Modals and related phenomena are without doubt one of the most complicated issues in the
grammar of language. This study provides a reappraisal of the modals in Shakespeare's language
from the pragmatic viewpoint both micropragmatic and macropragmatic. The material selected for
analysis are modals SHALL SHOULD WILL WOULD and their contracted forms. Micropragmatic
aspects such as speech acts seem relatively easily accessible to historical researchers
however this study moves further into the macropragmatic dimensions of language use than the
earlier ones and covers politeness dialogue and discourse analysis.
