William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare
Widely regarded as the greatest writer in English Literature
Shakespeare
1563-1616
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.)
Also > principal playwright for them
1599> Lord Ch. Co. built Globe Theater where most of Sh. Play’s were performed
Shakespeare wrote:
Comedies
Histories
Tragedies
Romeo and Juliet
Written about 1595
Considered a tragedy
West Side Story (Movie) based on R&J
The Theater
Plays produced for the general public
Roofless>open air
No artificial lighting
Courtyard surrounded by 3 levels of galleries
Spectators
Wealthy got benches
“Groundlings”>poorer people stood and watched from the courtyard (“pit”)
All but wealthy were uneducated/illiterate
Much more interaction than today
Staging Areas
Stage>platform that extended into the pit
Dressing & storage rooms in galleries behind & above stage
second-level gallery> upper stage> famous balcony scene in R & J
Trap door>ghosts
“Heavens”> angelic beings
Differences
No scenery
Settings > references in dialogue
Elaborate costumes
Plenty of props
Fast-paced, colorful>2 hours!
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
Elizabethan (QE1) Words
An,and: If
Anon: Soon
Aye: Yes
But: Except for
E’en: Even
E’er: Ever
QE1 Words (contin.)
Haply: Perhaps
Happy: Fortunate
Hence: Away, from her
Hie: Hurry
Marry: Indeed
QE1 Words (contin.)
Whence: Where
Wilt: Will, will you
Withal: In addition to
Would: Wish
Blank Verse
Much of R & J is written in it:
unrhymed verse
iambic (unstressed, stressed)
pentameter( 5 “feet” to a line)
ends up to be 10 syllable lines
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?
Plot
The sequence of events in a literary work
Exposition
The plot usually begins with this:
introduces>>>>
setting
characters
basic situation
Inciting Moment
Often called “initial incident”
the first bit of action that occurs which begins the plot
Romeo and Juliet “lock eyes” at the party
Conflict
The struggle that develops
man vs. man
man vs. himself
man vs. society
man vs. nature
Crisis
The point where the protagonist’s situation will either get better or worse
protagonist>good guy
antagonist>bad guy
Climax
The turning point of the story>everything begins to unravel from here
Thus begins the falling action
Resolution
The end of the central conflict
Denouement
The final explanation or outcome of the plot
If this is included in literature, it will occur after the resolution.
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
Theme
Central idea or >>
Insight about life which explain the downfall
Metaphorical Language
Comparison of unlike things >
Paris standing over the “lifeless body” of Juliet, “Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew…”
“Thou detestable maw…”Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth…” Romeo
Dramatic Foil
A character whose purpose is to show off another character
Benvolio for Tybalt
look for others in R & J
Round characters
Characters who have many personality traits, like real people.
Flat Characters
One-dimensional, embodying only a single trait
Shakespeare often uses them to provide comic relief even in a tragedy
Static Characters
Characters within a story who remain the same. They do not change. They do not change their minds, opinions or character.
Dynamic Character
Characters that change somehow during the course of the plot. They generally change for the better.
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
Soliloquy
Long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage. In R & J, Romeo gives a soliloquy after the servant has fled and Paris has died.
Aside
Words spoken, usually in an undertone not intended to be heard by all characters
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
Direct Address
Words that tell the reader who is being addressed:
“A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit.”
“Ah, my mistresses, which of you all/ Will now deny to dance?”
Dramatic Irony
A contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader/audience knows to be true
Verbal Irony
Words used to suggest the opposite of what is meant
Situational Irony
An event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience
Comic Relief
Use of comedy within literature that is NOT comedy to provide “relief” from seriousness or sadness.
In R & J, look for moments of comic relief that help “relieve” the tragedy of the situation