The verb come stands among the most essential motion verbs in Elizabethan English, expressing movement toward the speaker, arrival, approach, and figurative senses of occurrence and becoming. In Shakespeare’s theatrical world, come frequently carries dramatic weight—characters summon one another, arrive at fateful moments, and announce approaching events with this word.
The Elizabethan conjugation of come preserves older Germanic strong verb patterns, with distinct forms for familiar second person (thou comest) and formal third person (he cometh). The past tense came shows the characteristic vowel alternation (ablaut) of strong verbs, while the past participle varies between the archaic comen and the newer come.
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FAQ: What does “come” mean in Elizabethan English?
The verb come in Elizabethan English functions as a verb of motion expressing approach toward the speaker or a designated point, arrival at a destination, occurrence of events, and emergence into a state or condition. It conjugates as a strong verb with ablaut (vowel change) in its principal parts: come (infinitive/present), came (past), come/comen (past participle).
This lesson presents 30 examples demonstrating come in various grammatical positions, tenses, moods, and dramatic contexts appropriate to the Shakespearean stage.
Key Takeaways -
The second person singular familiar form is comest (thou comest) -
The third person singular takes -eth (he cometh) or -es/-s (he comes) -
The imperative come frequently opens speeches and summons -
Come combines with prepositions and adverbs for directional nuance -
The subjunctive mood uses the bare stem come for wishes and hypotheticals
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Elizabethan English (Early Modern English, c. 1550–1620) represents the language during and after the Great Vowel Shift. Period pronunciation differs from modern Received Pronunciation in several key respects:
Vowel Distinctions: -
Long vowels had mostly shifted but retained some continental qualities -
The vowel in come, love, blood still approximated [ʊ] (rhyming with modern put) -
The diphthong in time, life was approximately [əɪ] rather than modern [aɪ]
Consonant Features: -
Initial clusters /kn-/, /gn-/, /wr-/ were still fully pronounced (know = [knoː]) -
The sequence “wh-” represented [hw], distinct from “w” [w] -
Post-vocalic /r/ was fully rhotic in all positions
The “-tion” Suffix: -
Crucially, -tion was pronounced [sjʊn] or [sɪən], NOT modern [ʃən] -
Thus motion = [ˈmoːsjʊn], question = [ˈkwɛstjʊn], fashion = [ˈfasjʊn]
IPA Key for This Lesson: -
come [kʊm] — the vowel resembles modern put -
comest [ˈkʊmɪst] — second person singular -
cometh [ˈkʊmɪθ] — third person singular archaic -
came [kaːm] or [kɛːm] — past tense, still with long vowel -
comen [ˈkʊmən] — archaic past participle
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49.1a Come hither, good fellow, and speak thy mind. 49.1b Come [kʊm] come-IMP hither [ˈhɪðər] to-here good [ɡʊːd] good fellow [ˈfɛloː] fellow and [and] and speak [speːk] speak-IMP thy [ðaɪ] your-FAM mind [məɪnd] mind
49.2a The messenger cometh with tidings from the war. 49.2b The [ðə] the messenger [ˈmɛsəndʒər] messenger cometh [ˈkʊmɪθ] comes-3SG with [wɪθ] with tidings [ˈtaɪdɪŋz] news from [frʊm] from the [ðə] the war [waːr] war
49.3a Thou comest too late to save the dying king. 49.3b Thou [ðaʊ] you-FAM comest [ˈkʊmɪst] come-2SG too [tuː] too late [laːt] late to [tʊ] to save [saːv] save the [ðə] the dying [ˈdəɪɪŋ] dying king [kɪŋ] king
49.4a When darkness comes, we shall make our escape. 49.4b When [hwɛn] when darkness [ˈdaːrknɪs] darkness comes [kʊmz] comes-3SG we [weː] we shall [ʃal] shall make [maːk] make our [aʊr] our escape [ɪsˈkaːp] escape
