Etymology Examples In Hamlet

Etymology in the Eye of the Beholder Language is created, formed, and developed over time; therefore, a word is not simply used to describe another thing, but is a part of language that has a history and possibly many meanings. The word eye has passed through language after language each assigning it a new spelling and an altered meaning which reveal the word’s history or etymology. The etymology includes the history, definitions, alternate meanings, and uses of the word eye in various works of literature, quotes from influential people, and modern print sources. Although the meaning of eye hasn’t changed drastically, it has evolved over many years. The word eye has a long history. In the eighth century, the word eye is first found

Hamlet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare during the years 1599 to 1601. In the play, Hamlet, grieving the death of his father and upset at his mother 's hasty marriage to his uncle Claudius, sees the ghost of his father accusing Claudius of poisoning him. Hamlet and Claudius become suspicious of each other. In the end, Claudius arranged a duel in which he poisoned the sword belonging to Hamlet’s opponent to ensure Hamlet’s death. In the duel, both men were stabbed with the poisoned sword. Hamlet managed to kill Claudius before his own death (“Hamlet,” Bevington). In this context, “I have an eye of you” more closely means “I have an eye on you.” This shows that Hamlet is keeping a close watch of the person he is addressing because of the conspiracy or distrust. The word eye is not limited to Shakespeare’s works, but can also be found in other forms of

Pope is famous for using a perfect rhymed couplet in his satirical and philosophical works The Rape of the Lock, An Essay on Criticism, and An Essay on Man (“Alexander Pope." Poetry Foundation). Alexander Pope wrote in An Essay on Man, Epistle I, line eighty-seven, “Who sees with equal eye, as God of all, A hero perish or a sparrow fall, Atoms or systems into ruin hurl’d, And now a bubble burst, and now a world” (“Eye,” Bartlett’s). In this context, eye is synonymous with a view. The quote questions who can see with a view equal to that of God’s. Anna Laetitia Barbauld, another important writer, was an eighteenth century poet whose works include political and social themes. Eye is present in Barbauld’s The Death of the Virtuous: “So fades a summer cloud away; So sinks the gale when storms are o’er; So gently shuts the eye of day” (“Barbauld,” Britannica). The word eye in this quote means light, therefore, “the eye of day” means the light of day. In light of this, it can be inferred that Barbauld is describing a sunset. Alexander Pope and Anna Barbauld were not the only famous people to use the word eye. Jonathan Swift was a famous writer, clergyman, and satirist; however, he was best known for his book Gulliver’s Travels ("Jonathan Swift," Biography.com). In Swift’s work Polite Conversation: “The sight of you is good for sore eyes” (“Eye,” Bartlett’s). This quote is similar to a modern