Certain words and phrases play an important role in maintaining the dynamic of conversational interaction and the flow of connected speech in a monologue. In its basic form, a dialogue contains two elements: X speaks and Y responds.
- Within X, some discourse features show how X is organizing the utterance, and others show X acknowledging Y’s presence.
- Within Y’s response, there are features which acknowledge what X has just said. |
Modern English has changed in many ways from Shakespearean English in this respect (though several expressions remain in use, such as I trust, well, come come). The list below illustrates some of the distinctive expressions.
Shakespeare was well aware of the communicative force of discourse markers and related expressions, judging by the sequence in Comedy of Errors (IV.iv.67,ff), when Dromio of Ephesus responds to Antipholus of Ephesus by varying the start of each utterance: |
Antipholus: Dined at home? Thou villain, what sayst thou?
Dromio: Sir, sooth to say, you did not dine at home.
Antipholus: Were not my doors locked up, and I shut out?
Dromio: Perdie, your doors were locked, and you shut out.
Antipholus: And did not she herself revile me there?
Dromio: Sans fable, she herself reviled you there.
Antipholus: Did not her kitchen-maid rail, taunt, and scorn me?
Dromio: Certes she did. The kitchen vestal scorned you.
Antipholus: And did not I in rage depart from thence?
Dromio: In verity you did.
Within X’s speech
X draws Y’s atttention to a point
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| conscience, o’ |
Per IV.ii.19 |
there’s two unwholesome, o’conscience |
[= on my conscience] I’m sure |
| fear me, I |
TN III.i.111 |
So did I abuse / Myself, my servant, and, I fear me, you |
I’m afraid, I fear |
| good deed |
WT I.ii.42 |
yet, good deed, Leontes, / I love thee |
indeed, in truth |
| good now |
WT V.i.19 |
[Leontes, of the word ‘killed’ being used against him] Now, good now, / Say so but seldom |
please, be so good as |
| know’t |
WT I.ii.204 |
Know’t: It will let in and out the enemy |
be certain of it |
| la |
Ham IV.v.57 |
Indeed, la, without an oath. I’ll make an end on’t |
indeed [i.e. an intensifier] |
| la you |
TN III.iv.100 |
La you, an you speak ill of the devil, how he takes it at heart! |
see, look now |
| law |
Per IV.i.77 |
Believe me, law, / I never killed a mouse, nor hurt a fly |
indeed |
| look you |
1H4 I.iii.236 |
[Hotspur, on being called a fool] Why, look you, I am whipped and scourged with rods |
can’t you see |
| prithee, I |
CE II.i.55 |
But say, I prithee, is he coming home? |
I beg you  POLITENESS |
| protest, I |
CE V.i.2 |
But I protest he had the chain of me |
I insist, I’m sure |
| say |
CE II.i.44 |
Say, is your tardy master now at hand? |
tell me |
| think it |
WT I.ii.202 |
and ’tis powerful, think it, / From east, west, north, and south |
be certain of it |
X reformulates or adds to a point
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| nay, more |
CE I.i.16 |
To admit no traffic to our adverse towns. / Nay, more: / If any born at Ephesus ... |
furthermore |
| which is more |
MW II.ii.74 |
there has been earls - nay, which is more, pensioners |
moreover |
X summarizes a point
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| all, this is for |
Ham I.iii.131 |
This is for all: / I would not ... / Have you ... give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet |
to sum up |
| concluded, be it |
WT I.ii.203 |
Be it concluded, / No barricado for a belly |
to sum up |
| few, in |
H5 I.ii.246 |
Thus then, in few: / Your highness ... |
in a few words |
| once this |
CE III.i.89 |
Once this: your long experience of her wisdom ... / Plead on her part some cause to you unknown |
in short |
| word, at a |
MW I.i.100 |
He hath wronged me, indeed he hath, at a word, he hath |
in short |
| word, with a |
1H4 II.iv.251 |
Then did we two set on you four, and, with a word, out-faced you from your prize |
in a word |
X lets Y know the utterance is about to end
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| end, there an |
TS V.ii.97 |
The fouler fortune mine, and there an end |
and that’s that |
| even so much |
TC I.iii.283 |
[Aeneas reporting Hector] ‘... and not worth / The splinter of a lance.’ Even so much. [Agamemnon] This shall be told our lovers |
this is all I was told to say |
| fine, in |
AW IV.iii.51 |
in fine, made a groan of her last breath, and now she sings in heaven |
finally, to conclude |
| soft |
CE II.ii.118 |
But soft - who wafts us yonder? |
stop, hold on |
X lets Y know the topic is changing
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| what though |
AYL III.iii.46 |
here we have ... no assembly but horn-beasts. But what though? Courage! |
what of it, so what |
Within Y’s response
Response sentences may be a simple yea or nay, as well as yes or no ( RESPONSES). But a response may carry an additional nuance.
