Sonnet 116 - Original Pronunciation - Shakespeare on Toast

Ben Crystal, actor & author of Shakespeare on Toast, giving a talk for Macmillan Poland, performs Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 first in Received Pronunciation, and then in the accent of Shakespeare's time, Original Pronunciation...

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Entertainment

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• Ben Crystal
• Shakespeare on Toast
• Macmillan Poland
• Original Pronunciation
• Received Pronunciation

[shakespeareontoast]

@TheRealSmacker - it does indeed, well spotted. We're finding the rhotic R very useful indeed in our world premiere of Hamlet in OP, opening with the Nevada Repertory Company this November 1st

[rougexdexsang]

will you marry me? :D

[Alcagaur1]

An unmitigated joy to see such exploration encouraged and a commensurate level of honesty applied to both form and intent - myth and logic alike.

[Schizopantheist]

@Schizopantheist And we know that pronunciation was very different in the late medieval period from say the 18th century and so a lot can be inferred by scholars of this kind of thing from unmistakeable changes- but you're right, there is Welsh and west country as well as the Irish- and within this 'band' of possible pronunciation of course no one does -really- know the precise sound! But i'm certain the latter would have sounded more familiar to Shakespeare than the former.

[Schizopantheist]

@johnnyckrock The first and most obvious way is the one this guy alludes to- there are loads of things in the poetry of this time from multiple authors that don't rhyme unless you pronounce them a certain way; if you make a catalogue of all such words you find a definite pattern (even given the erratic Elizabethan spelling!), suggesting a different pronunciation. But of course there was a lot of variation in pronunciation back then to begin with.

[johnnyckrock]

@Schizopantheist I thought it sounded like a cross between Welsh and West Country English accents...which do have certain sounds in common with the Irish accents (I'm Irish). Fascinating...but how do they know this is how people spoke back then? Not that I don't find it believable...but how can anyone possibly know this?

[ladyevenstar22]

gahhhh i'm a real sucker for an english accent!

[MrSawayan]

aa



[al1936ful]

The second reading is the one with the original pronunciation.

[TheRealSmacker]

Needs a rhotic R.

[Schizopantheist]

@al1936ful Try listening attentively. In the second example he sounds more or less Irish (roughly). Perhaps you can't tell the difference between an English and an Irish accent. There's no shame in that. I'm English and Americans often think i'm Australian.

For instance, Instead of 'proved' he said something like 'pruvd'.

Then again you're probably just trolling.