Pronunciation of names from Much Ado About Nothing

[REP]

I was wondering if anyone could provide me with authoritative pronunciations
of all the names from Much Ado About Nothing.

Thanks in advance.

REP

[Symposium1]

In article <bmqJ9.3215$QJ4....@nwrddc04.gnilink.net>, "REP"
<loIr...@Iolrqapq.com> writes:

>I was wondering if anyone could provide me with authoritative pronunciations
>of all the names from Much Ado About Nothing.

Authoritative in what way?

The way they are commonly pronounced in performance today, or the way
Shakespeare's original cast would have pronounced them -- accents and all?

There was a conversation in the Shaksper archives which references a book
called
_Pronouncing Shakespeare's Words: A Guide from A to Zounds_ by Dale Coye. It's
available from Greenwood Publishing Group:
http://info.greenwood.com/books/0313306/0313306559.html

At $120 it's a bit out of my league. But a library near you may happen to have
it. I'm not endorsing it, of course, because I haven't read it. Hey, you might
just want to check your library for a good commercial audio version. That
should provide you with at least something to compare yourself with.

I thought Much Ado had some of the easiest names to pronounce:

Don Pedro
Don John
Claudio
Benedick
Leonato
Antonio
Balthasar
Borachio
Conrade
Friar Francis
Dogberry
Verges
Sexton
Boy
Hero
Beatrice
Margaret
Ursula
Aragon
Florence
Padua
Messina

Was there one you were having trouble with?

--Ann

[Greg Reynolds]

Symposium1 wrote:

Boy.

[Sabyha]

>Subject: Re: Pronunciation of names from Much Ado About Nothing
>From: Greg Reynolds eve...@core.com
>Date: 12/12/2002 4:24 PM E. Australia Standard Time
>Message-id: <3df82bc2$0$1402$1dc6...@news.corecomm.net>

Now, that's funny *grin* - I haven't laughed for days.. thanks, Greg.

Jodie
Jodie - Australia
http://members.aol.com/powtied/power1.html
Power of Will

[Lis]

Subject: Pronunciation of names from Much Ado About Nothing
From: "REP" loIr...@Iolrqapq.com
Date: Tue, Dec 10, 2002 2:27 PM
Message-id: <bmqJ9.3215$QJ4....@nwrddc04.gnilink.net>

Thanks in advance.

REP

Hi

I am no expert, but I am a production stage manager, the person who often gets
to compile such a list - just finished Henry 5, Henry 4, Richard 2 and I am
starting Henry 6. I am guessing you are posting from USA. If you involved in a
production, you should speak to your director & SM about this, there are
several strongly defended schools of thought on this & before you go in the
wrong direction, get a specific ruling. Some choices are the basic american
pronunciations - Merriam Websters Pronouncing Dictionary of American English,
Kenyon & Knott, Editors: only standard english not all Shakespeares names,
correct pronunciation with no regard to scansion, all the words you ever
wondered how to say & generally useful for actors - easy to find a copy (under
$10) at used book stores or at Strand & Amazon, Halfpricebooks.com; All The
Words On Stage, Louis Scheeder & Shane Ann Younts: all names & most complex or
esoteric words with particular adjustments for scansion for each play, line by
line & includes the latin & french - slightly tricky to decode at first, it is
re-spelled, not in int'l phonetic alphabet - about $25 retail, too new to find
used; or the classic Oxford English Dictionary, if you care to lug one around &
have a magnifying glass & have the $ to buy. If you are doing this on your own
(no reimbursement) all of these books should be in a university arts library &
any large public library. Hope it helps.

Lis

Eat a live toad the first thing each morning
And that will be the worst thing you'll have to face all day.