Overuse of the word “the” in “Macbeth”
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Overuse of the word “the” in “Macbeth”
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Re: Overuse of the word “the” in “Macbeth”
#2[deleted]
Re: Overuse of the word “the” in “Macbeth”
#3There's a little too much amateurish analysis here which doesn't even attempt to distinguish between Early Modern English and 21st century English, but ultimately I think the conclusion is interesting and probably correct, that this helps set the tone of the play.
Re: Overuse of the word “the” in “Macbeth”
#4I think this is just the way Shakespeare wrote, not anything specific to Macbeth's 'creepiness.' I was able to quickly find a similar example in Julius Caesar:
"Then he offered it to him again; then he put it by again; but, to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. And then he offered it the third time; he put it the third time by;"
Or Much Ado About Nothing:
"I have the toothache."
It is not surprising that the way (a way?) articles are used has changed in the last 400 years.
Re: Overuse of the word “the” in “Macbeth”
#5There's a little too much amateurish analysis here which doesn't even attempt to distinguish between Early Modern English and 21st century English, but ultimately I think the conclusion is interesting and probably correct, that this helps set the tone of the play.
Didn't Shakespeare kind of use his own version of English; even by the standards of the day?
Re: Overuse of the word “the” in “Macbeth”
#6That's a really interesting observation and fun analysis. I'm going to reread Macbeth with this in mind and whether or not I agree with all of the articles conclusions its a unique lens to examine the text with.
Re: Overuse of the word “the” in “Macbeth”
#7I'd wager the use of "the" is mostly about making the meter work and having the iambic pentameter sound the way he wanted it to.
This isn't a data science question. Especially if the data science is blind to meter and to phonetics.
Re: Overuse of the word “the” in “Macbeth”
#8I'd wager the use of "the" is mostly about making the meter work and having the iambic pentameter sound the way he wanted it to. This isn't a data science question. Especially if the data science is blind to meter and to phonetics.
why "the" but not "a"? Same meter.
But I agree it's silly that say "the" is what makes Macbeth creepy, and not, you know, the occult theme that permeates it.
Re: Overuse of the word “the” in “Macbeth”
#9I'd wager the use of "the" is mostly about making the meter work and having the iambic pentameter sound the way he wanted it to. This isn't a data science question. Especially if the data science is blind to meter and to phonetics.
Precisely. 'the' is an easy single-syllable choice to pad out your meter, so it makes perfect sense that it was abused here.
Re: Overuse of the word “the” in “Macbeth”
#10Use of "the" considered harmful. :)