No author has had more effect on the English language than William Shakespeare. ‘The Bard of Avon’ is often considered the most influential writer and playwright in the history of Western drama. The influence of his writings is still felt today, over 400 years after the Bard shuffled off his mortal coil. People across the world have enjoyed Shakespeare’s works for centuries.
Despite his fame and long-lasting effect, William Shakespeare’s name instills dread in some readers. Hearing the name of one of his plays invokes images of an Old English dialogue (which it is not) alongside men in tights speaking to skulls. Students in language and literature classrooms see his name atop an assignment and curse it.
Shakespeare’s name should not be scorned. The Bard of Avon’s contributions to the English language reverberates throughout our culture to this day. His plays are still being adapted into movies, and phrases he coined are still being spoken. Understanding the Bard’s impact on English can help readers and students appreciate his works. Aspiring writers can also gain insights into how to improve their own writing.
22 Phrases Coined By William Shakespeare
It is believed that William Shakespeare introduced hundreds of new words and phrases into the English language. The earliest known usage of these words are found in the Bard’s plays. He seems to have had a natural ability to invent new words.
Shakespeare created new words using various methods like combining old words and changing a word’s part of speech (using nouns as verbs, verbs as adjectives, etc.). The Bard of Avon would also introduce new prefixes and suffixes to a word to give it new meaning. Aspiring writers should note that Jack Kerouac also invented new words in his writing. Whether out of necessity or to produce clever wordplay, creating new words can help with the creative writing process.
While some of Shakespeare’s invented words did not catch on, many did imbed themselves into the English language. The Bard wrote phrases for his plays over 400 years ago that are still commonly used today. How many of the following phrases created by William Shakespeare have you used?
1. Seen Better Days
“True is it that we have seen better days,” Duke Senior, As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7
From an old pair of shoes to a park behind on its maintenance, something worn out or falling into a state of decline has seen better days.
2. The Makings Of
“She had all the royal makings of a queen,
As holy oil, Edward Confessor’s crown,
The rod, and bird of peace, and all such emblems
Laid nobly on her…” Third Gentleman, Henry VIII, Act 4, Scene 1
Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife, has the makings of, or the potential to be, a queen. While Shakespeare spoke literally of the relics she is adorned with, in a modern sense, the phrase can be used for less literal purposes.
3. Budge An Inch
“Third, or fourth, or fifth borough, I’ll answer him
by law. I’ll not budge an inch, boy. Let him come,
and kindly.” Sly, The Taming of the Shrew, Introduction, Scene 1
Someone or something that does not budge an inch may be solid or steadfast. Whether used figuratively or literally, it is immovable in Shakespearean English.
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4. One Fell Swoop
“All my pretty ones,
Did you say all? O hell-kite, all?
What, all my pretty chickens and their dam
At one fell swoop?” Macduff, Macbeth, Act 4, Scene 3
Something done in one fell swoop is done in a single action. The word fell implies it was done cruelly and viciously. Upon learning of the murder of his family, Macduff likens the nefarious act to a bird of prey diving down into a flock of helpless chickens.
5. Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made Of
“We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.” Prospero, The Tempest, Act 4, Scene 1
Dreams, in all their wonder, are made of something romantic and ethereal. This material can seem fantastic or unbelievable. Shakespeare is commenting on the wondrous nature of life through Prospero’s dialogue.
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6. Pomp and Circumstance
“Farewell the neighing steed and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, th’ ear-piercing fife,
The royal banner, and all quality,
Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!” Othello, Othello, Act 3, Scene 3
All the formalities surrounding an activity or event, like a graduation ceremony, are pomp and circumstance. In the case of Othello, he describes the literal rituals of war that he is familiar with. Shakespeare coined the phrase relating to these practicies and rituals.
7. Method to the Madness
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.” Polonius, Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2
A method to the madness is an appeal for trust. Someone that claims there is a method to the madness is asking someone to trust that there is a positive that will become apparent in what looks like chaos.
8. A Spotless Reputation
“My dear dear lord,
The purest treasure mortal times afford
Is spotless reputation;” Mowbray, Richard II, Act 1, Scene 1
A reputation that has not been marred or damaged is spotless. According to Shakespeare, through his character Thomas Mowbray, honor and reputation are vitally essential virtues that should be treasured.
