.
By
Michael J. Cummings...©
2003
.......Modern
English uses only four pronouns for addressing a person or persons: you,
your, yourself, and yours. The English of Shakespeare�s time
used ten pronouns: thou, thee, thy, thyself, thine, ye, you, your, yourself,
and yours. The rules governing the use of these ten pronouns were
both grammatical and cultural�that is, their application depended not only
on syntax but also on the social status of the person or persons addressed.
The following table shows at a glance second-person pronoun use under these
rules, as well as Shakespeare's varying uses of you, your, yourself,
and yours. In addition, the table includes an entry for ye
as a definite article (or adjective) meaning the.
Thou
Case: Nominative.
Example: Thou art my friend.
When Used: To address
a person of inferior status, such as a child or servant; to address a friend;
to
impart a poetic ring when expressing profound thoughts or reciting a prayer.
Verb Endings: -t,
-st, -est. Examples: Thou art, thou hast, thou wast, thou hadst.
Thee
Case: Objective. Example:
I
love thee. I give thee all my love.
When Used: To address
a person of inferior status, such as a child or servant; to address a friend;
to impart a poetic ring when expressing profound thoughts or reciting a
prayer.
Verb Endings: Not
affected.
Thy
Case: Possessive.
Example: Here is thy sword.
When Used: To address
a person of inferior status, such as a child or servant; to address a friend;
to impart a poetic ring when expressing profound thoughts or reciting a
prayer. Thy is not used before words beginning with a vowel or before
words beginning with a silent h followed by a vowel. Instead, thine
is used.
Verb Endings: Not
affected.
Thine
Case: Possessive.
Examples: This sword is thine. Where is thine enemy?
When Used: To show
possession without a following noun or with a following noun beginning
with a vowel or a silent h followed by a vowel.
Verb Endings: Not
Affected.
Thyself
Case: Reflexive or
intensive. Examples: Wash thyself. Thou thyself art a fool.
When Used: To address
a person of inferior status, such as a child or servant; to address a friend;
to impart a poetic ring when expressing profound thoughts or reciting a
prayer.
Verb Endings: -t,
-st, -est. Examples: Thou thyself art, thou thyself hadst.
Ye (Early Use)
Case: Nominative.
Example. Ye are mighty lords.
When Used: To address
several persons of exalted social position(s).
Verb Endings: Not
affected.
Ye (Later Use)
Case: Nominative or
objective. Examples: Ye are a fool. Ye are all fools. I'll strike ye
down.
When Used: To address
one or several persons of any social status.
Verb Endings: Not
affected.
Ye as a Definite Article
(Early Use)
Pronunciation: Same
as the.
Part of Speech: Definite
article; adjective.
Examples: Ye olde
tavern (pronounced as the old tavern); Ye gods (pronounced as the
gods).
When Used: To modify
a noun in the same way as the definite article the. Y was
a printer's character representing th.
Shakespeare generally did
not use "ye" in this sense.
Verb Endings: Not
affected.
You, Your, Yourself, Yours
(Early Use)
These words weree used in
the same way that they are used today.
.
Plays
on DVD (or VHS)
..
Play |
Director |
Actors |
Antony
and Cleopatra (1974) |
Trevor
Nunn, John Schoffield |
Richard
Johnson, Janet Suzman |
Antony
and Cleopatra |
BBC
Production |
Jane
Lapotaire |
As
You Like It (2010) |
Thea
Sharrock |
Jack
Laskey, Naomi Frederick |
As
You Like It (1937) |
Paul
Czinner |
Henry
Ainley, Felix Aylmer |
The
Comedy of Errors |
BBC
Production |
Not
Listed |
Coriolanus |
BBC
Production |
Alan
Howard, Irene Worth |
Cymbeline |
Elijah
Moshinsky |
Claire
Bloom, Richard Johnson, Helen Mirren |
Gift
Box: The Comedies |
BBC
Production |
Various |
Gift
Box: The Histories |
BBC
Production |
Various |
Gift
Box: The Tragedies |
BBC
Production |
Various |
Hamlet
(1948) |
Laurence
Olivier |
Laurence
Olivier, Jean Simmons |
Hamlet
(1990) |
Kevin
Kline |
Kevin
Kline |
Hamlet(1991) |
Franco
Zeffirelli |
Mel
Gibson, Glenn Close |
Hamlet
(1996) |
Kenneth
Branagh |
Kenneth
Branagh, |
Hamlet
(2009) |
Gregory Doran |
