Advancing the Word Field of Blood, Crime and Murder. Shakespeare's Lexical Innovation in Macbeth

Seminar paper from the year 2020 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,0, University of Cologne, language: English, abstract: The term paper provides a linguistic analysis of Shakespeare's coinages, based on the example of Macbeth. The analysis will focus on his three major word formation strategies: compounding, derivation and conversion.

When dealing with language in the Early Modern English period, there is hardly any way around the exploration of Shakespeare's works and his innovative lexical creativity. Not only is Shakespeare known for being one of the most productive writers of his time, he is also responsible for coining a number of lexical variations that still stick with us today. His gift for elevating the ordinary through lexical innovation and rhetoric ingenuity is the reason why his reputation as a pioneer of English literature and language remains unchallenged today.