This lesson introduces his [hɪz], the third person masculine singular possessive determiner in Elizabethan English. This fundamental word marks ownership, attribution, and relationship to a masculine noun, functioning identically to its Modern English descendant.
In Shakespeare’s era, his carried additional functions now obsolete. Most notably, his served as the neuter possessive where Modern English employs “its”—a form that was only emerging in the late sixteenth century and still considered somewhat vulgar. Thus, Elizabethans would say “the tree hath lost his leaves” rather than “its leaves.” This usage appears throughout the First Folio and the King James Bible (1611).
The pronunciation [hɪz] remained stable from Middle English through the Early Modern period. In unstressed positions, speakers often reduced it to [ɪz], particularly in rapid speech or following words ending in consonants.
Frequently Asked Question
What does “his” mean in Elizabethan English?
His [hɪz] functions as the possessive form of “he,” indicating that something belongs to or is associated with a male person or (in period usage) a grammatically masculine or even neuter noun. It answers the question “whose?” and precedes the noun it modifies.
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This material is designed for autodidact learners following the Latinum Institute methodology.
Key Takeaways -
His [hɪz] marks masculine possession, identical to modern usage -
Period usage extended his to neuter nouns (where we now use “its”) -
Unstressed pronunciation reduces to [ɪz] in connected speech -
The word derives from Old English his, genitive of hē (he) -
All fifteen examples below demonstrate his in authentic Elizabethan contexts
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Key Features of Original Pronunciation (OP)
This lesson employs the reconstructed pronunciation of Early Modern English (c. 1590–1610) based on the scholarship of David Crystal and historical phonologists. Key differences from Modern English include:
Rhoticity: All written ⟨r⟩ letters were pronounced [r] or [ɹ], even after vowels. “Father” was [ˈfaːðər], not modern RP [ˈfɑːðə].
The -tion Suffix: Words ending in -tion were pronounced [sɪən] or [tɪən], not modern [ʃən]. Thus “nation” = [ˈneɪsɪən], “perfection” = [pərˈfeksɪən].
Vowel Qualities: The Great Vowel Shift was incomplete. Long vowels retained qualities closer to their Middle English values: -
⟨a⟩ in “name” = [naːm] (not [neɪm]) -
⟨ee/ea⟩ in “sweet” = [sweːt] (not [swiːt]) -
⟨oo⟩ in “moon” = [moːn] (not [muːn]) -
⟨ou⟩ in “house” = [hʊus] (not [haʊs])
Short Vowels: The STRUT vowel had not yet unrounded; “but” = [bʊt], “cup” = [kʊp].
Final -e: Often pronounced as schwa [ə] when metrically required.
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1.1a His sword gleameth bright.
1.1b His (hɪz) his-POSS sword (soːrd) sword gleameth (ˈgleːməθ) gleams-3SG bright (brɪit) bright-ADJ
1.2a The king loveth his realm.
1.2b The (ðə) the-DEF king (kɪŋ) king loveth (ˈlʊvəθ) loves-3SG his (hɪz) his-POSS realm (relm) realm
1.3a His father spake unto him.
1.3b His (hɪz) his-POSS father (ˈfaːðər) father spake (speɪk) spoke-PAST unto (ˈʊntuː) unto-PREP him (hɪm) him-OBJ
1.4a Mark well his countenance.
1.4b Mark (mark) mark-IMP well (wel) well-ADV his (hɪz) his-POSS countenance (ˈkʊuntənəns) countenance
1.5a His horse runneth swift.
1.5b His (hɪz) his-POSS horse (hɔrs) horse runneth (ˈrʊnəθ) runs-3SG swift (swɪft) swift-ADJ
1.6a The gentleman taketh his leave of the company.
1.6b The (ðə) the-DEF gentleman (ˈdʒentlmən) gentleman taketh (ˈtaːkəθ) takes-3SG his (hɪz) his-POSS leave (leːv) leave of (ɔv) of-PREP the (ðə) the-DEF company (ˈkʊmpənɪ) company
1.7a His ambition knoweth no measure nor bound.