David Tennant, Patrick Stewart,
Penny Downie |
Hamlet
(1964) |
John
Gielgud, Bill Colleran |
Richard
Burton, Hume Cronyn |
Hamlet
(1964) |
Grigori
Kozintsev |
Innokenti
Smoktunovsky |
Hamlet
(2000) |
Cambpell
Scott, Eric Simonson |
Campbell
Scott, Blair Brown |
Henry
V (1989) |
Kenneth
Branagh |
Kenneth
Branaugh, Derek Jacobi |
Henry
V( 1946) |
Laurence
Olivier |
Leslie
Banks, Felix Aylmer |
Henry
VI Part I |
BBC
Production |
Peter
Benson, Trevor Peacock |
Henry
VI Part II |
BBC
Production |
Not
Listed |
Henry
VI Part III |
BBC
Production |
Not
Listed |
Henry
VIII |
BBC
Production |
John
Stride, Claire Bloom, Julian Glover |
Julius
Caesar |
BBC
Production |
Richard
Pasco, Keith Michell |
Julius
Caesar (1950) |
David
Bradley |
Charlton
Heston |
Julius
Caesar (1953) |
Joseph
L. Mankiewicz |
Marlon
Brando, James Mason |
Julius
Caesar (1970) |
Stuart
Burge |
Charlton
Heston, Jason Robards |
King
John |
BBC
Production |
Not
Listed |
King
Lear (1970) |
Grigori
Kozintsev |
Yuri
Yarvet |
King
Lear (1971) |
Peter
Brook |
Cyril
Cusack, Susan Engel |
King
Lear (1974) |
Edwin
Sherin |
James
Earl Jones |
King
Lear (1976) |
Tony
Davenall |
Patrick
Mower, Ann Lynn |
King
Lear (1984) |
Michael
Elliott |
Laurence
Olivier, Colin Blakely |
King
Lear (1997) |
Richard
Eyre |
Ian
Holm |
Love's
Labour's Lost (2000) |
Kenneth
Branagh |
Kenneth
Branagh, Alicia Silverstone |
Love's
Labour's Lost |
BBC
Production) |
Not
Listed |
Macbeth
(1978) |
Philip
Casson |
Ian
McKellen, Judy Dench |
Macbeth |
BBC
Production |
Not
Listed |
The
Merchant of Venice |
BBC
Production |
Warren
Mitchell, Gemma Jones |
The
Merchant of Venice (2001) |
Christ
Hunt, Trevor Nunn |
David
Bamber, Peter De Jersey |
The
Merchant of Venice (1973) |
John
Sichel |
Laurence
Olivier, Joan Plowright |
The
Merry Wives of Windsor (1970) |
Not
Listed |
Leon
Charles, Gloria Grahame |
Midsummer
Night's Dream (1996) |
Adrian
Noble |
Lindsay
Duncan, Alex Jennings |
A
Midsummer Night's Dream (1999) |
Michael
Hoffman |
Kevin
Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer |
Much
Ado About Nothing (1993) |
Kenneth
Branaugh |
Branaugh,
Emma Thompson |
Much
Ado About Nothing (1973) |
Nick
Havinga |
Sam
Waterston, F. Murray Abraham |
Othello
(2005) |
Janet
Suzman |
Richard
Haines, John Kaki |
Othello
(1990) |
Trevor
Nunn |
Ian
McKellen, Michael Grandage |
Othello
(1965) |
Stuart
Burge |
Laurence
Olivier, Frank Finlay |
Othello
(1955) |
Orson
Welles |
Orson
Welles |
Othello
(1983) |
Franklin
Melton |
Peter
MacLean, Bob Hoskins, Jenny Agutter |
Ran
(1985) Japanese Version of King Lear |
Akira
Kurosawa |
Tatsuya
Nakadai, Akira Terao |
Richard
II (2001) |
John
Farrell |
Matte
Osian, Kadina de Elejalde |
Richard
III (1912) |
André
Calmettes, James Keane |
Robert
Gemp, Frederick Warde |
Richard
III - Criterion Collection (1956) |
Laurence
Olivier |
Laurence
Olivier, Ralph Richardson |
Richard
III (1995) |
Richard
Loncraine |
Ian
McKellen, Annette Bening |
Richard
III |
BBC
Production |
Ron
Cook, Brian Protheroe, Michael Byrne |
Romeo
and Juliet (1968) |
Franco
Zeffirelli |
Leonard
Whiting, Olivia Hussey |
Romeo
and Juliet (1996) |
Baz
Luhrmann |
Leonardo
DiCaprio, Claire Danes |
Romeo
and Juliet (1976) |
Joan
Kemp-Welch |
Christopher
Neame, Ann Hasson |
Romeo
and Juliet |
BBC
Production |
John
Gielgud, Rebecca Saire, Patrick Ryecart |
The
Taming of the Shrew |
Franco
Zeffirelli |
Elizabeth
Taylor, Richard Burton |
The
Taming of the Shrew |
Kirk
Browning |
Raye
Birk, Earl Boen, Ron Boussom |
The
Taming of The Shrew |
Not
Listed |
Franklin
Seales, Karen Austin, |
The
Tempest |
Paul
Mazursky |
John
Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands |
The
Tempest (1998) |
Jack
Bender |
Peter
Fonda, John Glover, Harold Perrineau, |
Throne
of Blood (1961) Macbeth in Japan |
Akira
Kurosawa |
Toshirô
Mifune, Isuzu Yamada |
Twelfth
Night (1996) |
Trevor
Nunn |
Helena
Bonham Carter |
Twelfth
Night |
BBC
Production |
Not
Listed |
The
Two Gentlemen of Verona |
BBC
Production |
John
Hudson, Joanne Pearce |
The
Winter's Tale (2005) |
Greg
Doran |
Royal
Shakespeare Company |
The
Winter's Tale |
BBC
Production |
Not
Listed |
|