I dáre avóuch it, sír, what, fífty fóllowers? Lear, II. iv. 240.
To yóur own cónscience, sír, befóre Políxenes. Wint. III. ii. 47.
Slurring and other modifications of words to make them fit into the rhythm are very numerous and of great variety in Shakespeare; we have referred to them before, §§ [108–11]; here only some examples may be repeated, as (a)bove, (be)cause, (ar)rested, th’ other, th’ earth, whe(th)er, ha(v)ing, e(v)il, eas(i)ly, barb(a)rous, inn(o)cent, acquit for acquitted, deject for dejected, &c.
On the other hand, many lengthenings also occur, as wrest(e)ler A. Y. L. II. ii, 13; pilg(e)rim All’s Well, III. v. 43, &c. (Cf. §§ [87], [112].)
In some monosyllabic words, as fear, dear, hear, wear, tear, year, it is not always necessary to assume with Abbott (§§ 480–6) a disyllabic pronunciation, e.g. déàr, yéàr. On the contrary, in many cases it is more probable that the emphasis laid on the monosyllable takes the place of the missing thesis, e.g.:
The kíng would spéak with Córnwall: | the déar fáther.
Lear, II. iv. 102.
Déar my lórd, | íf you in yóur own próof.
Ado, IV. i. 46.