Shakespeare’s Hints

Abstract

This essay argues that the word “hint” assumes a particular importance in the work of Shakespeare, especially in Othello. Shakespeare has often been cited as though he were one of the first writers to use the word in its modern sense as “A slight indication intended to be caught by the intelligent; a suggestion or implication conveyed in an indirect or covert manner” (OED), but there are earlier examples. The modern use of “hint” appears to have developed during Shakespeare’s writing career, originating in works of theology and polemical religious debate, as a means of explaining a linguistic act of uncertain provenance and meaning that may only exist in the mind of the reader or listener. Shakespeare is probably the first literary author to use the word as we now understand it, developing its ambiguous significance in his plays, most importantly in Othello.