Comments on: A Shakespearean Accent

By: Dolly

Dolly — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 22:39:05 +0000

Actually David that is incorrect, Shakespeare who was originally from Warwickshire had the accent in that region. the english accent has changed over the years, and the american one has changed even more dramaticaly so. Remember that many white americans are originally britsh, and came from england, scotland or ireland. Yet America has so money accents, ranging from north to south and shares no similarities with any english, irish or scotish one. It is safer to assume that it is the american accent that has changed since, people migrating from the same place have different accents in america. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4761275 here shakespearean experts show how the elizabethan accent was truly spoken. obviously mostly spoken by those familiar to that area, it sounds more british country.

By: Ariane Wohlenhaus

Ariane Wohlenhaus — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 02:07:36 +0000

To tell the truth, I’am voiceless. The Shawshank Redemption is exceptional. I’am a young film fan, as a matter of fact, this film is realised whenI was born, and thus I am more used to films with marvelous special effects, edge-of-your-seat action, et cetera. This movie has no of that, and nevertheless, it appeals so closely . The way Frank Darabont uses the narration of Red to drive on the tale, the beauty of the music applied (note the mouth harp used merely earlier Red getting the letter at the end). The whole film, from start to finish, from actions to sound, is a lighthouse of hope, judgment, and redemption. The cast is perfect, Morgan Freeman(Red) really brings about a fresh feel to the story, and that’s precisely what the film is, what a film should be. Highly recommended for each and everyone.

By: Terina Frullate

Terina Frullate — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:03:19 +0000

A Great blog post, I will be sure to bookmark this in my Mixx account. Have a good evening.

By: Lyman Boyum

Lyman Boyum — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 05:18:53 +0000

Great wordpress post, I will be sure to bookmark this in my Furl account. Have a great evening.

By: Gedaly

Gedaly — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:24:59 +0000

Thanks Thane.
Is British not generally accepted for someone/thing, regardless of time, from that region? I know the named ‘Britain’ goes back further than the Kingdom of Great Britain’s foundation.

To Clarify, in my original post when I refer to an English accent, I’m speaking of what is commonly known as “Recieved Pronunciation” or “BBC English” which is the dialect that Americans are most commonly exposed to.

As for the dialect/accent distinction, we could have a great semantic debate, but I believe it is possible that the words be used interchangeably when referring specifically to pronunciation. Dialect includes accent (pronunciation), vocabulary, syntax, and other features of regional speech.

By: thane

thane — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:43:29 +0000

Three points:
- Shakespeare was not ‘British’. The kingdom of Great Britain was not created until 1707. He was English.’English’ and ‘British’ are not, in any event, synonymous.
- there is no single ‘British’ accent: there are hundreds of them.
- the author and some contributors wrongly use the term ‘dialect’ when they really mean ‘accent’.

By: Iago as a nice guy

Iago as a nice guy — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:36:32 +0000

The mutiple accents in one production thing can actually be really cool, if the audience is likely to be used to that in their daily lives. In Miami, where there are Jamaicans, Barbadians, Cubans, New Yorkers, Mid Westerners, etc., the actors reflect that diveristy of dialects. So, I saw a Jamaican Othello and Cuban accented Iago that was really cool. A recent Scottish Play had a standard American Mr. M, but Mrs. M was Brazilian, and it was awesome (aside from how cool it was that a non native English speaker could actually rock Shakespeare).

By: Gedaly

Gedaly — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 07:38:19 +0000

The dialects you may speaking of are commonly known as Standard American, or possibly Trans-Atlantic. There isn’t, in fact, a standard way of pronouncing the Bard’s work in America. Directors and vocal coaches across the country have varied opinions on which dialect – if any – is “correct.” You would have an easier time to convince someone to change religious beliefs. But Standard American and Trans-Atlantic are two major contenders in the fight for pronouncing Shakespeare in the US.

By: m1ngle

m1ngle — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:47:42 +0000

I know this is old news, but I just saw your blog entry. I’m an actor doing some research to get ready to perform “Hamlet”. The author of this post and the commentators may be unaware that there exists a dialect called “American Shakespeare” which is used by American actors, and is taught in the drama programs at almost all American acting universities. It is considered the standard way of pronouncing the Bard’s work. If you were to audition at a Shakespeare festival with a flat American accent you would never be cast. It is not technically a British accent, although it does sound a little like one. I just thought you might like to know.

By: Gedaly

Gedaly — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 03:58:00 +0000

The clown thing is a big problem Craig! And it’s not just in Shakespeare. Similar problems exist for such shows as Les Miserables where the most famous recordings are of a British cast.

You’re right David, that many say that Standard American is closer to the English spoken in London 1600, but that doesn’t make it more accurate to use. The actor should speak in a dialect appropriate to the setting of the play. If the show is set in Texas, I expect the characters native to that setting to speak with the corresponding accent. If set in Britain, let’s hear a British accent. Some production of plays are a little hazy on their exact location; some characters’ hometown is sometimes irrelevant. What does make a little more of a difference is the character’s place in society. It’s not uncommon for the kings and royals in the plays to have somewhat affected pronunciation.

In all other cases it’s fine if the actor uses their own accent or something close to the standard speech of where they are.