This lesson explores the verb see in the rich linguistic environment of Early Modern English (c. 1580–1620), the language of Shakespeare, Marlowe, and the King James Bible. The word see carried multiple semantic layers in Elizabethan usage: physical vision, mental perception, prophetic insight, and experiential understanding. Where Modern English speakers might say “I understand,” Elizabethans frequently employed “I see” with full cognitive weight.
Elizabethan pronunciation differed markedly from contemporary Received Pronunciation. The Great Vowel Shift was underway but incomplete; vowels retained more “continental” qualities, the suffix -tion was pronounced /tɪ.ʊn/ rather than modern /ʃən/, and rhotic /r/ sounded in all positions. The word see itself was likely pronounced /seː/ or transitioning toward /siː/, with the vowel longer and more monophthongal than today.
This lesson employs the Latinum Institute’s construed interlinear method, providing word-by-word glossing with period-accurate IPA transcription to make Elizabethan English accessible to autodidact learners.
Course index:
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FAQ: What does “see” mean in Elizabethan English?
The verb see in Elizabethan English encompasses: (1) physical perception through the eyes; (2) mental comprehension or understanding; (3) experiencing or witnessing events; (4) prophetic or visionary knowledge; (5) ensuring or taking care that something occurs. Shakespeare employs all these senses extensively, often punning between them.
Key Takeaways -
See functions as both literal and metaphorical perception in Elizabethan usage -
Period pronunciation featured longer vowels, rhotic /r/, and distinct treatment of suffixes like -tion (/tɪ.ʊn/) -
The verb takes irregular past forms: saw (simple past) and seen (past participle) -
Elizabethan texts frequently pair see with subjunctive constructions and imperative force -
Understanding see unlocks comprehension of countless Shakespearean passages
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The following IPA transcriptions reflect Original Pronunciation (OP) as reconstructed by scholars including David Crystal. Key features include:
Vowels: Long vowels retain more “continental” values; /iː/ in words like see may have been closer to /eː/ or a transitional diphthong /ɪi/. The vowel in love rhymed with prove (/lʊv/, /prʊv/).
Consonants: Postvocalic /r/ was fully pronounced. Initial /h/ was variable (often dropped in unstressed words). The /hw/ distinction in words like what was maintained.
The -tion suffix: Pronounced /tɪ.ʊn/ or /sɪ.ʊn/ in formal speech, shifting toward /ʃʊn/ by the 1620s. Thus vision = /vɪ.zɪ.ʊn/.
Stress patterns: Generally similar to modern English, but some Latin-derived words retained penultimate stress.
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48.1 I (ɑɪ) I see (seː) see-PRES the (ðə) the ship (ʃɪp) ship
48.2 Dost (dʊst) do-2SG thou (ðaʊ) thou see (seː) see-INF yon (jɒn) yonder star (staːr) star
48.3 We (weː) we see (seː) see-PRES naught (nɔːt) nothing here (hiːr) here
48.4 Let (lɛt) let-IMP me (meː) me see (seː) see-INF thy (ðɑɪ) thy face (faːs) face
48.5 She (ʃeː) she cannot (kan.nɒt) can-not see (seː) see-INF him (hɪm) him now (naʊ) now
48.6 They (ðeɪ) they have (hav) have-PRES seen (seːn) see-PASTPART wonders (wʊn.dərz) wonders in (ɪn) in the (ðə) the deep (deːp) deep
48.7 Methinks (mɪ.θɪŋks) me-thinks I (ɑɪ) I see (seː) see-PRES my (mɑɪ) my father (faː.ðər) father yet (jɛt) still
48.8 He (heː) he saw (sɔː) see-PAST the (ðə) the vision (vɪ.zɪ.ʊn) vision clear (klɪːr) clear before (bɪ.fɔːr) before his (hɪz) his eyes (ɑɪz) eyes
