OPRACOWA: SEBASTIAN CIEJKA

Identify the time when the text was most probably written and point to at least two
characteristics that motivate your statement. How much do we know about the author
and the addressee from the text? Point to the language expressions that motivate your
answer. End of forum 1 1! !"1#$ %p.m
That short piece of writing can e concerne! to e a "o#e "etter written $ King
%enr$ &III to Anne Bo"e$n' B$ !etai"e! ana"$sis of that te(t) chec*ing the #oca+"ar$ an!
the sentence str+ct+res or e#en p+nct+ation we can !e!+ct that it co+"! e written in the ear"$
,-
th
cent+r$' As far as #oca+"ar$ +sage is concerne!) .an$ wor!s +se! in that te(t cannot e
#isi"e in the .o!ern st$"e of writing' The first e(a.p"e can e the wor! mistress which was
+se! in the ear"$ ,-
th
cent+r$ to !escrie a fe.a"e "o#er who is not .arrie! to her partner an!
her partner is .arrie! to so.eone e"se' Chec*ing so.e infor.ation ao+t those two "o#ers
we can notice that the co+p"e was not .arrie! at the ti.e of writing so it .+st ha#e een
written efore ,-//' Another e(a.p"e of o+t0!ate! wor! an! no "onger co..on"$ +se! can
e thither' Accor!ing to Ran!o. %o+se Kerner.an Wester1s Co""ege 2ictionar$ that wor!
was +se! as a co..on feat+re of 3i!!"e Eng"ish +t origina""$ transfor.e! fro. the theader
the for. +se! e#en ear"ier in the O"! Eng"ish'
The a+thor of this "etter is a conf+se! .arrie! .an !eter.ine! to fin! tr+e fee"ings of
his a!!ressee not e(act"$ *nowing how to interpret the.' %e wants his "o#er to e(press her
fee"ings open"$ 4beseeching you earnestly to let me know expressly your whole mind5 in or!er
to stop his s+ffering an! his 4great agony5' 6ro. the .eaning of his so.e state.ents we can
!e!+ct that the a+thor of that "etter can e of high socia" stat+s 4he offers his "o#er oth the
office of a true loyal mistress and friend) and later the name. The phrases
which the author uses and the style of writing could be compared to the
courtship which was the perio! originate! in the ,7
th
cent+r$ with the co+p"e8s
re"ationship which prece!es their engage.ent an! .arriage) or esta"ish.ent of an agree!
re"ationship of a .ore en!+ring *in!' 2+ring co+rtship) a co+p"e get to *now each other
either in writing or by word of mouth an! !eci!e if there wi"" e an engage.ent or other s+ch
agree.ent'
As far as the a!!ressee of the "etter is concerne! we !o *now ha#e c"ear infor.ation
ao+t her' The on"$ thing we can !e!+ct fro. that piece of writing is the fact she co+"! e
wi""ing to eco.e the rea" wife of the a+thor'