~ William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I, Scene II
William Shakespeare shuffled off this mortal coil on April 23, 1616. The Bard-loving souls at TalkLikeShakespeare.org beg us to honor the occasion, not in the breach but in the observance, by speaking as if to the manner born.
Talking like Shakespeare is surprisingly easy. Here are TalkLikeShakespeare.org's instructions. (Please note: I strongly encourage you to visit the site for further information):
If thou prefereth t' maketh a sound most brilliant by quoting Shakespeare himself, methinks I can help thee there. The enotes gang offereth Shakespeare quotes by theme; the top three themes: expressions and idioms (33 quotes), love (24 quotes) and death and sickness (21 quotes). AbsoluteShakespeare provideth a bountiful selection of popular quotes by play. And BrainyQuotes contributeth eleven pages of 'em.
No time to tarry — after 394 years, brevity remains the soul of wit. Part now, not in sorrow but with the original knock-knock joke:
Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of Hell Gate,
he should have old turning the key. [Knock] Knock, knock,
knock! Who's there, i' th' name of Belzebub? . . . [Knock] Knock,
knock! Who's there, in th' other devil's name?
~ William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 3
Tis passing strange that this very notion hath been proclaimeth throughout fair Chicago and with the signet seal of our lord mayor. We are to speak like Shakespeare; yet neither Mayor nor his suite of aldermen can speak like high school graduates.
ReplyDeletep.s.
ReplyDeleteThe New York Times insists that this should be is "Speak Like the Earl of Oxford Day."
Eugene,
ReplyDeleteMethinks the New York Times has de Vered off on a tangent.
But as any snob would tell you, a tangent is better than no gent at all.
ReplyDeletei am only a begginer in this language, but yet it still fasanates me...shame no 1 ever uses the words anymore
ReplyDeleteMethinks I preferreth we speaketh like Shakespeare, Earl of Oxford, all the days!
ReplyDelete