1.7b His (hɪz) his-POSS ambition (amˈbɪsɪən) ambition knoweth (ˈnoːəθ) knows-3SG no (noː) no-NEG measure (ˈmeʒər) measure nor (nɔr) nor-CONJ bound (bʊund) bound
1.8a Each soldier defendeth his honour with his life.
1.8b Each (iːtʃ) each-DET soldier (ˈsoːldʒər) soldier defendeth (dɪˈfendəθ) defends-3SG his (hɪz) his-POSS honour (ˈɔnər) honour with (wɪθ) with-PREP his (hɪz) his-POSS life (ləɪf) life
1.9a The moon hath lost his silver light tonight.
1.9b The (ðə) the-DEF moon (moːn) moon hath (haθ) has-3SG lost (lɔst) lost-PTCP his (hɪz) his-POSS.NEUT silver (ˈsɪlvər) silver-ADJ light (ləɪt) light tonight (təˈnəɪt) tonight-ADV
1.10a His words carried more weight than his deeds.
1.10b His (hɪz) his-POSS words (wʊrdz) words carried (ˈkarɪd) carried-PAST more (moːr) more-COMP weight (weɪt) weight than (ðan) than-CONJ his (hɪz) his-POSS deeds (deːdz) deeds
1.11a The physician applieth his art unto the cure of his patient.
1.11b The (ðə) the-DEF physician (fɪˈzɪsɪən) physician applieth (əˈpləɪəθ) applies-3SG his (hɪz) his-POSS art (art) art unto (ˈʊntuː) unto-PREP the (ðə) the-DEF cure (kjuːr) cure of (ɔv) of-PREP his (hɪz) his-POSS patient (ˈpeɪsɪənt) patient
1.12a Every man must answer for his own transgressions before heaven.
1.12b Every (ˈevrɪ) every-DET man (man) man must (mʊst) must-MOD answer (ˈansər) answer-INF for (fɔr) for-PREP his (hɪz) his-POSS own (oːn) own-ADJ transgressions (transˈgresɪənz) transgressions before (bɪˈfoːr) before-PREP heaven (ˈhevən) heaven
1.13a His majesty requireth the presence of his lords at court.
1.13b His (hɪz) his-POSS majesty (ˈmadʒəstɪ) majesty requireth (rɪˈkwəɪrəθ) requires-3SG the (ðə) the-DEF presence (ˈprezəns) presence of (ɔv) of-PREP his (hɪz) his-POSS lords (lɔrdz) lords at (at) at-PREP court (koːrt) court
1.14a The tree hath shed his leaves, for winter draweth nigh.
1.14b The (ðə) the-DEF tree (treː) tree hath (haθ) has-3SG shed (ʃed) shed-PTCP his (hɪz) his-POSS.NEUT leaves (leːvz) leaves for (fɔr) for-CONJ winter (ˈwɪntər) winter draweth (ˈdraːəθ) draws-3SG nigh (nəɪ) nigh-ADV
1.15a Let no man judge his neighbour ere he knoweth his circumstance full well.
1.15b Let (let) let-IMP no (noː) no-NEG man (man) man judge (dʒʊdʒ) judge-INF his (hɪz) his-POSS neighbour (ˈneɪbər) neighbour ere (eːr) ere-CONJ he (heː) he-SUBJ knoweth (ˈnoːəθ) knows-3SG his (hɪz) his-POSS circumstance (ˈsərkəmstans) circumstance full (fʊl) full-ADV well (wel) well-ADV
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1.1 His sword gleameth bright. His sword gleams brightly.
