1. Define and explain, The Great Vowel Shift.
The Great Vowel Shift was a major change in the pronunciation of the English language that took place in the south of England. The Great Vowel Shift was an important event between Middle English and modern English it has two highest long vowels became diphthongs.
-American English
-Australian English
-Canadian English
-Indo-Pakistani English
-New Zealand English
3. One of the problems with Early Modern English was a lack of uniformity in spelling. Which 2 people (1-English, 1-American) helped establish standardized spelling?
Samuel Johnson, English
Noah Webster, American
4. How many countries in the world have given Modern English official status?
There are 12 countries.
5. the most recent statistics show that approximately how many people speak Modern English as a: I. First language? II. Second Language?
There are over 508 million speakers.
6. When was Early Modern English spoken?
It was spoken since the Great Vowel Shift
7. How are the use of Pronouns different between Early Modern & Modern English?
The standardisation of English spelling falls within the Early Modern English period and is influenced by conventions predating the Great Vowel Shift, explaining much of the non-phonetic spelling of contemporary Modern English.
8. Which language families does Modern English belong in?
American English, Australian English, British English, Canadian English, Caribbean English, Hiberno-English, Indo-Pakistani English, New Zealand English, Philippine English, Singaporean English, and South African English.
9. Name 4 worldwide uses for Modern English.
There are:
-Business relations
-Economic
-Education
-Entertainment
-Internet
10. In your opinion, what was the greatest influence on the spread of Modern English around the world? Why?
I think the great influence is the economic of the United States, because they have controlled and manage of the economic and business in many places of our world.
11. There has been a lot of controversy over the true authorship of Shakespeare's writings. Which 3 people are also candidates as the possible authors of Shakespeare's plays?
They are Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, William Stanley and Edward de Vere.
12. Briefly explain The Oxfordian Theory.
The case for Oxford's authorship is based on perceived similarities between Oxford's biography and events in Shakespeare's plays. Oxfordians point to the acclaim of Oxford's contemporaries regarding his talent as a poet and a playwright, his reputation as a concealed poet, and his connections to London theatre and the contemporary playwrights of Shakespeare's day. Supporters of the standard view, often referred to as "Stratfordian" or "Mainstream", dispute all contentions in favour of Oxford. Aside from the issue of Oxford's early death, their main argument against the theory, they assert that the connections between Oxford's life and the plots of Shakespeare's plays are conjectural.
13. Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, which according to the Folio Classification, fall into 3 categories. Name the 3 categories.
There are:
-Plays
-Sonnets
-Poems
14. In which town was Shakespeare born?
Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon.
15. Which famous London theatre (built by actors, for actors) is connected with Shakespeare's plays?
The Blackfriars indoor theatre
16. Even though Richard III is the most performed play, Hamlet is Shakespeare's most famous play. In your opinion, what does this portion of Hamlet's famous soliloquy mean:
To be or not to be, that is the question;Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to sufferThe slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,And by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep;No more; and by a sleep to say we endThe heart-ache and the thousand natural shocksThat flesh is heir to — 'tis a consummationDevoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub,...
17. Name 5 post-Shakespearean artists whose work was heavily influenced by the writings of William Shakespeare.
-Henry Fuseli, William Faulkner, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, Herman Melville.
18. Which of Shakespeare's plays are included in The Wars of the Roses series?
-Henry VI
-Edward IV
-Edward V
-Richard III
-Henry VII
19. Shakespeare wrote most of his works in blank verse composed in iambic pentameter. What is blank verse & iambic pentameter?
Blank verse: is a type of poetry, distinguished by having a regular meter, but no rhyme. In English, the meter most commonly used with blank verse has been iambic pentameter.
Iambic pentameter: it used in poetry and drama. It describes a particular rhythm that the words established in each line. That rhythm is measured in small groups of syllables; these small groups of syllables are called "feet". The word "iambic" describes the type of foot that is used. The word "pentameter" indicates that a line has five of these "feet".
20. Name 4 actors from Shakepeare's original company.
The original cast Barbara Barrie (Sarah) Charles Braswell (Larry) Susan Browning (April) George Coe (David) Steve Elmore (Paul) Beth Howland (Amy)
21. What were the Wars of the Roses (1377-1485)?
The Wars of the Roses were a series of bloody dynastic civil wars between supporters of the rival houses of Lancaster and York, for the throne of England. They are generally accepted to have been fought in several spasmodic episodes between 1455 and 1487
22. Why was this war called the Wars of the Roses?
Because the war of the roses has origins in the badges associated with the two royal houses, the White Rose of York and the Red Rose of Lancaster. While the roses were occasionally used as symbols during the wars.
23. What were the names of the 2 houses which fought in this war?
The two royal houses, the White Rose of York and the Red Rose of Lancaster
24. What prompted this civil war to begin?
The antagonism between the two houses started with the overthrow of King Richard II by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, in 1399. Richard its government had been highly unpopular and Bolingbroke returned from exile, initially to reclaim his rights as Duke of Lancaster. With the support of most of the nobles, Bolingbroke then deposed Richard and was crowned as Henry IV
25. How did the war end?
Edward then reigned peacefully until his death (1483), but his uncle, Edward IV’s youngest brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, usurped the throne as Richard III. The alienated nobles threw their support behind Henry Tudor, the claimant from the House of Lancaster. With their aid and that of the French, his forces defeated Richard’s army at the Battle of Bosworth Field (1485). Richard himself was killed in a bold but futile charge against the rebels, and Henry Tudor then assumed the throne as King Henry VII, the first king in the Tudor dynasty. Thus did the Wars of the Roses end at last. After decades of bloody civil war, the English people were grateful for the peace and prosperity they experienced under Henry VII, who reigned until his death from tuberculosis in 1509.
26. Which Kings of England were participants in the Wars of the
Roses?
- King Edward IV
- King Henry VI
- Richard III
- Edward V
- Henry VII
