Anthonda49 is correct, Shakespeare
used lots of slang in his writing to help make it modern and current for his audience.
But you shouldn't forget that all of Shakespeare's plays are written in Modern English,
the same English (or "normal" English) we use today. We don't say "Thou" and "Thee" for
the singular of "You" anymore; nor do we say "whither" for "where" or "wherefore" for
"why." But these words have simply fallen out of fashion. They weren't slang, but we
have just discontinued using them.
Language is a dynamic
changing thing, just like fashion, politics, hairstyles and almost anything else
invented by human beings. Shakespeare's English, however, is Modern English just as we
speak today.
An interesting thing to note, when you are
feeling disconnected from Shakespeare's language, is that he made up over 1500 words
that we still use today! Words like: amazement, assassination, bloody,
courtship, generous, gloomy, lonely, and suspicious.
Just think about how common and well-used words such as these are when you find yourself
despairing that Shakespeare doesn't use "regular" English!
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