Oct 27, 2008
Early Modern English
Some dates and a general context:
External History:
The major events of the external history are five:
1. Rise of Vernacular
2. Development of Nation State and Protestantism
3. Invention of Printing
4. Development of International Trade (Colonialism)
5. "Revival of Learning"
Dates: 1476 (Caxton), 1485 (Henry VII), 1534 (Act of Supremacy), 1553 (Art of Rhetorique), 1582 (Mulcaster's Elementarie), 1611 (King James Bible), 1623 (First Folio)
Other dates of note: 1549 (Prayer Book); 1509-1547 H8; 1547-1553 Ed 6; 1553-1558 Mary; 1558-1603 Eliz 1
1607 –
1620 –
The general features of the Renaissance account in a general way for the abundant growth, ebulience, freedom, plasticity of the language.
A.C. Baugh lists five conditions that affect the development of the language:
1. Printing Press
2. Spread of education
3. Development of commerce
4. Growth of new, specialized knowledge -- science
5. Self-consciousness about language: 1, private; 2, public
Questions about Lerer chapter 8:
Caxton, Chancery, and the Making of English Prose
Caxton – salient points
Date -- 1476
Where he
set up press – near
What he decided to print – Serious material
Videotape – sets the pattern of English spelling.
Chancery –
What is it? – 115-116
What is its role in HEL? -- perhaps the place the modern English was standardized.
What modernizations were made?
See web links, especially Fisher.
Making of Modern Prose
Compare two examples on page 117
Clause structure, syntax, key items
The chancery prose had to be clear, quick, and efficient and it wanted to tell stories.
Questions for next
time about Shakespeare:
1. What are some of the minor points about how Shakespeare’s language differs from ours?
Sound
Grammar
Spelling
2. What are the larger points about how Shakespeare’s language gives birth to ours?
Words
Characters
Rhetoric
3. What is your favorite Shakespeare quote in the chapter and what about that and the analysis by Lerer draws you to it? Do you agree with Lerer’s analysis? Why or why not?