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.) • principal playwright for them • 1599: Lord Ch. Co. built Globe Theater where most of Sh. Play’s were performed

Shakespeare wrote: • Comedies • Histories • Tragedies

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 Words • An,and: If • Anon: Soon • Aye: Yes • But: Except for • E’en: Even • E’er: Ever

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 • 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

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

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

Monologue • One person speaking on stage > may be other character on stage too

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

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.

William Shakespeare