This book is a superb all-in-one guide to success GCSE English Language and English Literature - GCSE English 2003

Language in Shakespeare Texts
Section Three — Drama

Shakespeare's language can seem a bit daunting — but don't be afraid.

Examiners are impressed if you use the right words, so even a little goes a long way.

Show You’re Aware of How Old (and Weird) It All Is

1) Shakespeare's plays are about 400 years old, so it's not surprising the language is a bit strange.

2) The sense of humour was different too — lots of the jokes are puns (words with double meanings).

3) They also thought the idea of girls dressing up as boys was funny (basically because all the actors in Shakespeare's time were men, so you ended up with boys dressed as women dressed as boys).

4) Mention the different sense of humour to show that you're aware of when the play was written.

Be Specific When You Write About Language

Shakespeare wrote in a mixture of poetry and prose. You can write about whether people are posh or not, and are serious or joking around — just by looking at the form they speak in.

Poetic Verse is the Most Dramatic — and It Rhymes

1) Poetic verse is definitely the most dramatic one of the lot.

2) You can spot it easily because it has 10 or 11 syllables in each line and it rhymes.

3) It sounds more impressive than the rest of the text, and is used especially by the posh characters and at the beginnings and ends of scenes.

Blank Verse Doesn’t Rhyme

1) This is just like poetic verse, only harder to spot because it doesn't rhyme (but still has 10 or 11 syllables).

2) It sounds grander than plain old prose, but any of the characters can speak in it.

3) The majority of the lines are written in it.

Prose Can Be Spoken By Anyone

Words, words, words

If you can just get all these terms out quickly and efficiently (and in the right places, obviously) — the examiner will know you've understood it all. It'll mean that you get more good marks too.