In Old English, thou was singular and you was plural; but during the 13th century, you started to be used as a polite form of the singular – probably because people copied the French way of talking, where vous was used in that way. English then became like French, which has tu and vous both possible for singulars, giving speakers a choice. It was usual for you to be used by inferiors to superiors – such as children to parents, or servants to masters; and thou would be used in return. But thou was also used to express special intimacy, as when addressing God, and it was usual when the lower classes talked to each other. Upper classes used you to each other, as a rule, even when they were closely related.
Accordingly, changing from thou to you or you to thou in a conversation always conveys a contrast in meaning - a change of attitude or an |
altered relationship. The potential role of thou as an insult, for example, is made clear by Sir Toby Belch, who advises Andrew Aguecheek to demean his enemy by calling him thou a few times (TN III.ii.43). Not all instances can be so clearly interpreted, and attitude glosses given below should be viewed as suggestive only.
The old singular/plural contrast may also still be seen, as in Hamlet’s switch from ‘Get thee to a nunnery’, spoken to Ophelia as an individual (Ham III.i.137), to ‘God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another’, still spoken to Ophelia, but plainly now addressing womankind as a whole (Ham III.i.144).
|
X and Y both use thou
| Example |
Location |
Participants |
Relationship |
| Whither wilt thou lead me? |
Ham I.v.1 |
Hamlet to Ghost |
son to father |
| lend thy serious hearing |
Ham I.v.5 |
Ghost to Hamlet |
father to son |
| Thou needest not to be gone |
RJ III.v.16 |
Juliet to Romeo |
lovers |
| so thou wilt have it so |
RJ III.v.18 |
Romeo to Juliet |
lovers |
X and Y both use you
| Example |
Location |
Participants |
Relationship |
| I thank you |
TNK II.i.150 |
Palamon to Arcite |
cousins |
| I would hear you still |
TNK II.i.165 |
Arcite to Palamon |
cousins |
| Have you the lion’s part written? |
MND I.ii.62 |
Snug to Quince
Snug to Quince |
neighbour to neighbour [as co-actors] |
| You may do it extempore |
MND I.ii.64 |
Quince to Snug |
neighbour to neighbour [as co-actors] |
X uses thou, Y uses you, showing different status
| Example |
Location |
Participants |
Relationship |
| thou art e’en as just a man |
Ham III.ii.64 |
Hamlet to Horatio |
prince to friend |
| at your service |
Ham III.ii.63 |
Horatio to Hamlet |
friend to prince |
| as thou sayest |
AYL I.i.3 |
Orlando to Adam |
master to servant |
| your brother |
AYL I.i.24 |
Adam to Orlando |
servant to master |
| thou swearest to me thou art honest |
AYL III.iii.22 |
Touchstone to Audrey |
court to country |
| Would you not have me honest? |
AYL III.iii.25 |
Audrey to Touchstone |
country to court |
X and Y switch from you to thou, as a sign of deteriorating relationships
| Example |
Location |
Participants |
Relationship |
| you must not love her |
TNK II.i.216 |
Palamon to Arcite |
formal between equals |
| I will not, as you do |
TNK II.i.217 |
Arcite to Palamon |
formal between equals |
| Thou art a traitor |
TNK II.i.226 |
Palamon to Arcite |
then continues with thou throughout the scene |
| why are you moved thus? |
TNK II.i.239 |
Arcite to Palamon |
tries to keep the peace |
| Thou darest not |
TNK II.i.270 |
Arcite to Palamon |
finally changes to thou |
| like a schoolboy you may overawe |
1H6 I.i.36 |
Gloucester [King’s uncle] to Winchester [King’s great-uncle] |
attacking the role of the Church |
| thou art Protector |
1H6 I.i.37 |
Winchester to Gloucester |
reacting to the attack |
| thou lovest the flesh |
1H6 I.i.41 |
Gloucester to Winchester |
responding in kind |
X uses thou and then you, marking a change of attitude
| Example |
Location |
Participants |
Relationship |
| Get thee to bed |
Ham I.i.7 |
Barnardo to Francisco |
friendly suggestion |
| Have you had quiet guard? |
Ham I.i.10 |
Barnardo to Francisco |
professional enquiry |
| Go thy ways to a nunnery |
Ham III.i.129 |
Hamlet to Ophelia |
intimate |
| Where’s your father? |
Ham III.i.130 |
Hamlet to Ophelia |
suspicion |
X uses you and then thou, marking a change of attitude
| Example |
Location |
Participants |
Relationship |
| What is your parentage |
TN I.v.266 |
Olivia to Viola as
Cesario |
formal |
| I’ll be sworn thou art |
TN I.v.280 |
Olivia alone, thinking of Viola as Cesario |
beginning to fall in love |
| And you are stayed for |
Ham I.iii.57 |
Polonius to Laertes |
father to son; a mock telling off |
| my blessing with thee |
Ham I.iii.57 |
Polonius to Laertes |
fatherly affection |
Complex interaction
In MA IV.i.264,ff, the way Benedick switches from you to thou provides an indication of his feelings and motivation during the scene. Interestingly, Beatrice always uses you to him, as she does to his face throughout the play. (Her one reference to him as thee is at MA III.i.111-13, when she is talking to herself.)
| Benedick: I do love nothing in the world so well as you; is not that strange? |
you |
tentative |
| Beatrice: As strange as the thing I know not. It were as possible for me to say I loved nothing so well as you; but believe me not, and yet I lie not; I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing. I am sorry for my cousin. |
you |
proper |
| Benedick: By my sword, Beatrice, thou lovest me. |
thou |
first attempt at intimacy |
| Beatrice: Do not swear, and eat it. |
rebuff |
|
| Benedick: I will swear by it that you love me; and I will make him eat it that says I love not you. |
you |
aggrieved reaction |
| Beatrice: Will you not eat your word? |
you |
|
| Benedick: With no sauce that can be devised to it; I protest I love thee. |
thee |
second attempt at intimacy |
| Beatrice: Why, then, God forgive me! |
|
|
| Benedick: What offence, sweet Beatrice? |
|
|
| Beatrice: You have stayed me in a happy hour; I was about to protest I loved you. |
you |
proper |
| Benedick: And do it with all thy heart. |
thy |
|
| Beatrice: I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest. |
you |
proper - unusual for an affirmation of love |
| Benedick: Come, bid me do anything for thee. |
thee |
intimate |
| Beatrice: Kill Claudio. |
|
|
| Benedick: Ha! Not for the wide world. |
|
|
| Beatrice: You kill me to deny it. Farewell. |
you |
rebuff |
| Benedick [taking her by the hand]: Tarry, sweet Beatrice. |
|
|
| Beatrice: I am gone, though I am here; there is no love in you. Nay, I pray you, let me go. |
you |
continued rebuff |
| ... |
|
|
| Benedick: Tarry, good Beatrice. By this hand, I love thee. |
thee |
intimate |
| Beatrice: Use it for my love some other way than swearing by it. |
|
|
| Benedick: Think you in your soul the Count Claudio hath wronged Hero? |
you |
serious subject-matter |
| Beatrice: Yea, as sure as I have a thought or a soul. |
|
|
| Benedick: Enough, I am engaged; I will challenge him. I will kiss your hand, and so I leave you. |
you |
business-like |