William Shakespeare & his plays

1. William Shakespeare & his plays You are about to embark upon a web quest to discover new and exciting information about William Shakespeare and his plays. Utilizing the sheet provided, record your findings. You will need: A Laptop Headphones Worksheet Pen/Pencil

2. Shakespeare in Pop Culture… • Shakespeare in Pop Culture • Mean Girls • The Cosby Show: Rap about Caesar • Simpsons • Family Guy • Animanics • After viewing the clips, explain how Shakespeare still exists in modern society. Why do you think this is so? • Please don’t answer because he is the best writer ever… blah blahblah… THINK!

3. William Shakespeare's Biography Access the link above and answer the following questions about Shakespeare’s life. • When and where was Shakespeare born? • Who were his parents and what did they do for a living? • Document Shakespeare’s family. • What are the “lost years?” • When did Shakespeare die?

4. Schooling • What kind of schooling did Shakespeare receive? • How old was he when he started school? • How long were the school days? • How many days a week did he attend school? • What subjects did he study?

5. Shakespeare’s Questions: Shakespeare asks two questions in every play: 1. What is the difference between good and evil? 2. Why do people do the things they do? Answer these two questions from your point of view.

6. The Globe

8. The Globe Trivia 1. Which three trivia facts do you find most interesting about the Globe Theater? 2. What were the different color flags that Shakespeare used to represent history, comedy, and tragedy?

9. 1. What is the name of Shakespeare’s acting troupe? 2. Describe the stage? 3. What are groundlings? 4. How were plays announced? 5. Why were theaters closed in 1603?

10. Provide examples for each of the following terms.

11. Terms to Know • Juxtaposition: putting two unlike things together for comparison • Aside: a soliloquy in which there are people on stage that can't hear what the character is saying (one or more can) • Soliloquy: character thinks or is alone and is talking about his feelings • Simile: the comparison of two things using like or as • Allusion: a brief reference to a person, event, place, or to a work of art

12. Terms to Know • Double Entendre: a pun or piece of wordplay in which one of the meanings is word play • Pun: the usually humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more meanings • Motif: recurrent thematic element in a literary work. • Paradox: a phrase that seems contradictory but when observed reveals some truth

13. Terms to Know • Tragic Flaw : a character flaw that causes the downfall of the protagonist in a tragedy • Monologue : a long speech spoken by a character in the presence of others • Dramatic Irony : the audience knows something that the character does not • Verbal Irony : what is said is the opposite of what is expected • Imagery : appeals to the senses

14. Terms to Know • Symbolism : a person, place, or thing that represents something else • Foreshadowing : to suggest that something, often something unpleasant, is going to happen • Hyperbole : obvious and intentional exaggeration • Personification : assigning human characteristics to things, animals, or ideas