49.5a I came upon the villain by chance in the forest. 49.5b I [əɪ] I came [kaːm] came-PAST upon [əˈpɒn] upon the [ðə] the villain [ˈvɪlən] villain by [baɪ] by chance [tʃaːns] chance in [ɪn] in the [ðə] the forest [ˈfɒrɪst] forest
49.6a Let the truth come forth, howsoever bitter it be. 49.6b Let [lɛt] let the [ðə] the truth [truːθ] truth come [kʊm] come-SBJV forth [fɔːrθ] forth howsoever [haʊsoːˈɛvər] howsoever bitter [ˈbɪtər] bitter it [ɪt] it be [beː] be-SBJV
49.7a From whence comes this strange music upon the air? 49.7b From [frʊm] from whence [hwɛns] whence comes [kʊmz] comes-3SG this [ðɪs] this strange [straːndʒ] strange music [ˈmjuːzɪk] music upon [əˈpɒn] upon the [ðə] the air [ɛːr] air
49.8a She hath come to plead for her brother’s life. 49.8b She [ʃeː] she hath [haθ] has-3SG come [kʊm] come-PTCP to [tʊ] to plead [pleːd] plead for [fɔːr] for her [hɛr] her brother’s [ˈbrʊðərz] brother’s life [ləɪf] life
49.9a The day shall come when thou wilt rue these words. 49.9b The [ðə] the day [daɪ] day shall [ʃal] shall come [kʊm] come when [hwɛn] when thou [ðaʊ] you-FAM wilt [wɪlt] will-2SG rue [ruː] regret these [ðeːz] these words [wɜrdz] words
49.10a Come now, be not so melancholy in thy disposition. 49.10b Come [kʊm] come-IMP now [naʊ] now be [beː] be-IMP not [nɒt] not so [soː] so melancholy [ˈmɛlənkɒlɪ] melancholy in [ɪn] in thy [ðaɪ] your-FAM disposition [dɪspəˈzɪsjʊn] disposition
49.11a They came with swords drawn and murder in their hearts. 49.11b They [ðeɪ] they came [kaːm] came-PAST with [wɪθ] with swords [sɔːrdz] swords drawn [draːn] drawn and [and] and murder [ˈmɜrdər] murder in [ɪn] in their [ðɛːr] their hearts [haːrts] hearts
49.12a What new calamity comes to vex our troubled state? 49.12b What [hwat] what new [njuː] new calamity [kəˈlamɪtɪ] calamity comes [kʊmz] comes-3SG to [tʊ] to vex [vɛks] vex our [aʊr] our troubled [ˈtrʊbəld] troubled state [staːt] state
49.13a If he come not by midnight, we must proceed without him. 49.13b If [ɪf] if he [heː] he come [kʊm] come-SBJV not [nɒt] not by [baɪ] by midnight [ˈmɪdnəɪt] midnight we [weː] we must [mʊst] must proceed [prəˈsiːd] proceed without [wɪθˈaʊt] without him [hɪm] him
49.14a The spring comes early this year unto our northern climes. 49.14b The [ðə] the spring [sprɪŋ] spring comes [kʊmz] comes-3SG early [ˈɜrlɪ] early this [ðɪs] this year [jɪːr] year unto [ˈʊntuː] unto our [aʊr] our northern [ˈnɔːrðərn] northern climes [kləɪmz] regions
49.15a Thus hath destiny come full circle at the last. 49.15b Thus [ðʊs] thus hath [haθ] has-3SG destiny [ˈdɛstɪnɪ] destiny come [kʊm] come-PTCP full [fʊl] full circle [ˈsɜrkəl] circle at [at] at the [ðə] the last [laːst] last
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49.1 Come hither, good fellow, and speak thy mind. “Come here, good fellow, and speak your mind.”
49.2 The messenger cometh with tidings from the war. “The messenger arrives with news from the war.”
49.3 Thou comest too late to save the dying king. “You arrive too late to save the dying king.”
49.4 When darkness comes, we shall make our escape. “When darkness falls, we shall make our escape.”
49.5 I came upon the villain by chance in the forest. “I encountered the villain by chance in the forest.”
49.6 Let the truth come forth, howsoever bitter it be. “Let the truth emerge, however bitter it may be.”
49.7 From whence comes this strange music upon the air? “Where does this strange music in the air come from?”
49.8 She hath come to plead for her brother’s life. “She has come to plead for her brother’s life.”
49.9 The day shall come when thou wilt rue these words. “The day will come when you will regret these words.”
49.10 Come now, be not so melancholy in thy disposition. “Come now, do not be so gloomy in your temperament.”
49.11 They came with swords drawn and murder in their hearts. “They arrived with swords drawn and murder in their hearts.”
