.
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 |
|