SHAKESPEAREAN

PRONUNCIATION

 We shall never know the exact

accent-mix that was used on the
stage, but we know, for ex. ,

that /r/ sound was pronounced after

a vowel,
initial /h/ was often dropped
Kinds of evidence that we look for:
RHYME and SPELLING

Oberon:
Flower of this purple die,
Hit with Cupids archery,
Sinke in apple of his eye,
When his loue he doth espie,
Let her shine as gloriously
As the Venus of the sky.
When thou walkst if she be by,
Beg of her for remedy. (MND, 3.2.102)
-ry, -dy, -ly were diphthongized in OP

 Modern edition:
H: Now go thy ways, thou hast tamed a curst
shrew.
L:
Tis a wonder, by your leave, she will be
tamed so.

The Folio edition:

H: Now goe thy wayes, thou hast tamd a curst
Shrow.
L:
Tis a wonder, by your leaue, she wil be
tamd so.
(Shr, 5.2.187)

 How was the name Rosaline pronounced?

2 pronunciations in C Mod E: . ..
From my Lord Berowne, a good master of
mine,
To a Lady of France, that he calld Rosaline.
(LLL, 4.1.106)
eye rhymes words which seamingly
work as a rhyme, but lack any
corresponent sound:
Prove love B.Johnson claimed these
words had the same vowel in
Shakespeares time

Not Hermia, but Helena now I loue;

Who will not change a Rauen for a Doue?
(MND. 2.2.113)
His Doue will prove; his gold will hold,
(Wiv. 1.3.90)
Make me but like my thought, and I shall
proue
A lover of thy drumme, hater of love.
(AWW. 3.3.10)
( but in Sonn 136.7, prove is spelled
proove!)

 METRE and STRESS

iambic pentameter (a weak + a strong
syll.)
CModE OP (original pronounciation)
antique antique
aspect - aspect
That old and Anticke song we heard
last night
Than lend the Eye a terrible aspect:

 Trisyllabic words OP:

gallantly, canonize, illustrate,
retinue, sinister, but in other (2syllabic or more syllabic words):
July, enginer, pioner, horizon,
acceptable, detestable
We find in Sh. several variations:
direct direct, entire entire,
sincere-sincere

Distressed appears in three patterns:

Alas! you three, on me threefold distrest:
(R3. 2.2.86)
O send some succour to the distrest Lord
(1H6. 4.3.30)
The eldest Son of this distressed Queene
(Tit 1.1.106)

 OP PUNS
But yet you looke not well vpon
him: for who some euer you take
him to be, he is Aiax.
(Tro. 2.1.63)
The OP of the word Aiax was
exactly the same as the pr. of
the words a jakes lavatory