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Shakespeare’s Style:

Shakespeare’s Style:. Prose and Poetry. Prose. Words or ideas are arranged in no fixed pattern of strong or weak beats Often used for “common” speech, by lower class characters

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Shakespeare’s Style:

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  1. Shakespeare’s Style: Prose and Poetry

  2. Prose • Words or ideas are arranged in no fixed pattern of strong or weak beats • Often used for “common” speech, by lower class characters • Example: Sir Toby says, “What a plague means my niece to take the death of her brother thus? I am sure care’s an enemy to life” (1.3.1-2).

  3. Background: Poetry • Up until the late 1500s, all English plays were written in verse (poetry). • Hence, playwrights in Shakespeare’s day were called poets. • Audiences in Shakespeare’s day expected to hear the actors speak in verse. • Shakespeare’s plays were meant to be heard (they weren’t published in his day, and most of the population was illiterate anyway) • This rhythm made it easier to follow

  4. How the rhythm works: Iambic • Place your right hand over your heart • You’ll feel the familiar thump: DA-DUM, DA-DUM, DA-DUM, DA-DUM • This rhythm is called “iambic” • in other words, the weak beat is first and the strong beat is second: DA-DUM, DA-DUM

  5. Some words with iambic rhythm: • Although • Because • Unless • Today • Perhaps • For sure • I think • Indeed • delight

  6. Compare to trochaic rhythm: • Trochaic rhythm puts stress on the first syllable: • Happy • Frightened • Lovely • Certain • Starving • Roasting • Love it • Bring it…. • Shakespeare

  7. How it works: Pentameter • “Pente” means “five” • “Pentameter” means 5 strong beats per line • In total, there will be 10 syllables per line (5 strong beats and 5 weak beats) • / /  /  / / • But soft what light through yonder window breaks? (Romeo and Juliet) • If I profane with myunworthiesthand • This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this • Thouchid’stme oft for loving Rosaline. • For doting, not for loving, pupil mine.

  8. Iambic Pentameter • Each line of iambic pentameter can be broken down like this: • O, teach (1) me how (2) I should (3) forget (4) to think (5) • By gi- (1) ving li- (2) berty (3) unto (4) thine eyes (5) • With love’s(1) light wings (2) did I (3) o’erperch (4) these walls (5) • I wish (1) my class (2) would read (3) the play(4) at home (5) • If on- (1) ly kids (2) could love (3) the Bard (4) like me (5)

  9. Blank verse… • Iambic pentameter that does not rhyme is called blank verse • Example: • Rebellious subjects, enemies of peace, • Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel, • Will they not hear?—What, ho! You men, you beasts, • That quench the fire of your pernicious rage • With purple fountains issuing from your veins,

  10. Sonnet • A 14 line poem • Rhyme scheme: ababcdcdefefgg • Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets • Sometimes characters’ lines combine to make a sonnet

  11. Sonnet from Romeo and Juliet: • ROMEO [To JULIET] If I profane with my unworthiest handThis holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready standTo smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. • JULIET Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,Which mannerly devotion shows in this;For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss. • ROMEO Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too? • JULIET Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer. • ROMEO O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. • JULIET Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake. • ROMEO Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.

  12. Soliloquy • Speech spoken by one person, seemingly to himself/herself but really to inform the audience of his motives and to reveal true character. Often is it a kind of internal debate. • Example: (2.2.38-42) • “Tis but thy name that is my enemy; • Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. • What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, • Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part • Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!

  13. Oxymoron • A figure of speech in which two or more contrasting ideas are placed beside each other, often in parallel grammatical form. • The purpose is to emphasize the ideas being contrasted • Examples: • Romeo: O brawling love! O loving hate! (1.1.172) • Juliet: Parting is such sweet sorrow. (2.2.184)

  14. Aside • Actor’s comment or a short speech meant to be heard by the audience and not by other performers • Example: on the balcony, while Juliet is speaking to herself… • Romeo: [Aside.] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? (2.2.37)

  15. Rhyming couplet • Two rhyming lines are called a rhyming couplet • A rhyming couplet will usually complete a long speech or a scene • Example: • Hence will I to my ghostly father’s cell, • His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell. • (2.2.188-9)

  16. Allusion • A reference to a historical, literary, religious, mythological figure, event or object (the reader makes the association) • Example: • “She’ll not be hit with Cupid’s arrow • She hat Dian’s wit. (1.1.205-6) • At lovers’ perjuries, / They say, Jove laughs. (2.2.93-4)

  17. Sources: • Gibson, Rex, and Field-Pickering, Janet. Discovering Shakespeare’s Language. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Print. • “Stressing Shakespeare.” Literary Cavalcade 54.7 (2002): 10. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 16 May 2013.

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