48.9 Wherefore (ʍɛːr.fɔːr) wherefore doth (dʊθ) do-3SG the (ðə) the blind (blɑɪnd) blind man (man) man see (seː) see-INF more (mɔːr) more truly (truː.lɪ) truly
48.10 Go (goː) go-IMP see (seː) see-IMP whether (ʍɛ.ðər) whether the (ðə) the messenger (mɛ.sɪn.dʒər) messenger hath (haθ) have-3SG arrived (ə.rɑɪvd) arrive-PASTPART
48.11 I (ɑɪ) I saw (sɔː) see-PAST occasion (ɒ.keɪ.zɪ.ʊn) occasion to (tʊ) to speak (speːk) speak-INF and (and) and held (hɛld) hold-PAST my (mɑɪ) my peace (peːs) peace
48.12 That (ðat) that I (ɑɪ) I might (mɑɪt) might see (seː) see-INF salvation (sal.veɪ.sɪ.ʊn) salvation with (wɪθ) with mine (mɑɪn) mine own (oːn) own eyes (ɑɪz) eyes
48.13 Seest (seːst) see-2SG thou (ðaʊ) thou not (nɒt) not how (haʊ) how the (ðə) the world (wʊrld) world doth (dʊθ) do-3SG turn (tʊrn) turn upon (ə.pɒn) upon ambition (am.bɪ.sɪ.ʊn) ambition
48.14 We (weː) we have (hav) have-PRES seen (seːn) see-PASTPART the (ðə) the best (bɛst) best of (ɒv) of our (aʊr) our time (tɑɪm) time pass (pas) pass-INF away (ə.weɪ) away
48.15 Now (naʊ) now I (ɑɪ) I see (seː) see-PRES the (ðə) the truth (truːθ) truth plain (plaɪn) plain as (az) as any (ɛ.nɪ) any summer’s (sʊ.mərz) summer-GEN day (daɪ) day
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48.1 I see the ship. “I behold the vessel.”
48.2 Dost thou see yon star? “Do you perceive that star yonder?”
48.3 We see naught here. “We perceive nothing in this place.”
48.4 Let me see thy face. “Allow me to behold your countenance.”
48.5 She cannot see him now. “She is unable to perceive him at this moment.”
48.6 They have seen wonders in the deep. “They have witnessed marvels in the ocean depths.”
48.7 Methinks I see my father yet. “It seems to me I still perceive my father.”
48.8 He saw the vision clear before his eyes. “He beheld the apparition distinctly before him.”
48.9 Wherefore doth the blind man see more truly? “Why does the sightless man perceive with greater accuracy?”
48.10 Go see whether the messenger hath arrived. “Go ascertain if the courier has come.”
48.11 I saw occasion to speak and held my peace. “I perceived an opportunity to speak but remained silent.”
48.12 That I might see salvation with mine own eyes. “So that I might witness deliverance with my own sight.”
48.13 Seest thou not how the world doth turn upon ambition? “Do you not perceive how the world revolves around aspiration?”
48.14 We have seen the best of our time pass away. “We have witnessed the finest of our era depart.”
48.15 Now I see the truth plain as any summer’s day. “Now I perceive the verity as clearly as any midsummer noon.”
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48.1 I see the ship.
48.2 Dost thou see yon star?
48.3 We see naught here.
48.4 Let me see thy face.
48.5 She cannot see him now.
48.6 They have seen wonders in the deep.
48.7 Methinks I see my father yet.
48.8 He saw the vision clear before his eyes.
48.9 Wherefore doth the blind man see more truly?
48.10 Go see whether the messenger hath arrived.
48.11 I saw occasion to speak and held my peace.
48.12 That I might see salvation with mine own eyes.
48.13 Seest thou not how the world doth turn upon ambition?
48.14 We have seen the best of our time pass away.
48.15 Now I see the truth plain as any summer’s day.
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These are the grammar rules for “see” in Elizabethan English:
Principal Parts of “See”
The verb see is a strong verb with vowel gradation (ablaut) in its principal parts: see (infinitive/present), saw (simple past), seen (past participle). This pattern descends from Old English sēon, seah, gesēwen.
