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William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare. Widely regarded as the greatest writer in English Literature. Shakespeare. 1564-1616 Stratford-on-Avon, England wrote 37 plays about 154 sonnets started out as an actor. Stage Celebrity. Actor for Lord Chamberlain’s Men (London theater co.)

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William Shakespeare

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  1. William Shakespeare Widely regarded as the greatest writer in English Literature

  2. Shakespeare • 1564-1616 • Stratford-on-Avon, England • wrote 37 plays • about 154 sonnets • started out as an actor

  3. Stage Celebrity • Actor for Lord Chamberlain’s Men (London theater co.) • Also their principal playwright • 1599> Lord Ch. Co. built Globe Theater where most of Shakespeare’s play’s were performed

  4. Shakespeare wrote: • Comedies • Histories • Tragedies

  5. Romeo and Juliet • Written about 1595 • Considered a tragedy • West Side Story (Movie) based on R&J

  6. The Theater • Plays produced for the general public • Roofless>open air • No artificial lighting • Courtyard surrounded by 3 levels of galleries

  7. Spectators • Wealthy got benches • “Groundlings” • Poorer people stood and watched from the courtyard called the “pit” • All but wealthy were uneducated/illiterate

  8. Staging Areas • Stage - platform that extended into the pit • Dressing & storage rooms in galleries behind & above stage • second-level gallery • Trap door>ghosts • “Heavens”> angelic beings

  9. Differences • No scenery • Settings > references in dialogue • Elaborate costumes • Plenty of props • Fast-paced, colorful>2 hours!

  10. Actors • Only men and boys • Young boys whose voices had not changed play women’s roles • Would have been considered indecent for a woman to appear on stage

  11. Iambic Pentameter • Each line has 10 syllables (any number of words) • Broken down into 5 groups of 2 syllables (iamb) • In each iamb, the 2nd syllable is stressed (emphasized / ), and the first is unstressed (U) • Blank Verse- a poem in iambic pentameter that does not rhyme (unrhymed) • Rhyming Couplet- two rhyming lines (will usually complete a long speech or a scene)

  12. Shakespearean Sonnet • 14 lines in iambic pentameter • 3 quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a concluding couplet (two rhyming lines) • First 8 lines - morbid mood • Last 6 lines- express joy, or at least some resolution to sorrows • Ends with a rhyming couplet • Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF (3 quatrains) GG (rhyming couplet)

  13. Prose • Ordinary writing that is not poetry, drama, or song • Only characters in the lower social classes speak this way in Shakespeare’s plays • Why do you suppose that is?

  14. Tragedy (Shakespearean) • Drama where the central character/s suffer disaster/great misfortune • In many tragedies, downfall results from> • Fate • Character flaw/Fatal flaw • Combination of the two

  15. Monologue • One person speaking on stage > may be other character on stage too • ex > the Prince of Verona commanding the Capulets and Montagues to cease feuding

  16. Soliloquy • Long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage.

  17. Aside • Words spoken, usually in an undertone not intended to be heard by all characters

  18. Dramatic Foil • A character whose purpose is to show off another character • Benvolio for Tybalt • look for others in R & J

  19. Pun • Shakespeare loved to use them!!! • Humorous use of a word with two meanings > sometimes missed by the reader because of Elizabethan language and sexual innuendo

  20. Dramatic Irony • A contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader/audience knows to be true

  21. Verbal Irony • Words used to suggest the opposite of what is meant

  22. Situational Irony • An event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience

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