9. Neither Rhyme Nor Reason
“Was there ever any man thus beaten out of season,
When in the “why” and the “wherefore” is neither
rhyme nor reason?” Dromio of Syracuse, The Comedy of Errors, Act 2, Scene 2
When something makes no logical sense and cannot be explained, it has neither rhyme nor reason. It is an apt comparison considering the love Shakespeare had for poetic verse.
10. It Smells to Heaven
“Oh, my offense is rank! It smells to heaven.
It has the primal eldest curse upon’t – A brother’s murder.” Claudius, Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 3
In Hamlet, King Claudius likens his crime of murdering his brother to a smell that reaches heaven to a God he fears. This phrase can be used both literally and figuratively for something extremely foul or contemptible.
11. Strange Bed-fellows
“Misery acquaints a man with
strange bed-fellows.” Trinculo, The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 2
Trinculo speaks this line after being shipwrecked and forced to take shelter next to a monster. In a modern sense, it means difficult situations may result in individuals’ unexpected or unlikely cooperation. Shakespeare was no stranger to the intricacies of human nature.
12. Swift as a Shadow
“Swift as a shadow, short as any dream,
Brief as the lightning in the collied night
That in a spleen unfolds both heaven and earth,
And ere a man hath power to say ‘Behold!’”
Lysander, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1, Scene 1
In The Tempest, Lysander refers to love as being as swift as a shadow. He is commenting on what he perceives as the fleeting nature of love and gives other examples of how quick he believes it to be. Love was a popular theme of Shakespeare that has endured to this day.
13. Wild Goose Chase
“Nay, if our wits run the wild-goose chase, I am done; for
thou hast more of the wild goose in one of thy wits than, I am
sure, I have in my whole five.” Mercutio, Romeo & Juliet, Act 2, Scene 4
In the time of Shakespeare, the wild-goose chase Mercutio refers to is a game of the time involving complex horseback maneuvering. He likens his and Romeo’s fast-paced banter to this routine. In the modern sense, this phrase has come to mean a useless pursuit.
14. Full Circle
“Th’ hast spoken right.’ Tis true.
The wheel is come full circle; I am here.” Edmund, King Lear, Act 5, Scene 3
In the closing act of King Lear, fate sees Edmund’s evil deeds return to haunt him. When something begins an action, which returns to where it started, it has come full circle like the revolution of a wheel. The plays of Shakespeare are filled with characters fated to see the outcomes of earlier actions come back to torture them.
15. Eaten Out of House and Home
“It is more than for some, my lord; it is for all I
have. He hath eaten me out of house and home. He
hath put all my substance into that fat belly of his.” Hostess, Henry IV, Part 2, Act 2, Scene 1
The Hostess in Shakespeare’s play is complaining about the incredible amount of food Falstaff has eaten. She wants him arrested because she feels the amount he has eaten has caused her financial harm.
16. In Stitches
“If you desire the spleen, and will laugh yourselves
into stitches, follow me.” Maria, Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 2
Someone that laughs so hard to the point of pain is left in stitches. Similarly, someone that runs too far may get side stitches.
17. Foregone Conclusion
“But this denoted a foregone conclusion.
‘ Tis a shrewd doubt, though it be but a dream.” Othello, Othello, Act 3, Scene 3
A foregone conclusion is reached before any logic or argument is put forth. It is an inevitable and predetermined result.
18. A Sorry Sight
“This is a sorry sight.
[Looking at his hands]” Macbeth, Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 2
Macbeth is guilty, looking at his bloody hands, having just murdered King Duncan. A sorry sight is unpleasant and difficult to look at. In Macbeth’s line, he speaks both literally and figuratively. The lines Shakespeare wrote could be very symbolic.
19. Good Riddance
“A good riddance.” Patroclus, Troilus and Cressida, Act 2, Scene 1
Getting rid of things that may cause distress or clutter can be good. It can bring peace of mind. It is a good riddance, good to get rid of. The ability for Shakespeare to combine words is sometimes simplistic.
20. In The Twinkling of an Eye
“Well, if Fortune be a woman,
she’s a good wench for this gear.
