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.) • 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

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

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 Macbeth is written in: • 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?

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

Tragedy (Shakespearean) Cont’d • Better placed in drama instead of narratives • Shows; doesn’t just tell • Dramatizes what may happen through a cause and effect chain • Audience can envision themselves as part of the action, so this cause pity and fear

Macbeth • Macbeth is often referred to as the Scottish play. • Shakespeare wrote the play for King James I, who was King of Scotland before coming to the English throne. • The name of the play is thought to be cursed throughout the acting world – several “mishaps” have occurred during practices and performances.

Dramatic Foil • A character whose purpose is to show off another character • Macbeth and Banquo

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(s) 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

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 Macbeth, look for moments of comic relief that help “relieve” the tragedy of the situation

William Shakespeare