Literary notes about thee (AI summary)
Thee functions as an archaic, intimate form of the second-person singular, lending a sense of solemnity, familiarity, or polite address in literature. It appears in dramatic dialogue, as with Shakespeare’s heartfelt admonitions and quips ("...with thee" [1], "I'll be before thee" [2]), and in religious texts where it conveys reverence and command ("What is the word that the Lord hath spoken to thee?" [3], "pray thou, and we will pray that God may have mercy upon thee" [4]). In works ranging from epic poetry to narratives of personal destiny, authors employ "thee" to evoke a historical or elevated tone, marking the interpersonal dynamics and themes of duty, affection, or rebuke within their language, as seen in later usages by writers like George Eliot and Kipling ([5], [6]).
- [To RICHARD] Richard, thy wife, that wretched Anne thy wife That never slept a quiet hour with thee Now fills thy sleep with perturbations.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - Good old knight, Collect them all together at my tent: I'll be before thee.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - And he asked him: What is the word that the Lord hath spoken to thee?
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - Pray thou, and we will pray that God may have mercy upon thee.
— from The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe - “But, Mother,” said Seth, “thee'dst be doing Dinah a wrong by telling Adam what thee think'st about her.
— from Adam Bede by George Eliot - I did well—I did well when I gave thee up to the armed men on that black night.
— from Kim by Rudyard Kipling