Father, come; I’ll take my leave of the Jew
in the twinkling of an eye. ” Launcelot, The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Scene 2
While “in the blink of an eye” might be a more popular phrase, they both mean instantaneously. In the scene, Shakespeare gives Launcelot the direction to leave the stage right after this line.
21. The Green-Eyed Monster
“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on.” Iago, Othello, Act 3, Scene 3
Green has always been representative of envy, even when Shakespeare wrote his plays. Envy could be monstrous depending on the strength of that want and the actions it can spurn.
22. The Be-All and the End-All
“If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well
It were done quickly. If the assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch,
With his surcease, success, that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here —
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,
We’d jump the life to come.” Macbeth, Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 7
In Macbeth’s eyes, murdering King Duncan could bring him power and his demise. Shakespeare crated his characters to reflect on their destiny. In a modern sense, there is less concern with fate. The be-all and the end-all is the most important, ultimate part of something.
The Life of William Shakespeare, The Bard of Avon
People worldwide have enjoyed the sonnets and plays of William Shakespeare for centuries. Despite his fame and reverence, there is little recorded history about the man. In fact, many of his plays were only written and published years after his death by his colleagues. The bits of information that are known about Shakespeare are as follows:
Early Life
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in 1564. His father, John Shakespeare, was a glover and leather worker who would later hold political office. Because of John’s affluence, William most likely attended school where he would have been exposed to classical Greek and Roman literature.
Shakespeare in Love
When he was 18, William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who was 26 at the time. Shakespeare and Hathaway had three children: Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith. The twins were baptized in 1585, and Hamnet died in 1596 at age 11. The period between 1585 and 1592 is known as the Bard’s ‘lost years.’ His name is not found in historical records following his twin’s baptism.
Theater in London
The Bard of Avon did not appear in historical records again until 1592 in London, mentioned as an “upstart crow” in a pamphlet written by rival playwright Robert Greene. At this point, Shakespeare had established himself in London and was involved in the theatre scene. He was making a strong impression for a rival to feel the need to publicly denounce him.
While in London, Shakespeare probably worked with several theater companies. However, he is most famous for his involvement with the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which he eventually became part owner of. This troupe was renamed the King’s Men when King James I became its patron. This acting group would set up the famous Globe Theater in London.
Shakespeare in Retirement
In 1613, the Bard retired from the London theater and returned to Stratford-upon-Avon. William Shakespeare died at the age of 52 on April 23, 1616. The cause of his death is unknown. He was buried at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford-upon-Avon.
The relationship between Shakespeare and Hathaway is debated by scholars, as he willed her “his second best bed.” His headstone bears the inscription: “Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones.” His grave has been undisturbed since his burial.
The Bard’s Legacy
It is difficult to determine exactly how many plays did William Shakespeare write. That number is approximately 39, and over 150 sonnets. The exact number is unknown because not many records of his work remain. Shakespeare did not print many of his plays, and the works he did publish were unreliable and incomplete.
The First Folio
Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, better known as The First Folio, was published in 1623, several years after Shakespeare died. The collection of his work was assembled by his colleagues John Heminges and Henry Condell. The First Folio is considered to be one of the most influential books ever published.
The First Folio contains 36 plays written by William Shakespeare. An additional 3 plays have been attributed to him through other means. The publication was the first printing of 18 of his plays.
The Globe Theater
The original Globe Theater burned down on June 29, 1613, during a performance of Henry VIII. A modern reconstruction of the theater, Shakespeare’s Globe, was built near the original location in 1997. It serves as a theater, educational center, and cultural landmark to pay homage to the long-lasting effects of William Shakespeare.
Shakespeare in the Park
Numerous Shakespearean theater programs exist, but one of the better-known companies is Shakespeare in the Park. Based in New York City’s Delacorte Theater, an open-air theater in Central Park, the program has been performing for over 50 years. It is an integral part of New York City’s theater scene.
No matter your familiarity with William Shakespeare, his influence on the English Language is undeniable. The Bard of Avon’s words are still integral to our way of speaking, despite living and dying over 400 years ago. His ability to wordcraft is something to be admired by aspiring writers. William Shakespeare and his contributions to literature are eternal.
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