Book cover for A Shakespearian Grammar: An Attempt to Illustrate Some of the Differences Between Elizabethan and Modern English by Edwin Abbott Abbott

A Shakespearian Grammar

An Attempt to Illustrate Some of the Differences Between Elizabethan and Modern English

2013 Released
544 Pages
9-10 Hours
Audiobook Unavailable
Dover PublicationsISBN 9780486148731

The finest and fullest guide to the peculiarities of Elizabethan syntax, grammar, and prosody, this volume addresses every idiomatic usage found in Shakespeare's works (with additional references to the works of Jonson, Bacon, and others). Its informative introduction, which compares Shakespearian and modern usage, is followed by sections on grammar (classified according to parts of speech) and prosody (focusing on pronunciation). The book concludes with an examination of the uses of metaphor and simile and a selection of notes and questions suitable for classroom use. Each of more than 500 classifications is illustrated with quotes, all of which are fully indexed. Unabridged republication of the classic 1870 edition.

Edwin Abbott Abbott

Edwin Abbott Abbott (1838-1926) was an author, schoolmaster, Anglican priest, and theologian. Born in London, he excelled at both the City of London School and St. John's College, taking the highest honors in classics, mathematics, and theology. After retiring as the headmaster of the City of London School (a position he earned at the age of 26) in 1889, he dedicated his life to literary and theological pursuits. Beyond expounding on his open-minded approach to theology, he also wrote a Shakespearean Grammar that is still considered to be a central piece of English philology. He is best remembered for his 1884 novella Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, an evergreen piece of proto-Science Fiction that still inspires authors and readers to this day.

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