Shakespeare (1564-1616) Shakespeare Actor and playwright Theatrical company Globe Theatre –Stockholder –Greatest plays produced here –Burned in 1613.

ShakespeareShakespeare(1564-1616)(1564-1616)

ShakespeareShakespeare• Actor and playwright

• Theatrical company

• Globe Theatre– Stockholder– Greatest plays produced here– Burned in 1613

•During performance of Henry 8th - cannon went off

Globe TheatreGlobe Theatre• Enclosed space with partial roof

• Seat as many as 2500

• 3 galleries of seats around 3 sides

• Platform stage extending from rear wall

• Groundlings

• Intimate atmosphere

Globe TheatreGlobe Theatre• Trapdoors

• Inner stage

• Upper stage

• Simple scenery

• Elaborate costumes

• Female roles by boys

• Elaborate sound effects

Shakespeare’s GreatnessShakespeare’s Greatness• Deep understanding of human

nature• Knowledge in a wide variety of

subjects• Influence on language

– Freely experimented with grammar, vocabulary

– Created words:• Shakespeare invented the word

"assassination".– Originated phrases:

• The Bard coined the phrase, "the beast with two backs" meaning intercourse in his play Othello.

Shakespeare added suffixes and prefixes, Shakespeare added suffixes and prefixes, changed nouns to verbs, verbs to nouns, changed nouns to verbs, verbs to nouns, and verbs to adjectives. Below are some and verbs to adjectives. Below are some

words that he created:words that he created: • academe accused addiction advertising • Amazement arouse assassination backing • bandit bedroom beached besmirch• birthplace blanket bloodstained• barefaced blushing bet bump buzzer• caked cater champion circumstantial • cold-blooded compromise courtship countless • critic dauntless

http://www.op97.k12.il.us/LAB/shakespeare/words/shakewords.html

A Note on Reading A Note on Reading ShakespeareShakespeare

• Keep track of characters from list

• Poetic language - read slowly & carefully

• Pay attention to the annotations

• Listen to recording; read summary; view a video

OTHELLOOTHELLOBy William Shakespeare

Iago’s MotivesIago’s Motives

• Ambition

• Envy of Cassio’s promotion

• Sexual jealousy of Othello

• Profit from robbing Roderigo

• Pleasure of deceiving Roderigo and Othello

Iago’s MotivesIago’s Motives• Sexual jealousy of

Cassio

• Love for Desdemona

• Hatred of Cassio’s handsomeness

• Hatred of Othello

• “Motiveless malignity”

IagoIago• Intelligent

• Cunning

• Capable of tempting and controlling characters around him

• Villain without conscience

• Diabolically evil while appearing to be honest, trustworthy

IagoIago• Reduces human

nature to its least attractive traits

• Coarse, blunt

• Suspicious view of human nature - allows him to locate weakness in others; encourage its dominance of whole personality

Iago’s Techniques Iago’s Techniques for Deceptionfor Deception

• Instigates others to act

• Pretends to speak only out of the best motives

• Works through insinuation rather than through explicit lies

OthelloOthello• Greatness

• Tragic hero

• Virtues carried to excess– Loves - “too well”– Trusts - too much– Great sense of moral virtue - punishes sin– Sensitive nature - vivid fantasies

OthelloOthello• “Free and open

nature”• “Constant, loving,

noble nature”• Energetic• Desire for perfection• Trusting

Othello’s InsecuritiesOthello’s Insecurities

• HIS BLACKNESS

– A Moor (North Africa)

– Negative stereotyping

by other characters

• Lascivious

• Unnatural mate for white woman

• Practitioner of black magic

Othello’s InsecuritiesOthello’s Insecurities• HIS LACK OF SOPHISTICATION

– Not a native of Venice– At home on battlefield, not in sophisticated

Venetian society– Lacks self-confidence– Trusts Iago’s view

Othello’s InsecuritiesOthello’s Insecurities

• HIS AGE– Older than

Desdemona

– Iago plays on this insecurity

IagoIago• Manipulates all

minor and major characters

• Plays upon their individual weaknesses

• Makes them instruments in his scheme to deceive Othello

DesdemonaDesdemona• Admirable

• Self-contained

• Speaks forcefully and to the point when she confronts her father

• Speaks playfully with Iago while waiting for Othello’s ship

DesdemonaDesdemona• Is known for her innocence, purity

• Can plead for Cassio - but not for herself

• Dutiful, obedient

• Can be regarded as model Elizabethan wife

Dramatic IronyDramatic Irony• Characters’ belief in

Iago’s honesty

• Othello’s belief in Desdemona’s guilt

Confidant(e)Confidant(e) - serves a major - serves a major character as a friendcharacter as a friend

• Emilia - confidante to Desdemona

• Roderigo - confidant to Iago

FoilFoil - illuminates a more - illuminates a more important characterimportant character

• Emilia, Bianca - foils to Desdemona

• Cassio - foil to Iago

SymbolsSymbols- Concrete items - Concrete items which represent somethingwhich represent something

Else Else • Handkerchief –

– Othello's and Desdemona's wedding bed.

• Chess Pieces – – the characters

Time of PlayTime of Play• Concentration of time

• Othello elopes with Desdemona; same night takes ship for Cyprus

• Cassio disgraced 1st night after arrival in Cyprus

• Desdemona killed 2nd night

• No adherence to unities of time, place, action

• KJV of Bible – Quotes– Allusions

• KJV of Bible and Shakespeare’s plays– Literary masterpieces of the

Elizabethan period

Sources and Sites CitedSources and Sites Cited

• Ziegler, Rosemarie. MVNU professor who first composed this PowerPoint

• About Shakespeare http://www.op97.k12.il.us/LAB/shakespeare/index2.html

• Absolute Shakespeare http://www.absoluteshakespeare.com/index.htm