Edmund Kean

1 7.7

An English actor known for intense performances of tragic roles in Shakespeare plays like Hamlet

proper noun

: Edmund Kean

Many critics consider Edmund Kean to be one of the greatest actors of the nineteenth century.

Examples

The intense acting style of Edmund Kean made him a legendary figure in theatre history.
Edmund Kean revolutionized the portrayal of Shakespeare's tragic heroes on the English stage.
Edmund Kean was a remarkable actor.
What do you know about Edmund Kean?
Edmund Kean revolutionized the portrayal of Shakespeare's tragic heroes on the English stage.
Many critics consider Edmund Kean to be one of the greatest actors of the nineteenth century.
The intense acting style of Edmund Kean made him a legendary figure in theatre history.

Surface Forms

Edmund Kean main

Morphology

Edmund + Kean

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the constituents 'Edmund' and 'Kean' are personal names that give no compositional clue to the fact that he was an English Shakespearean actor or his dates. Personal names are arbitrary and not semantically transparent, so a B1 learner who only knows the name parts would not be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Edmund Kean was an English actor famous for very strong, emotional performances in 'tragic' Shakespeare roles. Picture him alone on stage, shouting and weeping with great feeling, and that image explains why his name is remembered for powerful tragic acting today.