English 9 Novel Unit

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English 9 Novel Unit

Look at the novel covers that follow. Jot down ideas you have about the

novel based on the pictures.

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cue – anything said or done, on or off stage, that is followed by a specific line or action: An off-stage door slam was his cue to enter.

treason – 1.the offense of acting to overthrow one's government or to harm or kill its sovereign.

2.a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state.

3.the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.

Novel – a fictitious prose narrative of considerable length and complexity.

The novel is a unique genre with its own unique features

(like short story, play, and poetry). Within those features, there is much room for variation. All of the elements of the short story are present, but there are many more characters in many more situations, many more and various conflicts, and probably many themes (although there tends to be one central theme or message).

The word “novel” means “new” (from latin: nova). In

the 18th Century, the novel emerged as a new form of writing.

Note that the following are NOT novels: novellas (a sort of very

short novel, or long short story); novelizations (when a screenplay is turned into novel form).

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Background information

European history is characterized by three related systems: monarchy, primogeniture, and feudalism.

Monarchy is the political system whereby the monarch – the king, or if there is none, the queen – is the head of state.

Primogeniture is the system of inheritance or succession by the firstborn son (or daughter if no sons are present).

Feudalism was a political and economic system in which land was given by a monarch to a lord.

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Great Britain

England, Scotland, and Wales

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Henry VIII was a Catholic king who wanted a male heir. There was no authority above his regarding matters of state.

The Pope was the head of the Catholic Church, the main religion in England. There was no authority above the Pope regarding matters of religion.

This is called “the separation of church and state”.

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When Henry VIII’s first wife produced no such heir, he looked for another way to have one.

He requested that the Pope, the head of the Catholic church, allow him to divorce his wife and marry another.

The Pope refused the request; divorce was not allowed, even for a king.

Henry needed a solution…

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Henry effectively created his own religion: Anglicanism. Under Anglicanism, Henry was the head of both church and state, and was the ultimate authority for both. So, he could determine the rules regarding marriage and divorce.

The transition from Catholicism to Anglicanism was made easier because Anglicanism shares most of the same aspects as Catholicism.

Also, most of England’s political enemies – France and Spain in particular – were strongly Catholic nations, and this worked with Henry’s ideas for a stronger state unified under his rule.

Catholicism remained a powerful force in England, and in Scotland in particular, and this led to many difficulties for Henry and his successors.

- Lived

- 1564-1616

In: Stratford-on-

Avon, England

and London.

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William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is generally considered to be the greatest playwright and poet that has ever lived. His appeal is universal and his works have been translated, read, and analyzed throughout the world. Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, many poems, and 37 plays which have been grouped into comedies, histories, and tragedies.

Do not copy the nest slides, just listen to the

story.

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{

Shakespeare’s plays combine natural human conflict with dramatic flair producing entertainment that appeals to the audiences of today as well as the audiences for which they were written. Shakespeare understood human nature, and he created characters that portrayed human tragedy and human comedy. Some of his characters were fantastic and unworldly, yet they brought to the stage the truth that mere mortals could not.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

{

Shakespeare’s plays combine natural human conflict with dramatic flair producing entertainment that appeals to the audiences of today as well as the audiences for which they were written. Shakespeare understood human nature, and he created characters that portrayed human tragedy and human comedy. Some of his characters were fantastic and unworldly, yet they brought to the stage the truth that mere mortals could not.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

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{

Shakespeare was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, in England. The exact date of his birth is unknown; however,

records indicate he was baptized on April 26, 1564, at Holy Trinity Church. Traditionally, a baby was

baptized about three days after birth, which would make Shakespeare’s birthday April 23, 1564.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

{

His father, John Shakespeare, was from the yeoman class and his mother, Mary Arden, was from a higher class known as the gentry class. The marriage raised John’s status in town and the Shakespeare family enjoyed prominence and success in Stratford. This is verified through John Shakespeare’s landholding and

his status as an alderman.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

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{

William was the third child of eight, and it can be assumed he attended the local grammar school in Stratford.