An alternative or contrast
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| nay |
MW IV.iv.74 |
[Page] Go, send to Falstaff straight. [Ford] Nay, I’ll to him again in name of Brook |
rather |
| nay, but |
Cor I.i.253 |
[Brutus] Marked you his lip and eyes? [Sicinius] Nay, but his taunts. |
never mind X, what about Y |
A stronger degree of affirmation or assurance than ‘yes’
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| e’en so |
Ham V.i.196 |
[Hamlet] Dost thou think Alexander looked o’this fashion i’th’ earth? [Horatio] E’en so. |
exactly, quite |
| heart, with all my |
KL IV.vi.32 |
[Edgar] Now fare ye well, good sir. [Gloucester] With all my heart. |
I thoroughly agree with you |
| warrant you, I |
AC III.iii.47 |
[Cleopatra] All may be well enough. [Charmian] I warrant you, madam. |
I certainly agree |
| what else? |
3H6 IV.vi.56 |
[Warwick] And all his lands and goods be confiscate. [George] What else |
assuredly, certainly |
A stronger degree of denial or rejection than ‘no’
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| let go |
Cor III.ii.18 |
[Volumnia] I would have had you put your power well on / Before you had worn it out. [Coriolanus] Let go. |
enough, stop |
A confirmation check on what X has just said
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| pray ye? |
AC II.vi.111 |
[Enobarbus] But she is now the wife of Marcus Antonius. [Menas] Pray ye, sir? |
I beg your pardon? |
| say you? |
Ham IV.v.28 |
[Gertrude] Alas, sweet lady, what imports this song? [Ophelia] Say you? |
what did you say? |
| say’st me so? |
TS I.ii.187 |
[Petruchio] I hear no harm. [Gremio] No, say’st me so, friend? |
is that what you tell me? |
A prompt for X to continue
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| good |
TC I.ii.14 |
[Alexander] They call him Ajax. [Cressida] Good, and what of him? |
all right |
| good, make that |
TN I.v.6 |
[Feste] He that is well hanged in this world needs to fear no colours. [Maria] Make that good. |
explain that |
| have at you |
CE III.i.51 |
[Dromio of Ephesus] Have at you with a proverb ... [Luce] Have at you with another ... |
initiating a mock-hostile exchange |
| trow |
MA III.iv.52 |
[Margaret] ... there’s no more sailing by the star. [Beatrice] What means the fool, trow? |
I wonder, can one suppose |
An acknowledgement that X has made a point
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| go to |
KL III.iii.7 |
[Edmund] Most savage and unnatural! [Gloucester] Go to. Say you nothing. |
no more of that |
| said, you have |
AC II.vi.106 |
[Enobarbus] sure he cannot weep’t back again. [Menas] Y’have said, sir. |
you have said what has to be said |
An acknowledgment of X’s attitude
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| come |
H5 IV.i.196 |
You’ll never trust his word after! Come, ’tis a foolish saying |
come on, come off it |
| may, you |
Cor II.iii.33 |
[Third Citizen] ... to help get thee a wife. [Second Citizen] You are never without your tricks. You may, you may! |
have your little joke |
An expression of unwillingness to continue with X’s topic
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| all one, that’s / ’tis |
TNK V.ii.30 |
[Wooer] She’s eighteen [Doctor] She may be - / But that's all one, ’tis nothing to our purpose |
that makes no difference |
| said, I have |
AC I.ii.58 |
[Iras] Give me particulars. [Soothsayer] I have said. |
I have said what I wanted to say |
| ways, go thy |
AW IV.v.54 |
[Clown] ... the broad gate and the great fire. [Lafew] Go thy ways. I begin to be aweary of thee. |
no more, be off |
An expression of response uncertainty to X
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| O Lord, sir! |
AW II.ii.40 |
[Countess] I pray you, sir, are you a courtier? [Clown] O Lord, sir! - There’s a simple putting off. |
catch-phrase to fill an awkward silence |
Some discourse markers are intended to elicit actions, not further speech,
as in modern English (such as saying take that before a blow).
| Item |
Location |
Example |
Gloss |
| come your ways |
KL II.ii.35 |
Draw, you rascal! Come your ways! |
come on, then - starting a fight |
| have with you |
Cor II.i.262 |
[Brutus] Let’s to the Capitol ... [Sicinius] Have with you. |
let’s go / I’m with you |