed nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives, connecting words together and coming up with wholly original ones too.

Apart from reading, watching and analysing part of his great tragedy Romeo and Juliet in class, we did some research on Shakespeare's astounding linguistic creativity. We are sure, you are bound to be stunned by what we found!

EXPRESSIONS COINED BY SHAKESPEARE:

  1)A heart of gold: the term was used the first time in Henry V. Describing someone as having a heart of gold, meaning that they are a good, kind, generous person.

 

2)Dogs of war: is a phrase spoken by Mark Anthony in the play Julius Caesar. It´s a way to describe the destruction and chaos caused by war .

 

3)Break the ice: as a metaphor made its first appearance in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew : It means to do some small thing that will dispel the awkwardness of a situation before the real business of that situation begins.

 

4)Love is blind: is a phrase spoken by Jessica, a character in The Merchant of Venice.  Is one of the most common comments people make about what people who are in love do, and how they behave.

 

5) Catch a cold: It appears in Cymbeline one of Shakespeare's lesser-known plays. It means to get sick.

 

6) For goodnes sake: The phrase first appeared in  in the prologue to Henry VIII. Used as an exclamation, expressing feelings like frustration or impatience, usually accompanied by an exclamation mark – “For goodness sake!”

 

7) Seen better days: This term was first used by Shakespeare to describe a decline of fortune in  Timon of Athens , but soon was broadened to describe aging or deterioration in both humans and objects.

 

8)What´s done is done: From a line of dialogue spoken by the character Lady Macbeth in Macbeth.  It still means exactly what Lady Macbeth meant. You can't change the past, so it's best not to dwell. There's no going back. It usually has slightly more of a positive note when we say it today.

 

9) All of a sudden: is often attributed to Shakespeare, but he did not use this phrase in any of his many works – at least not in that exact form. In The Taming of the Shrew Shakespeare has Tranio speak the line:

“How is it possible that love should of a sodaine take such hold?”

Used to describe an unexpected event that happened without forewarning. The phrase all of a sudden is used to refer to an event that was unanticipated. Essentially, it is a more poetic way of saying suddenly.

 

10) Give the devil his due: Shakespeare used it in his play Henry V. Said when you admit that someone you do not like or admire does have some good qualities.

11) WILD GOOSE CHASE(Romeo and Juliet).No tener esperanza en lograr algo.Casing a wild goose was a horse-riding style in which horses followed a leader horse from some distance and it was similar to wild geese fly.

12) GREEN-EYED MONSTER ( The Merchant of Venice).Jealous,envious.Shakespeare refers to cats as as green- eyed monsters because they played with  mice before killing them.

The green was associated with diseases which made the skin look greenish or yellowish.

13) THE WORLD IS MY OYSTER(The wives of Windsor).El mundo está en mis manos.

14) MAKE YOUR HAIR STAND ON END (It appeared for the first time in Hamlet) Poner los pelos de punta.

15) IN A PRICKE (The Tempest) Estar en un aprieto.

16) THE NACKED TRUTH. La cruda realidad.

17) MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD. Carne de mi carne, sangre de mi sangre.

SOME WORDS COINED BY SHAKESPEARE:

GOSSIP

ACCUSED (Richard II)

DAWN (Henry V)

UNREAL(Macbeth)

FASHIONABLE

GLOOMY

COUNTLESS

IMPARTIAL

ASSASSINATION

LAUGHABLE TRANQUIL

FRUGAL

ADDICTION 

SAUVAGERY

SUMMIT

REMORSELESS

DWINDLE

MOONBEAM

BIRTHPLACE