ABSTRACT
The chapter looks at Shakespeare language studies during the first half of the twentieth century. A major theme is the period’s desire to delve below the surface and reveal aspects of Shakespeare’s writing not at first evident. Empson’s work on ambiguity, which often uses examples from Shakespeare, is considered. Then studies in imagery, particularly by Spurgeon and Clemen, are described in detail. The former is particularly concerned with discovering images thought to reflect aspects of Shakespeare’s personal life. The latter shows a development in Shakespeare’s imagery, as images increasingly come to play a more intrinsic role in the writing, rather than simply being added for rhetorical colour. It is shown how Partridge’s work uncovers the extent of the bawdy dimension to Shakespeare’s work; the lexical explorations of Onions (an OED editor for a time) are also discussed.
