Thou and Thee, You and Ye

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Modern English uses only four pronouns for addressing a person or persons: you, your, yourself, and yours. The English of Shakespeare’s time used ten pronouns: thou, thee, thy, thyself, thine, ye, you, your, yourself, and yours. The rules governing the use of these ten pronouns were both grammatical and cultural–that is, their application depended not only on syntax but also on the social status of the person or persons addressed. The following table shows at a glance second-person pronoun use under these rules, as well as Shakespeare's varying uses of you, your, yourself, and yours.

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