Present tense conjugation (with period-accurate forms): -
I see /ɑɪ seː/ -
Thou seest /ðaʊ seːst/ -
He/She/It seeth or sees /heː seːθ/ or /heː seːz/ -
We see /weː seː/ -
Ye see /jeː seː/ -
They see /ðeɪ seː/
Past tense conjugation: -
I saw /ɑɪ sɔː/ -
Thou sawest /ðaʊ sɔː.ɪst/ -
He/She/It saw /heː sɔː/ -
We saw /weː sɔː/ -
Ye saw /jeː sɔː/ -
They saw /ðeɪ sɔː/
The Second Person Singular
Elizabethan English preserved the distinction between familiar thou (with verb endings -st or -est) and formal you/ye. When addressing a single person intimately, inferiors, or in anger, speakers used thou seest. For respect, distance, or addressing multiple persons, you see was standard.
The Third Person Singular
Two forms coexisted: the older -eth ending (he seeth) pronounced /seːθ/, and the newer -es/-s ending (he sees) pronounced /seːz/. The -eth form was more elevated and formal; -es was increasingly common in speech and prose. Shakespeare uses both, sometimes for metrical reasons.
Auxiliary Constructions
Questions and negations frequently employed do/doth as auxiliary: Dost thou see? rather than simply Seest thou? (though both occur). Negative constructions: I see not (literary) or I do not see (increasingly common).
Subjunctive and Imperative Uses
The subjunctive see appears in purpose clauses: that I might see. The imperative often appears as bare infinitive: Go see (= Go and see), or with let: Let me see.
“Methinks I see”
The construction methinks (literally “it seems to me”) takes a following clause: Methinks I see = “It seems to me that I perceive.” This impersonal verb survives from Old English and was common in elevated Elizabethan style.
Pronunciation Notes on -tion Words
Words ending in -tion in this lesson (vision, occasion, salvation, ambition) were pronounced with /tɪ.ʊn/ or /sɪ.ʊn/ in Shakespeare’s time, not modern /ʃən/. Thus: -
vision: /vɪ.zɪ.ʊn/ -
occasion: /ɒ.keɪ.zɪ.ʊn/ -
salvation: /sal.veɪ.sɪ.ʊn/ -
ambition: /am.bɪ.sɪ.ʊn/
By the 1620s, this was shifting toward /ʃʊn/, completing the change to modern /ʃən/ by the late seventeenth century.
Common Mistakes
Modern readers often err by: -
Pronouncing -tion as modern /ʃən/ instead of period /tɪ.ʊn/ -
Treating thou and you as interchangeable (they carried social meaning) -
Forgetting the -st ending with thou: “thou see” instead of correct “thou seest” -
Mispronouncing -eth as /ɛθ/ rather than vowel-reduced /ɪθ/ or /əθ/ -
Ignoring rhotic /r/ in words like before, wherefore
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Vision and Perception in Elizabethan Thought
The Elizabethans inherited medieval theories of vision alongside emerging Renaissance optics. Two competing models existed: extramission (the eye emits rays that touch objects) and intromission (objects emit species that enter the eye). Both theories appear metaphorically in Shakespeare’s language of seeing: lovers’ eyes shooting beams, beauty entering through the eyes to wound the heart.
“See” as Understanding
The metaphorical extension of see to mean “understand” was fully established by Shakespeare’s time. When Hamlet says “I see,” he means “I comprehend.” This equation of sight with insight pervades Elizabethan drama, where physical blindness often accompanies moral clarity (Gloucester in King Lear) and keen-sighted characters may be morally blind.
Prophetic Seeing
The verb see also carried prophetic weight. Seers and prophets “see” what others cannot; dreams and visions reveal truth to those who “see” them. This biblical resonance (the prophet Samuel is called “the seer”) enriched Elizabethan usage.
Social Registers
The second-person forms with see carried social information: Seest thou implied intimacy, condescension, or strong emotion; See you maintained respectful distance. Switching from you to thou mid-conversation could signal rising anger—as when Hamlet shifts registers addressing Gertrude.
