Class
Article
College
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department
English Department
Faculty Mentor
Christine Cooper-Rompato
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
The literary works of William Shakespeare span a long range of both time and space. Along this same range of time and space, there was a sizeable variety of swords. Shakespeare mentions swords in just about every single one of his plays. This project sought to answer the question: did Shakespeare name and use swords accurately in his works? By collecting vocabulary directly from his plays, examining the knowledge of swords in Early Modern England via primary sources, researching the proper swords for each time and place, the research finds that Shakespeare did have an understanding that sword usage varied and did name different blades in different contexts; however, he also made some errors and may have simplified the terminology for the sake of his audience.
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-11-2023 10:30 AM
End Date
4-11-2023 11:30 AM
Included in
The Accuracy of Swords in the Works of William Shakespeare
Logan, UT
The literary works of William Shakespeare span a long range of both time and space. Along this same range of time and space, there was a sizeable variety of swords. Shakespeare mentions swords in just about every single one of his plays. This project sought to answer the question: did Shakespeare name and use swords accurately in his works? By collecting vocabulary directly from his plays, examining the knowledge of swords in Early Modern England via primary sources, researching the proper swords for each time and place, the research finds that Shakespeare did have an understanding that sword usage varied and did name different blades in different contexts; however, he also made some errors and may have simplified the terminology for the sake of his audience.