49.12 What new calamity comes to vex our troubled state? “What new disaster arrives to trouble our afflicted nation?”
49.13 If he come not by midnight, we must proceed without him. “If he does not arrive by midnight, we must proceed without him.”
49.14 The spring comes early this year unto our northern climes. “Spring arrives early this year in our northern regions.”
49.15 Thus hath destiny come full circle at the last. “Thus has destiny come full circle in the end.”
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49.1 Come hither, good fellow, and speak thy mind.
49.2 The messenger cometh with tidings from the war.
49.3 Thou comest too late to save the dying king.
49.4 When darkness comes, we shall make our escape.
49.5 I came upon the villain by chance in the forest.
49.6 Let the truth come forth, howsoever bitter it be.
49.7 From whence comes this strange music upon the air?
49.8 She hath come to plead for her brother’s life.
49.9 The day shall come when thou wilt rue these words.
49.10 Come now, be not so melancholy in thy disposition.
49.11 They came with swords drawn and murder in their hearts.
49.12 What new calamity comes to vex our troubled state?
49.13 If he come not by midnight, we must proceed without him.
49.14 The spring comes early this year unto our northern climes.
49.15 Thus hath destiny come full circle at the last.
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These are the grammar rules for COME in Elizabethan English.
The verb come belongs to the class of strong verbs in English, characterized by vowel alternation (ablaut) rather than the dental suffix (-ed) to form the past tense. Its principal parts are: come (infinitive and present stem), came (past tense), and come or the archaic comen (past participle).
Present Tense Conjugation:
The first person singular uses the bare stem: I come [əɪ kʊm]. The second person singular familiar adds -est: thou comest [ðaʊ ˈkʊmɪst]. The third person singular has two variants: the older form cometh [ˈkʊmɪθ] and the newer form comes [kʊmz], both fully acceptable in Elizabethan usage. The plural forms (we come, ye come, they come) use the bare stem without inflection.
Past Tense:
All persons use came [kaːm] without variation: I came, thou camest (the -st being optional in the past), he came, we came, they came.
The Subjunctive Mood:
The subjunctive uses the bare stem come for all persons, appearing in conditional clauses (if he come), wishes (God grant he come safe), and after certain conjunctions (lest we come too late). This contrasts with the indicative comes/cometh and signals hypothetical, wished-for, or uncertain action.
The Imperative:
The command form uses the bare stem: Come! or with polite address Come, sir / Come, madam. The interjection Come, come serves to urge, encourage, or gently chide.
Perfect Constructions:
The present perfect combines have/hath with the past participle: I have come, she hath come. The past participle come (or archaic comen) also forms passive constructions and participial phrases.
Common Mistakes:
Modern speakers often substitute came for the subjunctive come in conditional clauses. The Elizabethan If he come not should not be rendered If he came not, which would indicate a past counterfactual rather than a present/future uncertainty.
Confusion between cometh and comes reflects no grammatical difference—both are third person singular present indicative, with -eth being the older, more formal suffix gradually replaced by -es/-s during the Elizabethan period.
The interrogative From whence comes... preserves the element of origin (whence = from where), making from whence technically redundant but idiomatically accepted in elevated style.
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Stage Conventions and the Verb of Arrival
On the Elizabethan stage, the verb come carried particular dramatic weight. With minimal scenery and no lighting effects, characters’ arrivals and departures structured theatrical time. A messenger crying The Duke comes! simultaneously informed the audience and other characters, creating anticipation for an entrance. The bare thrust stage, with audiences on three sides, made such verbal cues essential for dramatic rhythm.
Formal and Familiar Address
The distinction between thou comest (familiar/intimate) and you come (formal/respectful) encoded social relationships. A king addressing a subject might use thou to mark condescension or intimacy; a subject would use you respectfully. Shakespeare exploits these distinctions: when characters shift from you to thou, it signals emotional intensity, insult, or sudden intimacy.