Regional Variation
While London usage forms the basis of most Elizabethan drama, regional variation existed. Northern dialects preserved features like sees for all persons (”I sees,” “thou sees”), occasionally used for comic effect in stage rustics.
Idiomatic Expressions
Common idioms using see included: -
See to it — ensure that something happens -
Let me see — give me time to consider -
I’ll see you hanged first — emphatic refusal -
We shall see — the outcome remains uncertain -
See reason — come to understand logically
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Source: William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I, Scene ii (c. 1600)
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
Methinks (mɪ.θɪŋks) me-thinks I (ɑɪ) I see (seː) see-PRES my (mɑɪ) my father (faː.ðər) father
Where (ʍɛːr) where my (mɑɪ) my lord (lɔːrd) lord
In (ɪn) in my (mɑɪ) my mind’s (mɑɪndz) mind-GEN eye (ɑɪ) eye Horatio (hɒ.reɪ.ʃɪ.oː) Horatio
I (ɑɪ) I saw (sɔː) see-PAST him (hɪm) him once (wʊns) once he (heː) he was (wɒz) be-PAST a (ə) a goodly (gʊd.lɪ) goodly king (kɪŋ) king
He (heː) he was (wɒz) be-PAST a (ə) a man (man) man take (taːk) take-IMP him (hɪm) him for (fɔːr) for all (ɔːl) all in (ɪn) in all (ɔːl) all
I (ɑɪ) I shall (ʃal) shall not (nɒt) not look (lʊk) look-INF upon (ə.pɒn) upon his (hɪz) his like (lɑɪk) like again (ə.gaɪn) again
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
HAMLET: Methinks I see my father.
HORATIO: Where, my lord?
HAMLET: In my mind’s eye, Horatio.
HORATIO: I saw him once; he was a goodly king.
HAMLET: He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.
Translation: “It seems to me I perceive my father.” “Where, my lord?” “In my imagination, Horatio.” “I beheld him once; he was an excellent king.” “He was a complete man, considering everything together; I shall never behold his equal again.”
F-C: Elizabethan Text Only
Methinks I see my father.
Where, my lord?
In my mind’s eye, Horatio.
I saw him once; he was a goodly king.
He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.
F-D: Vocabulary and Grammar Notes
Methinks — Impersonal verb meaning “it seems to me,” from Old English mē þyncþ. The me- is a dative pronoun, not the subject. This construction was archaic even in Shakespeare’s time, lending elevated tone.
Mind’s eye — A now-proverbial phrase, though Shakespeare may have coined it. The genitive mind’s modifies eye, creating the metaphor of imagination as internal vision.
Goodly — An adjective meaning “excellent, admirable, handsome.” More emphatic than simple “good.”
Take him for all in all — An idiom meaning “considering him in every respect, as a complete whole.”
Look upon his like — “Behold his equal.” Like here is a noun meaning “equal, match.”
F-E: Commentary on Technique
This passage demonstrates Shakespeare’s characteristic layering of see and its synonyms. Hamlet’s methinks I see triggers Horatio’s literal interpretation (Where?), which Hamlet redirects to metaphorical seeing (my mind’s eye). Horatio then offers his own witness (I saw him once), grounding Hamlet’s vision in shared memory. The final lines shift to look upon, a more deliberate, evaluative form of seeing.
The interplay between internal vision (imagination, memory, grief) and external sight runs throughout Hamlet—the Ghost will soon make the unseen visible, demanding that characters literally see what Hamlet has only imagined. Shakespeare exploits the full semantic range of see: physical perception, memory, judgment, prophecy.
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Since “see” is a perception verb, this genre section presents a narrative monologue in the theatrical tradition, demonstrating varied uses of “see” in dramatic context.
