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Shakespeare's Grammar: Usage Shifts
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Editor's Note: The following points are liberally paraphrased from A Shakespeare
Handbook, edited by Raymond Alden (New York: F. S. Crofts & Co., 1925). This is
a work now in the public domain, but I like to give credit where due. The minor
problem with doing a straight reprint of this material is that Alden's book is
A) British, and B) 75 years old, and the grammarians of the times used terms suc
h as "pluperfect," "subjunctive," and "ethical dative." In an effort to bring th
is material more into layman's terms, I've attempted a more friendly paraphrasin
g of the material.
One part of speech is often substituted for another; this is most frequent with
nouns and verbs. (See also "anthimeria" in the Rhetoric section.)
In the dark backward and abysm of time.
Temp., I, ii, 50
That may repeat and history his loss. 2 H 4, IV, i, 203
This day shall gentle his condition.
H 5, IV, iii, 63
Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle.
R 2, II, iii, 87
My death's sad tale may yet undeaf his ear.
R 2, II, i, 16
Adjectives don't always mean what they seem to say; active and passive forms are
sometimes interchangeable, as are those that signify cause or effect.
Wherever in your sightless (= invisible) substances.
Macb., I, v, 50
There's something in 't
That is deceivable (= deceptive).
T.N., IV, iii, 21
Oppressed with two weak (= weakening) evils,
A.Y.L., II, vii, 132
Pronouns have irregular inflections; often the nominative case (he, she, who) is
used instead of the objective case (him, her, whom).
And he (= him) my husband best of all affects. M.W.W., IV, iv, 87
Yes, you may have seen Cassio and she together.
Oth., IV, ii, 3
Making night hideous, and we fools of nature
So horridly to shake our disposition. Haml., I, iv, 54
Pray you, who does the wolf love?
Cor., II, i, 8

 Verbs don't always agree with their subjects; most frequently a singular verb is
used with a plural subject.
These high wild hills and rough uneven ways
Draws out our miles, and makes them wearisome. R 2, II, iii, 4-5
Their encounters, though not personal, hath been royally attorneyed.
W.T., I,
i, 28
Three parts of him
Is ours already.
J.C., I, iii, 154-55
Omission of the relative pronoun (e.g., "the woman that I love" becomes "the wom
an I love") is much more frequent than in modern English, being applied to the n
ominative case as well as the objective.
I have a brother is condemn'd to die. M. for M., II, ii, 34
Besides, our nearness to the King in love
Is near the hate of those love not the King.
R 2, II, ii, 129
Note that the use of the subjunctive mood of verbs (e.g., "If I were you") is st
ill strong; we barely use it in contemporary modern English, and the subjunctive
mood has all but disappeared. Also in Shakespeare's time, the subjunctive mood
could be used in independent as well as subordinate clauses.
The infinitive (to + verb, e.g., "to have" or "to eat") is used as a noun more f
requently than in modern English; it is also frequently substituted for a gerund
(verb + -ing).
Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed [i.e., leave off feeding].
Haml., III, iv, 66
Too proud to be so valiant [i.e., of being so valiant].
Cor., I, i, 262
Double-negatives are often used for emphasis of a point.
Nor never could the noble Mortimer
Receive so many, and all willingly.
1 H 4, I, iii, 110
You may deny that you were not the mean
Of my Lord Hastings' late imprisonment
[i.e., deny that you were the mean].
R 3, I, iii, 90
There is a high frequency of using "more" and "most" before words ending in -er
or -est. Also, there are times when the -ly or -est ending is only used once whe
n there are two modifiers that should take it.
And his more braver daughter could control thee.
Temp., I, ii, 439
With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome. J.C., II, i, 121
And she will speak most bitterly and strange. M. for M., V, i, 36
The generous and gravest citizens.
M. for M., IV, vi, 13
There is often the omission of "to" or "for" preceding a personal pronoun. Altho
ugh this usage is largely disappeared in contemporary speech, renmants still do
exist (e.g., "Do me a favor").
Let me remember thee what thou has promis'd
Which is not yet perform'd me. Temp., I, ii, 244
Who calls me villain...
Tweaks me by the nose, gives me the lie i' the throat,
As deep as to the lungs, who does me this?
Haml., II, ii, 601
The possessive of the neuter pronoun it ("its") is regularly written as his, and
sometimes as simply it.
How far that little candle throws his beams!
M.V., V, i, 90
Since nature cannot choose his origin. Haml., I, iv, 26
The innocent milk in it most innocent mouth.
W.T., III, ii, 101
It hath it original from much grief.
2 H 4, I, ii, 131
"That" often takes the place of "so that," "in that," "why," or "when" in certai

n clauses.
The hum of either army stilly sounds,
That (= so that) the fix'd sentinels almost receive
The secret whispers of each other's watch.
H 5, IV, Chorus, 6
Albeit I will confess thy father's wealth
Was the first motive that (= why) I woo'd thee, Anne. M.W.W., III, iv, 14
Is not this the day
That (= when) Hermia should give answer of her choice? M.N.D., IV, i, 140
The pronoun "other" is used as both singular and plural.
For the other, Sir John, let me see.
2 H 4, III, ii, 131
And therefore is the glorious planet Sol
In noble eminence enthron'd and spher'd
Amidst the other.
T. & C., I, iii, 91
Occasionally "near" substitutes for "nearer"; likewise, sometimes verbs ending i
n an "s" sound take no change of form for the plural.
Nor near (= nearer) no farther off, my gracious lord. R 2, III, ii, 64
My lord your son had only but the corpse (= corpses),
The shadows and the shows of men to fight.
2 H 4, I, i, 192