1.2 The king loveth his realm. The king loves his realm.
1.3 His father spake unto him. His father spoke to him.
1.4 Mark well his countenance. Note well his facial expression.
1.5 His horse runneth swift. His horse runs swiftly.
1.6 The gentleman taketh his leave of the company. The gentleman takes his leave of the company.
1.7 His ambition knoweth no measure nor bound. His ambition knows no measure or limit.
1.8 Each soldier defendeth his honour with his life. Each soldier defends his honour with his life.
1.9 The moon hath lost his silver light tonight. The moon has lost its silver light tonight.
1.10 His words carried more weight than his deeds. His words carried more weight than his actions.
1.11 The physician applieth his art unto the cure of his patient. The physician applies his art to the cure of his patient.
1.12 Every man must answer for his own transgressions before heaven. Every man must answer for his own sins before heaven.
1.13 His majesty requireth the presence of his lords at court. His majesty requires the presence of his lords at court.
1.14 The tree hath shed his leaves, for winter draweth nigh. The tree has shed its leaves, for winter draws near.
1.15 Let no man judge his neighbour ere he knoweth his circumstance full well. Let no man judge his neighbour before he knows his circumstance fully.
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1.1 His sword gleameth bright.
1.2 The king loveth his realm.
1.3 His father spake unto him.
1.4 Mark well his countenance.
1.5 His horse runneth swift.
1.6 The gentleman taketh his leave of the company.
1.7 His ambition knoweth no measure nor bound.
1.8 Each soldier defendeth his honour with his life.
1.9 The moon hath lost his silver light tonight.
1.10 His words carried more weight than his deeds.
1.11 The physician applieth his art unto the cure of his patient.
1.12 Every man must answer for his own transgressions before heaven.
1.13 His majesty requireth the presence of his lords at court.
1.14 The tree hath shed his leaves, for winter draweth nigh.
1.15 Let no man judge his neighbour ere he knoweth his circumstance full well.
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The Possessive Determiner “His”
His functions as the genitive (possessive) form of the third person masculine singular pronoun he. Its grammatical behaviour in Elizabethan English mirrors modern usage with one significant exception: the neuter possessive.
1. Basic Possessive Function
Like modern English, his precedes and modifies a noun to indicate ownership or association: -
“His sword” = the sword belonging to him -
“His father” = his male parent -
“His honour” = the honour belonging to him
2. The Neuter Possessive Use
In Shakespeare’s era, his regularly served as the possessive for neuter nouns where Modern English requires “its”: -
“The moon hath lost his light” (= its light) -
“The tree hath shed his leaves” (= its leaves) -
“England hath long been mad and scarred herself; / The brother blindly shed the brother’s blood, / The father rashly slaughtered his own son” — Richard III
The form “its” existed but was considered colloquial or vulgar. The First Folio of Shakespeare (1623) contains only ten instances of “its,” while “his” for neuter reference appears hundreds of times.
3. Third Person Singular Verb Endings
Note the characteristic -eth suffix on third person singular present tense verbs: -
loveth [ˈlʊvəθ] = loves -
gleameth [ˈgleːməθ] = gleams -
knoweth [ˈnoːəθ] = knows -
hath [haθ] = has (irregular)
This suffix was already archaic in everyday speech by 1600 but remained standard in formal, literary, and religious registers. The competing form -es/-s (loves, gleams, knows, has) dominated colloquial usage.
4. Pronunciation of -tion Words
Words ending in -tion retained the older pronunciation [sɪən] or [tɪən]: -
ambition [amˈbɪsɪən] -
transgression [transˈgresɪən] -
perfection [pərˈfeksɪən] -
nation [ˈneɪsɪən]
The modern pronunciation [ʃən] emerged gradually through the seventeenth century.
5. Archaic Vocabulary
Several words in this lesson require glossing: -
spake = past tense of “speak” (later regularized to “spoke”) -
countenance = facial expression, demeanor -
ere [eːr] = before (conjunction) -
nigh [nəɪ] = near -
unto = to (formal/elevated register)
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Possession and Social Hierarchy in Elizabethan England
The possessive pronoun his operated within a society obsessed with ownership, lineage, and the proper ordering of relationships. Understanding this context illuminates why his appears so frequently in period texts.