Idiomatic Expressions with COME:
Come what may — whatever happens, regardless of consequences. This fatalistic expression accepts uncertainty about future events.
Come to pass — to happen, to occur. This phrase treats events as arriving at their destined moment.
Come by — to obtain, to acquire. The spatial metaphor extends to possession.
Come upon — to encounter, to discover by chance. Suggests unexpected meeting.
Ill comes of it — bad results follow from some action. Personifies consequences as arriving visitors.
Regional and Social Variation:
The -eth ending (cometh) was already somewhat archaic by Shakespeare’s time, associated with formal, liturgical, or elevated registers. The -es/-s ending (comes) represented colloquial London speech. Both appear in Shakespeare’s plays, with -eth often reserved for solemn moments and -s for more natural dialogue. Northern dialects retained older forms longer, while London English led the shift toward modern conjugation.
Proverbial Usage:
First come, first served — priority by order of arrival. Easy come, easy go — what is easily acquired is easily lost. All good things come to those who wait — patience brings reward. These proverbs embed the motion verb come in moral wisdom about life’s patterns.
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From William Shakespeare’s Macbeth (c. 1606), Act I, Scene 5
Lady Macbeth reads her husband’s letter announcing the witches’ prophecy, then invokes dark powers:
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
Come [kʊm] come-IMP you [juː] you spirits [ˈspɪrɪts] spirits that [ðat] that tend [tɛnd] tend on [ɒn] on mortal [ˈmɔːrtəl] mortal thoughts [θɔːts] thoughts unsex [ʊnˈsɛks] unsex-IMP me [meː] me here [hɪːr] here and [and] and fill [fɪl] fill-IMP me [meː] me from [frʊm] from the [ðə] the crown [kraʊn] crown to [tʊ] to the [ðə] the toe [toː] toe top-full [ˈtɒpfʊl] brimming of [ʊv] of direst [ˈdəɪrɪst] most-dire cruelty [ˈkruːəltɪ] cruelty make [maːk] make-IMP thick [θɪk] thick my [məɪ] my blood [blʊd] blood stop [stɒp] stop-IMP up [ʊp] up the [ðə] the access [ˈaksɛs] access and [and] and passage [ˈpasɪdʒ] passage to [tʊ] to remorse [rɪˈmɔːrs] remorse
F-B: Authentic Text with Translation
Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood. Stop up the access and passage to remorse.
“Come, you spirits that attend to deadly thoughts, strip me of my femininity here, and fill me from head to toe completely with the most terrible cruelty. Thicken my blood. Block the pathway to remorse.”
F-C: Authentic Text Only
Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood. Stop up the access and passage to remorse.
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
The imperative Come opens Lady Macbeth’s invocation, summoning supernatural spirits with commanding force. The verb’s placement at line’s beginning gives it maximum dramatic impact—she does not merely wish for assistance but imperiously demands it.
Tend on means “attend to” or “serve,” with the preposition on (modern English would use “to”). Mortal here means “deadly” or “fatal,” not simply “human.” The compound top-full intensifies full, meaning “completely full to the brim.”
The series of imperatives (come, unsex, fill, make, stop up) creates an insistent rhythmic pattern, each command building Lady Macbeth’s unnatural determination. Shakespeare places Come to initiate this terrible transformation, making arrival the first step toward evil.
Source: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. First Folio, 1623. Act I, Scene 5, lines 40–44.
