Why does Shakespeare use Thee and Thy?

This presentation is in three parts:

Part One: 6 minutes, 21 slides
An overview of the important difference between using thee and thou versus you and your, and how you can figure out when to use it based on your position in the Great Chain of Being (previous presentation)

Part Two: Under 5 minutes, 14 slides
This shows how to use thee and thou, as well as thy and thine, in sentences.

Part Three: 14 minutes, 23 slides
Discover what Shakespeare tells you about relationships and changes in those relationships through the use of thee or you.

Why Does Shakespeare use Thee and Thou and Thy and Thine? And why should I care? Shakespeare is quite specific in the difference between using thee when addressing people as opposed to using you. Knowing the difference helps you understand relationships. It also teaches you when various characters are expressing anger, arrogance, empathy, disdain, fondness, intimacy, and more. This is enormously important to actors, of course, but also lets The Reader more fully understand the situations.

If you are familiar with just about any other language, you know there is a formal and an informal or intimate way to address others depending on their relationships to you, and you know how important these distinctions are. English had this distinction in Shakespeare's time: thee and thy is the familiar form, and you/your is the formal.

We recommend you take a look at the free presentation on The Great Chain of Being before you watch this one because everything will make much more sense.