48.16 I (ɑɪ) I stood (stʊd) stand-PAST upon (ə.pɒn) upon the (ðə) the stage (staːdʒ) stage and (and) and saw (sɔː) see-PAST the (ðə) the groundlings (graʊnd.lɪŋz) groundlings press (prɛs) press-INF close (kloːz) close
48.17 Their (ðɛːr) their faces (faː.sɪz) faces turned (tʊrnd) turn-PAST toward (toː.wərd) toward me (meː) me that (ðat) so-that I (ɑɪ) I might (mɑɪt) might see (seː) see-INF each (iːtʃ) each expectation (ɛks.pɛk.taː.sɪ.ʊn) expectation
48.18 See (seː) see-IMP how (haʊ) how the (ðə) the afternoon (aːf.tər.nuːn) afternoon light (lɑɪt) light doth (dʊθ) do-3SG fall (fɔːl) fall-INF upon (ə.pɒn) upon this (ðɪs) this wooden (wʊ.dən) wooden O (oː) O
48.19 I (ɑɪ) I saw (sɔː) see-PAST lords (lɔːrdz) lords and (and) and ladies (laː.dɪz) ladies in (ɪn) in the (ðə) the galleries (ga.lə.rɪz) galleries lean (leːn) lean-INF forth (fɔːrθ) forth
48.20 And (and) and now (naʊ) now must (mʊst) must I (ɑɪ) I see (seː) see-INF my (mɑɪ) my purpose (pʊr.pəs) purpose through (θruː) through to (tʊ) to the (ðə) the end (ɛnd) end
48.21 The (ðə) the player (plaɪ.ər) player king (kɪŋ) king saw (sɔː) see-PAST his (hɪz) his queen (kweːn) queen weep (weːp) weep-INF counterfeit (kaʊn.tər.fɪt) counterfeit tears (tɪːrz) tears
48.22 Seest (seːst) see-2SG thou (ðaʊ) thou quoth (kwoːθ) quoth I (ɑɪ) I how (haʊ) how art (aːrt) art doth (dʊθ) do-3SG hold (hoːld) hold-INF a (ə) a mirror (mɪ.rər) mirror up (ʊp) up to (tʊ) to nature (naː.tjʊr) nature
48.23 Yet (jɛt) yet some (sʊm) some there (ðɛːr) there be (beː) be-SUBJ who (huː) who see (seː) see-PRES naught (nɔːt) nothing but (bʊt) but painted (paɪn.tɪd) paint-PAST show** (ʃoː) show
48.24 I (ɑɪ) I have (hav) have-PRES seen (seːn) see-PASTPART the (ðə) the guilty (gɪl.tɪ) guilty creature (kriː.tjʊr) creature sitting (sɪ.tɪŋ) sit-PRES.PART at (at) at a (ə) a play (plaɪ) play
48.25 By (bɑɪ) by the (ðə) the cunning (kʊ.nɪŋ) cunning of (ɒv) of the (ðə) the scene (seːn) scene struck (strʊk) strike-PAST to (tʊ) to the (ðə) the soul (soːl) soul
48.26 That (ðat) so-that presently (prɛ.zɪnt.lɪ) presently they (ðeɪ) they proclaimed (proː.klaɪmd) proclaim-PAST their (ðɛːr) their malefactions (ma.lɪ.fak.sɪ.ʊnz) malefactions
48.27 See (seː) see-IMP then (ðɛn) then what (ʍɒt) what service (sɛr.vɪs) service playing (plaɪ.ɪŋ) play-PRES.PART doth (dʊθ) do-3SG to (tʊ) to the (ðə) the commonwealth (kɒ.mən.wɛlθ) commonwealth
48.28 I (ɑɪ) I saw (sɔː) see-PAST a (ə) a young (jʊŋ) young gallant (ga.lənt) gallant weep (weːp) weep-INF at (at) at my (mɑɪ) my passion (pa.sɪ.ʊn) passion
48.29 His (hɪz) his eyes (ɑɪz) eyes saw (sɔː) see-PAST not (nɒt) not the (ðə) the boards (bɔːrdz) boards but (bʊt) but Troy (trɔɪ) Troy itself (ɪt.sɛlf) itself in (ɪn) in flames (flaɪmz) flames
48.30 Now (naʊ) now do (duː) do-PRES I (ɑɪ) I see (seː) see-INF that (ðat) that this (ðɪs) this poor (puːr) poor craft (kraft) craft of (ɒv) of ours (aʊrz) ours hath (haθ) have-3SG worth (wʊrθ) worth beyond (bɪ.jɒnd) beyond measure (mɛ.ʒʊr) measure
48.16 I stood upon the stage and saw the groundlings press close. “I took my place upon the platform and beheld the standing audience crowd near.”
