Shakespearean English

[Ace of Knaves]

Well maybe not necessary, but I like it...when written well. I loved Fractions writing in the Ages of Thunder series. How can anyone not like that? It was used perfectly and definitely didn't come off goofy.

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, sometimes it can be used really well. I got a shiver down my spine for that line I mentioned way back at the start of this thread: Thor bashes through a bunch of Ultron drones, breaks down a wall, and, standing in front of the rest of the Avengers, declares, "Ultron, we would have words with thee." Replacing the "thee" with a "you" robs the line of some of its super-awesomeness.

[Ace of Knaves]

HAHA most definitely. That's epic.

[Kurosawa]

No reason not to use it in the right spot.

[CaptainStacy]

Originally Posted by Aztec

He's supposed to be Norse. Why in the world would he speak "Shakespearean English"? So silly. The Ultimates got it right (once again).

Thor speaks EVERY language on earth...when he got around to learning english, perhaps Shakespearean English was what was in style...

I'd like to hear him use it. I think it would help the character's uniqueness in a movie genre that's becoming increasingly crowded...

[TheCorpulent1]

Oh yeah, the gods are fluent in all languages, aren't they? I remember reading that somewhere.

[Agent 194]

Originally Posted by Timstuff

Am I the only one who hopes that they take a cue from Ultimate Thor and drop the corny Shakespearean dialect that Thor uses? I mean I know a lot of people think it's "iconic" and makes him sound "god-like," but I've always wondered-- what on earth does Shakespearean English have to do with ancient Norse mythology? They're two completely different cultures from two completely different time periods, and the accent has always been one of those silly things that people just sort of seem to accept about a character.

Above all else though, I don't think the audience would be able to take the character seriously if he's talking with "thee's" and "thou's." When I saw the Hulk vs. Thor DTV, every time Thor opened his mouth I couldn't help but snicker a little just because his dialogue sounds so corny when someone is actually reading it. If the audience is going to take Thor seriously, I think that their best option would be to make him speak in plain English.

Oh no, Timstuff. They've got to do the "corny Shakespearean dialect". It's one of the things I loved about it as a kid. It made Thor and every thing, story, character he encountered like the most important thing in the world to me at the time. I love it so....[I]I SAY THEE NAY![/I]

[Agent 194]

Originally Posted by CaptainStacy

I think it would help the character's uniqueness in a movie genre that's becoming increasingly crowded...

and I agree Captain. Good point.

[SuperFerret]

Originally Posted by TheCorpulent1

Oh yeah, the gods are fluent in all languages, aren't they? I remember reading that somewhere.

I just died laughing trying to imagine Thor speaking in Chinese.

[Agent 194]

Originally Posted by bossman550

there wont be shakperian dialouge
www.firstshowing.net/2009/06/07/profile-on-marvel-studios-with-big-updates-from-kevin-feige/

Shame. Mistake, bad choice in my opinion

[Manic]

I'm not a fan of Ye Olde English, but mostly because writers who don't know how to use it have ruined it for me. I sigh every time someone mixes up thou, thee, thy, thine, and ye. And it happens a lot.

[Ace of Knaves]

Yea but that should fall at the feet of the writer, not the style of writing.

Fraction used it brilliantly in the Ages of Thunder series. Seriously, that is some of the best, most entertaining writing I've read in a comic book. It was like some kind of poetry.

[chamber-music]

Originally Posted by SuperFerret

I think a manner of speaking similar to that used in the Lord of the Rings movies would generate the same feel without having the thees and thous.

I agree I think they should do what Lord Of The Rings did and have him speak in that old medival fashion speech pattern over putting thees and thous after each sentance.

Shakespherean English is the early modern English we speak now after the language was standardised by London-based dialect in government and administration and by the standardising effect of printing.

before the 15th century old english and middle english sound more like french and german due to being conquered by old germanic speaking Saxons, Latin speaking Romans ect.

[Canis Sapiens]

Originally Posted by chamber-music

I agree I think they should do what Lord Of The Rings did and have him speak in that old medival fashion speech pattern over putting thees and thous after each sentance.

Shakespherean English is the early modern English we speak now after the language was standardised by London-based dialect in government and administration and by the standardising effect of printing.

before the 15th century old english and middle english didn't sound more like french and german due to being conquered by old germanic speaking Saxons, Latin speaking Romans ect.

Thanks for the lesson! Seriously, that's one the things I love about these boards. You can actually learn something other than "who's stronger than who?".

[Spider-Vader]

Maybe a little but the whole movie shouldn't be like that. It would probably turn people away from the movie.

[catintheengine]

You see, I'm torn here.

I agree with some of you that it might turn away some of the general audience.

On the other hand, being a someone who's studied some of Shakespeare's works, I recognize that there is something so epically poetic about the way it it sounds when spoken properly. And we know that Branagh can handle it as a director.

I mean, I know what they said about the film wouldn't have it, but in the whole scheme of things I would much rather have them speaking Elizabethan English over really modern English with colloquialisms and what have you.

Maybe they could find a nice middle-ground? Like...'Shakespeare Lite'?

[KangConquers]

I think there was already an article stating branagh would not use Shakespearean tongue.

Having read the first draft, I can confirm that there is no shakespeare in it. at least not in the original script.

[TheCorpulent1]

I don't think the original script is very relevant anymore.

[Agent 194]

I know this is a topic long dead and probably a moot point...but because it's fresh on my mind....I still think it's a mistake not to have Thor speak as I've always read.

Again.... Yay, Verily...I say thee NAY to nixing that idea.

And Manic...I like your David McCallum avatar.

[Aeltri]

I think Thor should speak english with a slight scandinavian accent, you don't want him sounding like this guy.

[piccolo]

Even though they wont, i would prefer the olde english and dont care if thats not what vikings did. It just sounds better and different to me. But oh well.

[Franklin Richards]

If you want to get down to it, it's not Shakespearean unless it's iambic pentameter.


Now if the script were written in iambic pentameter that would be ****ing awesome! Even if thee and thou were never uttered.

[piccolo]

Norse viking gods speaking shakesperean english makes as much sense as them speaking british or american english.

[Manowar]

I'm not an English professor, but I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as "Shakespearean English" even though many people seem to use this term. Thor's speach is nothing like Shakespeare at all. Thor speaks "Old English" in most of his comic books. If Thor spoke "shakesperean", 95% of his readers would be like WTF is Thor saying???

[TheCorpulent1]

Thor doesn't speak Old English. If he did, most comic readers wouldn't be able to understand it.

People call it Shakespearean English not because it's an accurate term, but because it's fairly descriptive of the high-minded, melodramatic sort of speech pattern, at least compared to modern vernacular, that a lot of writers employed for Thor. Also, a lot of random civilians in earlier Thor comics used to comment on how Thor sounded like something from out of Shakespeare, so that may have something to do with it.