The Great Chain of Being
Elizabethans conceptualized the universe as a vast hierarchy descending from God through angels, monarchs, nobles, commoners, animals, plants, and minerals. Every entity possessed its proper place and its proper possessions. When Shakespeare writes “His majesty requireth the presence of his lords,” the double use of his reinforces this cosmic ordering—the king possesses majesty; he also possesses lords, who in turn possess their own subordinates.
Honour and Possession
A man’s honour was simultaneously his most precious possession and something that could be stripped away. “Each soldier defendeth his honour with his life” reflects the period’s equation of personal honour with life itself. Honour was inheritable (passed from father to son), transferable (damaged by association with dishonourable persons), and gendered (women’s honour centered on chastity; men’s on reputation for truth-telling and martial courage).
The Neuter “His” and Animism
The use of his for neuter nouns (”the moon hath lost his silver light”) reflects not merely grammatical conservatism but a worldview in which natural objects possessed quasi-personal attributes. The sun, moon, rivers, and trees were addressed and described with personal pronouns reflecting classical and medieval personification traditions. The emergence of “its” marked a conceptual shift toward viewing nature as impersonal mechanism rather than animate presence.
Patronage and Possession
In the patronage system governing Elizabethan artistic and political life, every person of consequence possessed dependents, clients, and servants, while simultaneously belonging to a patron of higher status. When a playwright dedicated a work to “his lordship,” the possessive marked a real relationship of economic dependency and social obligation.
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From William Shakespeare, Sonnet 73 (1609)
That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. In me thou see’st the twilight of such day As after sunset fadeth in the west; Which by and by black night doth take away, Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest. In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire, That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, As the deathbed whereon it must expire, Consumed with that which it was nourished by. This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well which thou must leave ere long.
Analysis
In line 10, Shakespeare writes “the ashes of his youth”—using his to refer to the fire mentioned in line 9. This exemplifies the neuter possessive use discussed in Section D. The fire possesses youth (its earlier, vigorous state), and that youth has now become ashes. The personification is subtle: fire becomes a dying creature whose youth has literally burned away.
Note also the pronunciation: “fadeth” [ˈfeɪdəθ], “perceiv’st” [pərˈseːvst], and the rhyme of “strong” [strɔŋ] with “long” [lɔŋ]—a perfect rhyme in Original Pronunciation.
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A scene from an imagined Elizabethan drama: a father counsels his son before the young man departs for the wars.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
1.16a Father: Come hither, son. I would speak with thee ere thy departure.
1.16b Father (ˈfaːðər) father Come (kʊm) come-IMP hither (ˈhɪðər) hither-ADV son (sʊn) son I (əɪ) I-SUBJ would (wʊd) would-MOD speak (speːk) speak-INF with (wɪθ) with-PREP thee (ðeː) thee-OBJ ere (eːr) ere-CONJ thy (ðəɪ) thy-POSS departure (dɪˈpartʃər) departure
1.17a Son: I attend upon his pleasure. What would my father say?
1.17b Son (sʊn) son I (əɪ) I-SUBJ attend (əˈtend) attend-1SG upon (əˈpɔn) upon-PREP his (hɪz) his-POSS pleasure (ˈpleʒər) pleasure What (ʍat) what-INT would (wʊd) would-MOD my (məɪ) my-POSS father (ˈfaːðər) father say (seɪ) say-INF
1.18a Father: Remember well thy lineage and preserve his honour unblemished.
1.18b Father (ˈfaːðər) father Remember (rɪˈmembər) remember-IMP well (wel) well-ADV thy (ðəɪ) thy-POSS lineage (ˈlɪnɪdʒ) lineage and (and) and-CONJ preserve (prɪˈzərv) preserve-IMP his (hɪz) his-POSS honour (ˈɔnər) honour unblemished (ʊnˈblemɪʃt) unblemished-ADJ
1.19a Son: His honour is my chiefest care. I shall guard his name as mine own life.