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A scene in which messengers, nobles, and a monarch employ the verb COME in various dramatic situations.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
49.16a Enter Messenger. Your Grace, ill news comes from the northern border. 49.16b Enter [ˈɛntər] enter-STAGE Messenger [ˈmɛsəndʒər] messenger Your [jɔːr] your Grace [ɡraːs] grace ill [ɪl] bad news [njuːz] news comes [kʊmz] comes-3SG from [frʊm] from the [ðə] the northern [ˈnɔːrðərn] northern border [ˈbɔːrdər] border
49.17a What manner of calamity comes upon us now? 49.17b What [hwat] what manner [ˈmanər] kind of [ʊv] of calamity [kəˈlamɪtɪ] disaster comes [kʊmz] comes-3SG upon [əˈpɒn] upon us [ʊs] us now [naʊ] now
49.18a The rebel Earl hath come with ten thousand men at arms. 49.18b The [ðə] the rebel [ˈrɛbəl] rebel Earl [ɜrl] earl hath [haθ] has-3SG come [kʊm] come-PTCP with [wɪθ] with ten [tɛn] ten thousand [ˈθaʊzənd] thousand men [mɛn] men at [at] at arms [aːrmz] arms
49.19a How came he to gather such a mighty host so swiftly? 49.19b How [haʊ] how came [kaːm] came-PAST he [heː] he to [tʊ] to gather [ˈɡaðər] gather such [sʊtʃ] such a [a] a mighty [ˈməɪtɪ] mighty host [hoːst] army so [soː] so swiftly [ˈswɪftlɪ] swiftly
49.20a Discontented lords came flocking to his banner from every shire. 49.20b Discontented [dɪskənˈtɛntɪd] discontented lords [lɔːrdz] lords came [kaːm] came-PAST flocking [ˈflɒkɪŋ] flocking to [tʊ] to his [hɪz] his banner [ˈbanər] banner from [frʊm] from every [ˈɛvrɪ] every shire [ʃəɪr] county
49.21a Then let our loyal captains come to council this very hour. 49.21b Then [ðɛn] then let [lɛt] let our [aʊr] our loyal [ˈlɔɪəl] loyal captains [ˈkaptɪnz] captains come [kʊm] come-SBJV to [tʊ] to council [ˈkaʊnsəl] council this [ðɪs] this very [ˈvɛrɪ] very hour [aʊr] hour
49.22a My liege, Lord Hastings comes even now through the outer gate. 49.22b My [məɪ] my liege [liːdʒ] liege Lord [lɔːrd] lord Hastings [ˈhaːstɪŋz] Hastings comes [kʊmz] comes-3SG even [ˈiːvən] even now [naʊ] now through [θruː] through the [ðə] the outer [ˈaʊtər] outer gate [ɡaːt] gate
49.23a Bid him come before us with all speed and ceremony set aside. 49.23b Bid [bɪd] bid-IMP him [hɪm] him come [kʊm] come-INF before [bɪˈfɔːr] before us [ʊs] us with [wɪθ] with all [aːl] all speed [speːd] speed and [and] and ceremony [ˈsɛrɪmoːnɪ] ceremony set [sɛt] set aside [əˈsəɪd] aside
49.24a Enter Lord Hastings. I come as swiftly as these aged limbs permit. 49.24b Enter [ˈɛntər] enter-STAGE Lord [lɔːrd] lord Hastings [ˈhaːstɪŋz] Hastings I [əɪ] I come [kʊm] come-1SG as [az] as swiftly [ˈswɪftlɪ] swiftly as [az] as these [ðeːz] these aged [ˈaːdʒɪd] aged limbs [lɪmz] limbs permit [pərˈmɪt] permit
49.25a Thou comest in a dark hour for England and her sovereign. 49.25b Thou [ðaʊ] you-FAM comest [ˈkʊmɪst] come-2SG in [ɪn] in a [a] a dark [daːrk] dark hour [aʊr] hour for [fɔːr] for England [ˈɪŋɡlənd] England and [and] and her [hɛr] her sovereign [ˈsɒvrɪn] sovereign
49.26a I came as soon as word reached me in my country estate. 49.26b I [əɪ] I came [kaːm] came-PAST as [az] as soon [suːn] soon as [az] as word [wɜrd] word reached [reːtʃt] reached me [meː] me in [ɪn] in my [məɪ] my country [ˈkʊntrɪ] country estate [ɪsˈtaːt] estate
49.27a Come what may, we shall not yield an inch of English soil. 49.27b Come [kʊm] come-SBJV what [hwat] what may [maɪ] may we [weː] we shall [ʃal] shall not [nɒt] not yield [jiːld] yield an [an] an inch [ɪntʃ] inch of [ʊv] of English [ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ] English soil [sɔɪl] soil
49.28a If reinforcements come not within the fortnight, all is lost. 49.28b If [ɪf] if reinforcements [riːɪnˈfɔːrsmənts] reinforcements come [kʊm] come-SBJV not [nɒt] not within [wɪθˈɪn] within the [ðə] the fortnight [ˈfɔːrtnəɪt] fortnight all [aːl] all is [ɪz] is lost [lɒst] lost
49.29a The Queen comes forth to speak with such resolution as amazes me. 49.29b The [ðə] the Queen [kwiːn] queen comes [kʊmz] comes-3SG forth [fɔːrθ] forth to [tʊ] to speak [speːk] speak with [wɪθ] with such [sʊtʃ] such resolution [rɛsəˈljuːsjʊn] resolution as [az] as amazes [əˈmaːzɪz] amazes me [meː] me
