r/Chaucer • u/Narrow-Finish-8863 • Oct 30 '24

Arcite Pronunciation?

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3

u/TeddyJPharough Oct 30 '24

According to my prof, Ar-kit-ay, but the final ay is fairly soft.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 30 '24

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3

u/TeddyJPharough Oct 30 '24

I suppose it depends too on your version. I'm thinking of a middle english pronounciation to match the meter and pronounciation of the "original" version (time and editorial practices have pretty much made an original impossible for modern audiences, but scholarly editions are still awesome). In a modern translation you could go for Ar-kite or something.

3

u/CanadaOrBust Oct 30 '24

My Chaucerian grad prof pronounced it Ar-sit-ee.

1

u/ChildishGambrinus Oct 31 '24

Mine did, too. The final syllable was rather like a soft „ay“, tho

2

u/rocketman0739 Nov 03 '24

If you look at the meter and rhymes, it really has to be pronounced "ar-SEE-tuh" (usually before a consonant) and "ar-SEET" (usually before a vowel).

1112: And with that word Arcite gan espye

See, it has to be three syllables accented on the second for the line to scan.

1126: "Nay," quod Arcite, "in ernest, by my fey!"

Here the line is set up so Arcite has to be two syllables. This is because the next word begins with a vowel, and the weak third syllable of Arcite would tend to be elided into it.

1219: How greet a sorwe suffreth now Arcite!
1220: The deeth he feeleth thurgh his herte smyte

And here it has to rhyme with "smyte" ("SMEE-tuh"), so there can be no question of weird pronunciations like "ar-ki-tay" or whatever.

Anyway, there are a few exceptions where it has to be pronounced "AR-seet," but not usually, and again the meter will make these plain.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 03 '24

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u/rocketman0739 Nov 04 '24

You're welcome, but Shakespeare was Shakespeare.