48.17 Their faces turned toward me, that I might see each expectation. “Their countenances oriented toward me, so that I could perceive every anticipation.”
48.18 See how the afternoon light doth fall upon this wooden O. “Observe how the midday illumination descends upon this circular playhouse.”
48.19 I saw lords and ladies in the galleries lean forth. “I beheld noblemen and gentlewomen in the upper seats inclining forward.”
48.20 And now must I see my purpose through to the end. “And now I must carry my intention through to completion.”
48.21 The player king saw his queen weep counterfeit tears. “The actor portraying the monarch beheld his stage-queen shed feigned tears.”
48.22 Seest thou, quoth I, how art doth hold a mirror up to nature? “Do you perceive, said I, how drama presents a reflection of reality?”
48.23 Yet some there be who see naught but painted show. “Nevertheless, some exist who perceive nothing beyond colored spectacle.”
48.24 I have seen the guilty creature sitting at a play. “I have witnessed the culpable person seated at a theatrical performance.”
48.25 By the cunning of the scene struck to the soul. “By the artfulness of the dramatic moment, pierced to their inmost being.”
48.26 That presently they proclaimed their malefactions. “So that immediately they confessed their crimes.”
48.27 See then what service playing doth to the commonwealth. “Observe therefore what benefit theatrical performance renders to the state.”
48.28 I saw a young gallant weep at my passion. “I beheld a young gentleman weep during my impassioned speech.”
48.29 His eyes saw not the boards but Troy itself in flames. “His sight perceived not the stage floor but the burning city of Troy.”
48.30 Now do I see that this poor craft of ours hath worth beyond measure. “Now I perceive that this humble art of ours possesses value beyond calculation.”
48.16 I stood upon the stage and saw the groundlings press close.
48.17 Their faces turned toward me, that I might see each expectation.
48.18 See how the afternoon light doth fall upon this wooden O.
48.19 I saw lords and ladies in the galleries lean forth.
48.20 And now must I see my purpose through to the end.
48.21 The player king saw his queen weep counterfeit tears.
48.22 Seest thou, quoth I, how art doth hold a mirror up to nature?
48.23 Yet some there be who see naught but painted show.
48.24 I have seen the guilty creature sitting at a play.
48.25 By the cunning of the scene struck to the soul.
48.26 That presently they proclaimed their malefactions.
48.27 See then what service playing doth to the commonwealth.
48.28 I saw a young gallant weep at my passion.
48.29 His eyes saw not the boards but Troy itself in flames.
48.30 Now do I see that this poor craft of ours hath worth beyond measure.
“See my purpose through” — The phrasal construction see through meaning “carry to completion” was current in Elizabethan English. The object purpose intervenes between verb and particle.
“Quoth I” — The verb quoth (past tense only, defective) introduces direct speech: “said I.” Inversion of subject-verb is standard with quotatives.
“Some there be who” — Elizabethan syntax frequently inverts subject and verb with existential there: there be some → some there be. The subjunctive be rather than indicative are adds formality.
“Malefactions” — A Latinate noun (/ma.lɪ.fak.sɪ.ʊnz/ in period pronunciation) meaning “evil deeds, crimes.” The -tion ending here represents the suffix -tion + plural -s.
“This wooden O” — Shakespeare’s own phrase (from the Prologue to Henry V) describing the circular Globe Theatre. The demonstrative this combined with the metaphor O for the round playhouse.
Inverted Question Order — Seest thou preserves older verb-subject order in questions, still grammatical in elevated Elizabethan style alongside emerging Dost thou see.
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