1.19b Son (sʊn) son His (hɪz) his-POSS honour (ˈɔnər) honour is (ɪz) is-3SG my (məɪ) my-POSS chiefest (ˈtʃiːfəst) chiefest-SUP care (keːr) care I (əɪ) I-SUBJ shall (ʃal) shall-MOD guard (gard) guard-INF his (hɪz) his-POSS name (naːm) name as (az) as-CONJ mine (məɪn) mine-POSS own (oːn) own-ADJ life (ləɪf) life
1.20a Father: The captain hath his orders; thou must obey his command without question.
1.20b Father (ˈfaːðər) father The (ðə) the-DEF captain (ˈkaptɪn) captain hath (haθ) has-3SG his (hɪz) his-POSS orders (ˈɔrdərz) orders thou (ðʊu) thou-SUBJ must (mʊst) must-MOD obey (oːˈbeɪ) obey-INF his (hɪz) his-POSS command (kəˈmand) command without (wɪθˈʊut) without-PREP question (ˈkwestɪən) question
1.21a Son: I know his reputation well. He leadeth his men with wisdom and with courage.
1.21b Son (sʊn) son I (əɪ) I-SUBJ know (noː) know-1SG his (hɪz) his-POSS reputation (repjuːˈteɪsɪən) reputation well (wel) well-ADV He (heː) he-SUBJ leadeth (ˈleːdəθ) leads-3SG his (hɪz) his-POSS men (men) men with (wɪθ) with-PREP wisdom (ˈwɪzdəm) wisdom and (and) and-CONJ with (wɪθ) with-PREP courage (ˈkʊrɪdʒ) courage
1.22a Father: Yet mark this: a soldier loseth his humanity when his heart groweth cold.
1.22b Father (ˈfaːðər) father Yet (jet) yet-ADV mark (mark) mark-IMP this (ðɪs) this-DEM a (ə) a-INDEF soldier (ˈsoːldʒər) soldier loseth (ˈluːzəθ) loses-3SG his (hɪz) his-POSS humanity (hjuːˈmanɪtɪ) humanity when (ʍen) when-CONJ his (hɪz) his-POSS heart (hart) heart groweth (ˈgroːəθ) grows-3SG cold (koːld) cold-ADJ
1.23a Son: I shall temper his sword with mercy and his valour with compassion.
1.23b Son (sʊn) son I (əɪ) I-SUBJ shall (ʃal) shall-MOD temper (ˈtempər) temper-INF his (hɪz) his-POSS sword (soːrd) sword with (wɪθ) with-PREP mercy (ˈmərsɪ) mercy and (and) and-CONJ his (hɪz) his-POSS valour (ˈvalər) valour with (wɪθ) with-PREP compassion (kəmˈpasɪən) compassion
1.24a Father: Thy mother prayeth for his safe return. Disappoint not her faith.
1.24b Father (ˈfaːðər) father Thy (ðəɪ) thy-POSS mother (ˈmʊðər) mother prayeth (ˈpreɪəθ) prays-3SG for (fɔr) for-PREP his (hɪz) his-POSS safe (seɪf) safe-ADJ return (rɪˈtərn) return Disappoint (dɪsəˈpɔɪnt) disappoint-IMP not (nɔt) not-NEG her (hər) her-POSS faith (feɪθ) faith
1.25a Son: By his grace, I shall return unto his house and his people.
1.25b Son (sʊn) son By (bəɪ) by-PREP his (hɪz) his-POSS grace (greɪs) grace I (əɪ) I-SUBJ shall (ʃal) shall-MOD return (rɪˈtərn) return-INF unto (ˈʊntuː) unto-PREP his (hɪz) his-POSS house (hʊus) house and (and) and-CONJ his (hɪz) his-POSS people (ˈpeːpl) people
1.26a Father: The enemy counteth his victory before his battle. Be not thou so rash.
