The Meaning Of Words In Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'

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Words have been utilized throughout history to communicate feelings, sight, sounds, touch, and whatever else one experiences in life. Even though there are many ways to convey what one means, words have also changed throughout time. Now, some words mean more than one thing, new words are invented, and old words are not used today. This exercise is to analyze and see how putting the definitions of the word ‘Fair’ from the Oxford English Dictionary into a passage from Shakespeare’s play, Twelfth Night, can alter the meaning or the way one can understand the sentence that it’s in and the passage . In 1553, the word ‘fair’ was defined from the Oxford English Dictionary as beautiful of “a person, or a person's face, figure” which was also used…show more content…
Instead of seeing viola as kind and friendly, now, it can be perceived or interpreted as viola being devious or conniving. It can be interpreted as Viola trying to gauge the captain, it indicates that she is being nice to him and flattering him in order for him to do what she wants because she does not really trust him which is why she included, “I prithee (and I’ll pay thee bounteously)”(1.2.53). With Shakespeare including this, it makes it more plausible that viola is doing this so that she is not indebted to the Captain. And one can even assume that she is buying his silence while making it sounds like she is not. “I'll serve this duke. Thou shall present me as an eunuch to him. It may be worth thy pains, for I can sing and speak to him in many sorts of music that will allow me very worth his service. What else may hap to time I will commit. Only shape thou thy silence to my wit” (1.2.56-62). This indicates that she is trying to convey to him that he is not wasting his time with her, basically conveying that she is giving him money for his time spent helping her instead of manning the ship. But that is in a sense of the word, basically saying that in that time that the captain is…show more content…
Of hair or complexion: light as opposed to dark in colour. Of a person: having such colouring.” In the these times, the word fair stood for paleness or to describe women of light complexion as opposed to darker skin tones. There were African-Americans, who were seen as lower class, in those times so they used the word “fair-skinned” to differentiate between the two. An example of this is given in the Oxford English Dictionary, “Shakespeare Othello (1622) i. iii. 290 Your son in law is farre more faire then blacke.” So by putting this definition into the passage, “And then 'twas fresh in murmur (as, you know, what great ones do the less will prattle of) that he did seek the love of fair Olivia” (1.2.31-33). It emphasizes Olivia’s race and to some degree, her status. But to what extent, confirmed when the captain states that she is “a virtuous maid, the daughter of a count” (1.2.35). This gives the overall impression that Olivia is a good fair-skinned women of noble

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