49.30a Exeunt. Thus comes the hour when crowns and kingdoms hang upon a word. 49.30b Exeunt [ˈɛksɪʊnt] they-exit-STAGE Thus [ðʊs] thus comes [kʊmz] comes-3SG the [ðə] the hour [aʊr] hour when [hwɛn] when crowns [kraʊnz] crowns and [and] and kingdoms [ˈkɪŋdəmz] kingdoms hang [haŋ] hang upon [əˈpɒn] upon a [a] a word [wɜrd] word
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Part B: Natural Sentences
49.16 Enter Messenger. Your Grace, ill news comes from the northern border. “[Enter Messenger.] Your Grace, bad news arrives from the northern border.”
49.17 What manner of calamity comes upon us now? “What kind of disaster befalls us now?”
49.18 The rebel Earl hath come with ten thousand men at arms. “The rebellious Earl has arrived with ten thousand armed soldiers.”
49.19 How came he to gather such a mighty host so swiftly? “How did he manage to assemble such a great army so quickly?”
49.20 Discontented lords came flocking to his banner from every shire. “Dissatisfied nobles flocked to his banner from every county.”
49.21 Then let our loyal captains come to council this very hour. “Then let our loyal commanders assemble for council this very hour.”
49.22 My liege, Lord Hastings comes even now through the outer gate. “My sovereign, Lord Hastings is arriving just now through the outer gate.”
49.23 Bid him come before us with all speed and ceremony set aside. “Tell him to come before us quickly, dispensing with ceremony.”
49.24 Enter Lord Hastings. I come as swiftly as these aged limbs permit. “[Enter Lord Hastings.] I arrive as quickly as my old legs allow.”
49.25 Thou comest in a dark hour for England and her sovereign. “You arrive at a dark time for England and her ruler.”
49.26 I came as soon as word reached me in my country estate. “I departed as soon as news reached me at my country home.”
49.27 Come what may, we shall not yield an inch of English soil. “Whatever happens, we will not surrender an inch of English territory.”
49.28 If reinforcements come not within the fortnight, all is lost. “If reinforcements do not arrive within two weeks, all is lost.”
49.29 The Queen comes forth to speak with such resolution as amazes me. “The Queen emerges to speak with such determination that it astonishes me.”
49.30 Exeunt. Thus comes the hour when crowns and kingdoms hang upon a word. “[They exit.] Thus arrives the moment when crowns and kingdoms depend upon a single word.”
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Part C: Elizabethan Text Only
49.16 Enter Messenger. Your Grace, ill news comes from the northern border.
49.17 What manner of calamity comes upon us now?
49.18 The rebel Earl hath come with ten thousand men at arms.
49.19 How came he to gather such a mighty host so swiftly?
49.20 Discontented lords came flocking to his banner from every shire.
49.21 Then let our loyal captains come to council this very hour.
49.22 My liege, Lord Hastings comes even now through the outer gate.
49.23 Bid him come before us with all speed and ceremony set aside.
49.24 Enter Lord Hastings. I come as swiftly as these aged limbs permit.
49.25 Thou comest in a dark hour for England and her sovereign.
49.26 I came as soon as word reached me in my country estate.
49.27 Come what may, we shall not yield an inch of English soil.
49.28 If reinforcements come not within the fortnight, all is lost.
49.29 The Queen comes forth to speak with such resolution as amazes me.
49.30 Exeunt. Thus comes the hour when crowns and kingdoms hang upon a word.
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Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
This theatrical dialogue demonstrates come across multiple grammatical contexts:
Stage Directions and Present Tense: The present tense comes (49.16, 49.17, 49.22, 49.29, 49.30) narrates events as they unfold, creating dramatic immediacy. News comes, lords come, the Queen comes forth—each arrival structures the scene’s progression.