1.26b Father (ˈfaːðər) father The (ðə) the-DEF enemy (ˈenəmɪ) enemy counteth (ˈkʊuntəθ) counts-3SG his (hɪz) his-POSS victory (ˈvɪktərɪ) victory before (bɪˈfoːr) before-PREP his (hɪz) his-POSS battle (ˈbatl) battle Be (beː) be-IMP not (nɔt) not-NEG thou (ðʊu) thou-SUBJ so (soː) so-ADV rash (raʃ) rash-ADJ
1.27a Son: I shall trust in his providence and venture not beyond his wisdom.
1.27b Son (sʊn) son I (əɪ) I-SUBJ shall (ʃal) shall-MOD trust (trʊst) trust-INF in (ɪn) in-PREP his (hɪz) his-POSS providence (ˈprɔvɪdəns) providence and (and) and-CONJ venture (ˈventʃər) venture-INF not (nɔt) not-NEG beyond (bɪˈjɔnd) beyond-PREP his (hɪz) his-POSS wisdom (ˈwɪzdəm) wisdom
1.28a Father: His blessing go with thee. Return safe unto his arms.
1.28b Father (ˈfaːðər) father His (hɪz) his-POSS blessing (ˈblesɪŋ) blessing go (goː) go-SBJV with (wɪθ) with-PREP thee (ðeː) thee-OBJ Return (rɪˈtərn) return-IMP safe (seɪf) safe-ADJ unto (ˈʊntuː) unto-PREP his (hɪz) his-POSS arms (armz) arms
1.29a Son: I carry his token close unto my heart. His image goeth with me.
1.29b Son (sʊn) son I (əɪ) I-SUBJ carry (ˈkarɪ) carry-1SG his (hɪz) his-POSS token (ˈtoːkən) token close (kloːs) close-ADV unto (ˈʊntuː) unto-PREP my (məɪ) my-POSS heart (hart) heart His (hɪz) his-POSS image (ˈɪmɪdʒ) image goeth (ˈgoːəθ) goes-3SG with (wɪθ) with-PREP me (meː) me-OBJ
1.30a Father: Farewell, my son. May his watch keep thee from all harm.
1.30b Father (ˈfaːðər) father Farewell (feːrˈwel) farewell-INT my (məɪ) my-POSS son (sʊn) son May (meɪ) may-SBJV his (hɪz) his-POSS watch (watʃ) watch keep (keːp) keep-SBJV thee (ðeː) thee-OBJ from (frɔm) from-PREP all (aːl) all-DET harm (harm) harm
Part B: Natural Sentences
1.16 Father: Come hither, son. I would speak with thee ere thy departure. Father: Come here, son. I wish to speak with you before your departure.
1.17 Son: I attend upon his pleasure. What would my father say? Son: I await his pleasure. What would my father say?
1.18 Father: Remember well thy lineage and preserve his honour unblemished. Father: Remember well your lineage and preserve its honour unblemished.
1.19 Son: His honour is my chiefest care. I shall guard his name as mine own life. Son: Its honour is my greatest care. I shall guard its name as my own life.
1.20 Father: The captain hath his orders; thou must obey his command without question. Father: The captain has his orders; you must obey his command without question.
1.21 Son: I know his reputation well. He leadeth his men with wisdom and with courage. Son: I know his reputation well. He leads his men with wisdom and courage.
1.22 Father: Yet mark this: a soldier loseth his humanity when his heart groweth cold. Father: Yet note this: a soldier loses his humanity when his heart grows cold.
1.23 Son: I shall temper his sword with mercy and his valour with compassion. Son: I shall temper my sword with mercy and my valour with compassion.
1.24 Father: Thy mother prayeth for his safe return. Disappoint not her faith. Father: Your mother prays for his safe return. Do not disappoint her faith.
1.25 Son: By his grace, I shall return unto his house and his people. Son: By His grace, I shall return to his house and his people.
1.26 Father: The enemy counteth his victory before his battle. Be not thou so rash. Father: The enemy counts his victory before his battle. Do not be so rash.
1.27 Son: I shall trust in his providence and venture not beyond his wisdom. Son: I shall trust in His providence and not venture beyond His wisdom.