School ran for nine hours a day, year-round, and strict discipline was enforced. Shakespeare probably attended

school until he was 15, which was customary for the time.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

{

Around this time, Shakespeare’s father was experiencing financial difficulty, and William probably took a

job to help the family. His father was a glover and dealer in commodities, and Shakespeare may have assisted

his father in his business, but it is presumed Shakespeare worked in a variety of jobs.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

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{

At 18, Shakespeare had an affair with Anne Hathaway, who was eight years his senior. They married, and six

months later they had a child. Susanna Shakespeare was born in May of 1583 and in 1585 twins, Hamnet and

Judith, were born to the Shakespeares. Little is known of that period except that the twins were christened in

February 1585.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

{

Shakespeare’s life became public record in 1592 through a pamphlet written by Robert Greene with criticism

of Shakespeare’s work as an actor as well as a playwright. After Greene’s death, the letter appeared again.

Almost as quickly as it appeared, Greene’s publisher printed an apology to Shakespeare.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

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{

From 1592 to 1594 many public theaters were closed due to the plague, and Shakespeare wrote poems and

sonnets during this period. In 1594, he became a shareholder in a company of actors known as the Lord

Chamberlain’s Men. From 1594 to 1608 he was completely involved in the theatre.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

{

His time in the years 1608 to 1616 was divided between the theater and his family. Shakespeare’s success as

a playwright and shareholder afforded him the luxury of owning homes in London and Stratford. His son

Hamnet died at the age of 11. Judith had three boys, but all died.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

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{

His daughter Susanna had one child,

Elizabeth, who had no children. The recorded date for Shakespeare’s death is April 23, 1616. He is buried

inside the Stratford parish church. Shakespeare’s last direct descendant, his granddaughter, Elizabeth, died in

1670.

I. Shakespeare and His Times

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An overview

God Angels

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Man

Animals

Birds

Fish

Plants

Minerals

Elements

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God Angels

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King/Queen

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Man

Animals

Birds

Fish

Plants

Minerals

Elements

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King

(1 person; ultimate rule; amount they worked varied by ruler)

Upper Class

(A few hundred people; didn’t work much, if at all)

Middle Class

(A growing group of businessmen; worked for profit)

Lower Class (Everybody else; worked for survival)

King

Aristocracy

Gentry

Merchant Class

Poor/Peasants

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King

Aristocracy

Gentry

Merchant Class

Poor/Peasants

MAN

------------

WOMAN

This arrangement is from the Bible.

God made Adam in His image; Eve was made from Adam, and so is one step further removed from

God.

The social roles taken on by men and women respectively reflect this.

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Elizabeth I was a unique ruler. She defied the ideals of womanhood of her age by being strong, independent, and a sole monarch.

Elizabeth never took a husband. There are many theories why this was so, but most agree that she probably did not want to lose power, and taking a husband would guarantee that; as long as she was the sole monarch, she was the highest authority in Great Britain.

Elizabeth I did not expect to be queen.

As a direct result of the conflict over church and state in Great Britain, Elizabeth was often targeted for assassination. Her political enemies were in constant contact with the King of Spain, a Catholic.

Spain had a huge fleet of ships called the Spanish Armada. Elizabeth sent her fleet against them, and English forces annihilated the Armada. As a result, England ruled the seas virtually undisputed for the next 200 years, and built the greatest empire the world has ever known.

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Elizabeth loved the theatre, and often had plays performed at Westminster Palace for her and her subjects.

Part of Shakespeare’s success was owed to the Queen’s admiration of his plays. The Chamberlain’s Men performed for her on several occasions.

She was generally considered to be a good ruler by her subjects, and left a huge mark on history.

The Elizabethan

Theatre

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Background –

Great Britain

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After each chapter, you will be expected to

write a brief summary – two sentences or so.

Use the summary sheet provided to do your

work. Keep track of keywords on the left, then

write the summary on the right using the

keywords.

The summary sheets will be due on the day of

the final Cue for Treason test.

Taking brief notes as you read is called active reading.

Write your

keywords here.

A good idea is to

keep track of them as you read.

Write your summary here.

Summaries should be no more than a few sentences.

You should aim for two sentences only to summarize the plot.

Also note any other things that you consider significant, e.g. about setting, characters or character development, etc.