Perfect Tense for Completed Action: Hath come (49.18) indicates that the Earl’s arrival is a completed fact with present consequences. The perfect tense bridges past action and present crisis.
Interrogative with Past Tense: How came he...? (49.19) uses the past tense in a question about the manner of a completed action. Note the inverted word order typical of Elizabethan interrogatives.
The Subjunctive in Commands: Let our captains come (49.21) uses the subjunctive after let, expressing a wish or command that the council convene. The bare stem come (not comes) marks this mood.
Infinitive After BID: Bid him come (49.23) shows the infinitive without to after the causative verb bid, a construction retained from Old English syntax.
Conditional Subjunctive: If reinforcements come not (49.28) employs the subjunctive for a future condition whose fulfillment remains uncertain. Modern English would use do not come, but Elizabethan syntax places the negative not after the verb.
Idiomatic Expression: Come what may (49.27) is a subjunctive construction functioning as a concessive clause: “whatever may come.” The phrase has become frozen in modern English as an idiom.
Period Pronunciation Note: The word resolution in 49.29 would be pronounced [rɛsəˈljuːsjʊn] with the -tion suffix as [sjʊn], not modern [ʃən]. This affects the rhythm of the iambic line.
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Key Words from This Lesson with Elizabethan IPA:
come [kʊm] — vowel like modern put, not some comest [ˈkʊmɪst] — second person singular with -est suffix cometh [ˈkʊmɪθ] — third person singular with -eth suffix, voiceless th comes [kʊmz] — alternate third person singular, modern form came [kaːm] or [kɛːm] — long vowel, slightly different from modern hither [ˈhɪðər] — voiced th, rhotic final r whence [hwɛns] — initial hw cluster distinct from w tidings [ˈtaɪdɪŋz] — diphthong in first syllable resolution [rɛsəˈljuːsjʊn] — -tion as [sjʊn], not [ʃən] disposition [dɪspəˈzɪsjʊn] — -tion as [sjʊn], not [ʃən] ceremony [ˈsɛrɪmoːnɪ] — long o in penultimate syllable sovereign [ˈsɒvrɪn] — two syllables, not three fortnight [ˈfɔːrtnəɪt] — fourteen nights, rhotic r
Common Pronunciation Errors for Modern Speakers:
The tendency to use modern /ʌ/ (as in sun) for the vowel in come, love, blood should be resisted; use [ʊ] (as in put) instead. This preserves rhymes Shakespeare exploited (e.g., love/prove, come/doom).
Modern speakers often pronounce -tion as [ʃən]; Elizabethan pronunciation used [sjʊn] or [sɪən], with a clear t + y sequence rather than sh.
Initial wh- words (when, whence, what) should begin with [hw], distinguishing which from witch.
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This lesson is part of the Elizabethan English: A Latinum Institute Language Course series, designed for autodidactic learners who wish to read and understand the language of Shakespeare, Marlowe, and the King James Bible with fluency and confidence.
The Latinum Institute has produced language learning materials since 2006, serving students worldwide through its innovative construed text methodology. This approach presents parallel interlinear text with word-by-word glossing, enabling learners to absorb grammatical patterns naturally while reading authentic material.
Why Study Elizabethan English?
Early Modern English represents the foundation of modern literary culture. Shakespeare’s plays, the King James Bible, Marlowe’s mighty line, and the poetry of Donne, Herbert, and Milton all belong to this linguistic period. Understanding Elizabethan English unlocks direct access to these texts without the mediation of modernized editions.
The Construed Text Advantage:
By presenting each word with its gloss in sequence, the construed text method allows learners to read at their own pace without constantly flipping to footnotes or glossaries. The brain naturally absorbs patterns of meaning, gradually building comprehension until the target text becomes readable without aids.
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✓ Lesson 49 Elizabethan English complete
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