1.28 Father: His blessing go with thee. Return safe unto his arms. Father: May His blessing go with you. Return safely to his arms.
1.29 Son: I carry his token close unto my heart. His image goeth with me. Son: I carry his token close to my heart. His image goes with me.
1.30 Father: Farewell, my son. May his watch keep thee from all harm. Father: Farewell, my son. May His watch keep you from all harm.
Part C: Elizabethan English Only
1.16 Father: Come hither, son. I would speak with thee ere thy departure.
1.17 Son: I attend upon his pleasure. What would my father say?
1.18 Father: Remember well thy lineage and preserve his honour unblemished.
1.19 Son: His honour is my chiefest care. I shall guard his name as mine own life.
1.20 Father: The captain hath his orders; thou must obey his command without question.
1.21 Son: I know his reputation well. He leadeth his men with wisdom and with courage.
1.22 Father: Yet mark this: a soldier loseth his humanity when his heart groweth cold.
1.23 Son: I shall temper his sword with mercy and his valour with compassion.
1.24 Father: Thy mother prayeth for his safe return. Disappoint not her faith.
1.25 Son: By his grace, I shall return unto his house and his people.
1.26 Father: The enemy counteth his victory before his battle. Be not thou so rash.
1.27 Son: I shall trust in his providence and venture not beyond his wisdom.
1.28 Father: His blessing go with thee. Return safe unto his arms.
1.29 Son: I carry his token close unto my heart. His image goeth with me.
1.30 Father: Farewell, my son. May his watch keep thee from all harm.
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
Multiple Referents of “His”
The dialogue demonstrates the interpretive complexity of his in Elizabethan English: -
Masculine personal reference: “I know his reputation well” (referring to the captain) -
Abstract/neuter reference: “preserve his honour unblemished” (the lineage’s honour) -
Divine reference: “By his grace” and “his providence” (referring to God) -
Ambiguous reference: “His blessing go with thee” could refer to the father’s blessing or God’s
This semantic flexibility required Elizabethan audiences to track referents through context—a skill modern readers must relearn.
The Subjunctive Mood
Note the subjunctive constructions: -
“His blessing go with thee” (not “goeth”) -
“May his watch keep thee” (not “keepeth”)
The subjunctive expresses wishes, prayers, and hypotheticals without the -eth ending.
Second Person Pronouns
The genre section employs the intimate/informal second person: -
thou (subject): “Be not thou so rash” -
thee (object): “I would speak with thee” -
thy (possessive determiner): “thy departure” -
thine (possessive before vowels): would be “thine honour”
In 1600, thou/thee marked intimacy, social inferiority of addressee, or (in drama) elevated rhetorical register. You/your served for formal or plural address.
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This lesson forms part of the Elizabethan English Course produced according to Latinum Institute methodology, designed for autodidact learners who wish to read Shakespeare, Marlowe, Spenser, and other Early Modern authors in their original linguistic context.
The Latinum Institute has been producing language-learning materials since 2006. Our approach employs interlinear construed text—a technique with roots in Renaissance pedagogy—to render complex historical texts immediately accessible. By providing word-by-word glossing with grammatical notation, learners can engage with authentic period language from the first lesson.
Course Features -
1000-word frequency-based curriculum -
Original Pronunciation (OP) notation following David Crystal’s scholarship -
Period-specific grammar and usage notes -
Literary citations from authentic Elizabethan sources -
Dramatic dialogues illustrating natural period speech
For More Information
Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
Trustpilot Reviews: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
Why Learn Elizabethan English?
The language of Shakespeare occupies a unique position: close enough to Modern English to be partially intelligible, yet different enough to create persistent misunderstandings. The false friend “his” for “its” is just one example. By systematically studying Early Modern vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, learners gain: -
Direct access to the greatest body of drama in the English language -
Understanding of puns, rhymes, and wordplay invisible to modern readers -
Appreciation of the King James Bible in its original linguistic context -
Foundation for reading Spenser, Donne, Milton, and Restoration literature
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End of Lesson 028
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