In Search of Shakespeare’s Vocabulary

No other author-ancient, modern  and postmodern- has a richer vocabulary than Shakespeare. Shakespeare used about 29,000 words in his writings. Milton employed 8,000 words. The Iliad and Odyssey together used 9,000 words; in the New Testament, there are about 4800 words used. It may be further added that an average person uses only about 500 words.

The main reason behind Shakespeare using about 29,000 words is that he was writing about many different types of theme-the treachery, lust, jealousy, ingratitude, the follies of the great, and a thousand other moods and passions. A large number of conceits,  phrases and a large number of coined words in his tragedies, comedies and sonnets makes his style monumental.

The use of antitheses and paradox Shakespeare’s plays makes his style unique. For example,  in Macbeth,  we can notice the following lines:

1. Nothing is
But what is not

2. The insane root
That takes the reason prisoner.

3.  Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell

        Due to his rich vocabulary, Shakespeare is able to provide immortal quotes in his plays. For example, we may see the following quotable quotes from Hamlet:

To be, or not to be: that is the question”. – (Act III, Scene I).

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry”. – (Act I, Scene III).

“This above all: to thine own self be true”. – (Act I, Scene III).

“Though this be madness, yet there is method in ‘t.”. – (Act II, Scene II).

“That it should come to this!”. – (Act I, Scene II).

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”. – (Act II, Scene II).

“What a piece of work is man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals! “. – (Act II, Scene II).

The above quotations reveal that  the dominant quality in Shakespeare’s plays is ‘the noble cadence and chiselled  phrases” (G. Wilson Knight, “The Othello Music”).  Shakespeare’s “myriad-mindedness”  in his tragedies, comedies and sonnets is due to his extremely rich vocabulary  by which he magically stirs our emotions and excites our imagination