Elision

As in modern English, words often appear in a reduced or elided form, with the omitted element shown by an apostrophe. The reason for the elision varies: in some cases it enables a word to fit the metrical character of a line or focuses the emphasis within a sentence more sharply; in others it helps to capture the colloquial character of conversational speech or identifies a character’s idiosyncratic way of talking. In most cases, the identity of the underlying word is obvious from the context, though some of the more unusual forms can make the reader hesitate - such as Lady Capulet’s thou’s (RJ I.iii.10). Some patterns are frequent and predictable, and these are listed below: ’tis, for example, is the regular contraction of it is (by contrast with present-day it’s). The verbs be, have, and do are commonly contracted with a preceding pronoun in colloquial speech, as in modern English.

Often the contracted forms are the same as those used today (e.g. he’s, we’ll, let’s, o’clock); but there are several differences, including those listed below.
In some cases, it is only the written form that is distinctive: in modern English we do not usually write y’are for ‘you are’ or o’doors for ‘of doors’, but the colloquial pronunciation of you are going or out of doors would hardly differ between then and now. The presence or absence of an apostrophe in the texts also varies, depending partly on editorial practice and partly on whether a form might legitimately be considered a word in its own right (as in squire vs. esquire); for clarity, all forms are written with an apostrophe below.

Elision in grammatical words

Verbs

Form	Location	Examples
have > ha’	Ham V.i.23	Will you ha’ the truth on’t?
shall > s’	RJ I.iii.10	thou’s hear our counsel
wilt > ’t, ’lt	Ham V.i.279	an thou’lt mouth, / I’ll rant as well as thou
wouldst thou > woo’t	Ham V.i.271	Woo’t weep?

Pronouns

Form	Location	Examples
he > ’a	RJ I.iii.41	’A was a merry man
it [after a word] > ’t	Ham V.i.122	I do not lie in’t [also: to’t, for’t, is’t, on’t, etc]
it [before a word] > ’t	Ham I.i.7	’Tis now struck twelve [also: ’twere, ’twill, etc]
them > ’em	Tem I.ii.330	each pinch more stinging / Than bees that made’em
thou > th’	Ham V.ii.336	As th’art a man
us > ’s	Mac I.iii.124	to betray’s
you > y’	Tim I.ii.128	You see ... how ample y’are beloved

Determiners [articles and other noun specifiers]

Form	Location	Examples
his > ’s	Mac II.ii.22	one did laugh in’s sleep [also: all’s, in’s, and’s]
our > ’r	1H4 II.iv.44	By’r lady
the > th’	Ham I.ii.9	our Queen, / Th’imperial jointress to this warlike state
this > ’s	Ham III.ii.136	my father died within’s two hours

Prepositions

Form	Location	Examples
against > ’gainst	1H6 I.iv.15	A piece of ordnance ’gainst it I have placed
amidst > ’midst	Luc 566	’midst the sentence so her accent breaks
amongst > ’mongst	1H6 I.iv.50	great fear of my name ’mongst them
before > ’fore	1H6 I.iii.22	prizest him ’fore me
betwixt > ’twixt	Tem I.ii.240	The time ’twixt six and now
in > ’i	1H4 II.iv.364	i’faith
over > o’er	Mac I.iii.93	In viewing o’er the rest
of > ’o	CE II.i.11	Because their business still lies out o’door
on > ’o	Tem I.i.40	A pox o’your throat
to > t’	KL V.iii.185	t’assume a semblance / That very dogs disclaimed
with > wi’	RJ I.iii.33	To see it tetchy and fall out wi’th’ dug

Conjunction

Form	Location	Examples
because > ’cause	H8 IV.ii.78	’Cause the musicians play me that sad note

Adverb

Form	Location	Examples
so > s’	Cor IV.vi.122	never / S’incapable of help

Elision in word-endings

Adjectives

Form	Location	Examples
-est > -’st	Tem I.i.58	gape at wid’st COMPARISON

Verbs

Form	Location	Examples
-est > -’st	Tem I.ii.333	When thou cam’st first, / Thou strok’st me

Elision in lexical words

Initial single consonant

Form	Location	Examples
God > ’od	AYL III.v.43	’Od’s my little life SWEARING
yield > ’ild	Mac I.vi.13	God ’ield us

Initial unstressed syllable

Form	Location	Examples
account	E3 II.ii.164	The universal sessions call to ’count / This packing evil
agree	MM IV.i.41	Are there no other tokens ... ’greed concerning her observance?
anoint	MND III.ii.351	I have ’nointed an Athenian’s eyes
apothecary	Per III.ii.9	Give this to the pothecary
array	E3 III.iii.227	orderly disposed, and set in ’ray
arrest	CE IV.ii.45	[he] is in a suit of buff which ’rested him
attend	R2 IV.i.198	The cares I give, I have, though given away, / They ’tend the crown
begin	Cym II.iii.20	Phoebus gins arise
behaviour	TN III.iv.202	With the same ’haviour that your passion bears
belong	AW IV.ii.42	It is an honour ’longing to our house
concern	TS V.i.66	what ’cerns it you if I wear pearl and gold?
escape	1H4 II.iv.160	I have scaped by miracle
establish	1H6 V.i.10	the only means / To ... stablish quietness on every side

Medial single consonant

Form	Location	Examples
even > e’en	TNK V.iv.99	e’en very here / I sundered you
never > ne’er	RJ I.v.53	I ne’er saw true beauty
over > o’er	Mac IV.i.144	The flighty purpose never is o’ertook
taken > ta’en	TN III.iii.29	were I ta’en here, it would scarce be answered
whoever > whoe’er	1H6 I.iii.7	Whoe’er he be [also: howe’er, whate’er, soe’er, etc]

Medial syllable

Form	Location	Examples
countenance	Cym III.iv.14	keep that count’nance still
interrogatory	AW IV.iii.180	let me answer to the particular of the inter’gatories

Final single consonant

Form	Location	Examples
give > gi’	RJ I.ii.57	God gi’ good-e’en
have > ha’	TS V.ii.180	Well, go thy ways, old lad, for thou shalt ha’t

Final unstressed syllable

Form	Location	Examples
seven	Mac I.iii.22	Weary sev’n-nights nine times nine