An actor’s deepest desire is to be understood. But when asked to pronounce such words as “chanson,” “phantasime,” or “quaestor,” many otherwise unflappable actors can be rendered speechless.

 

The Eloquent Shakespeare aims to untie those tongues and help anyone speak Shakespeare’s language with ease. More than 17,500 entries make it the most comprehensive pronunciation guide to Shakespeare’s words, from the common to the arcane. Each entry is written in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and represents standard American pronunciations, making this dictionary perfect for North American professionals or non-native speakers of American English.

 

Renowned Shakespearean voice and text coach Gary Logan has spent years teaching Shakespeare’s works to some of the best actors in the world. His book includes proper names, foreign words and phrases, as well as an extensive introduction that covers everything from how to interpret the entries to scansion dynamics. Designed especially for actors, directors, stage managers, and teachers, The Eloquent Shakespeare is a one-of-a-kind resource for performing Shakespeare’s dramatic works.

“Although the spelling of Shakespeare’s words has become largely standardized, their pronunciation (alas) remains subject to individual whim, varying from performer to performer and sometimes from one night to the next. In The Eloquent Shakespeare, Logan has undertaken not only to correct mispronunciations but to present preferred or recommended pronunciations as well.”

"Logan's volume will be very helpful for actors, directors, and speakers, while academics will appreciate his textual observations and linguistic detail."

“To browse through The Eloquent Shakespeare is to be reminded of the richness of Shakespeare’s language, but also of the difficulty of giving voice to his words. . . . Designed primarily for actors, directors, and teachers, Logan’s dictionary provides guidelines for pronouncing Shakespeare using ‘a modern standard English of the American variety.’ . . . [The book] is remarkably easy to use, in part because clear examples of phonemes are provided at bottom of each double page.”

“The Eloquent Shakespeare is an engrossing, impeccably organized, sensitively written, highly accessible, academically sound and supremely useful font of knowledge that has set the new standard for pronunciation dictionaries.”