William Shakespeare

WILLIAM SHAKESPEAREWidely regarded as the greatest writer in English Literature

Shakespeare1564-1616Stratford-on-Avon, England

wrote 37 playsabout 154 sonnetsstarted out as an actor

Stage CelebrityActor 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:

ComediesHistoriesTragedies

The TheaterPlays produced for the general public

Roofless>open airNo artificial lightingCourtyard surrounded by 3 levels of galleries

SpectatorsWealthy got benches“Groundlings”>poorer people stood and watched from the courtyard (“pit”)

All but wealthy were uneducated/illiterate

Much more interaction than today

DifferencesNo scenerySettings > references in dialogue

Elaborate costumesPlenty of propsFast-paced, colorful>2 hours!

ActorsOnly men and boysYoung 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: IfAnon: SoonAye: YesBut: Except forE’en: EvenE’er: Ever

QE1 Words (contin.)

Haply: PerhapsHappy: FortunateHence: Away, from her

Hie: HurryMarry: Indeed

QE1 Words (contin.)

Whence: WhereWilt: Will, will youWithal: In addition to

Would: Wish

Blank VerseMuch 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>FateCharacter flaw/Fatal flawCombination 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 FoilA character whose purpose is to show off another character Macbeth and Banquo

Round characters

Characters who have many personality traits, like real people.

Flat CharactersOne-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.

MonologueOne person speaking on stage > may be other character(s) on stage too

SoliloquyLong speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage.

AsideWords spoken, usually in an undertone not intended to be heard by all characters

PunShakespeare 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 IronyAn event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience

Comic ReliefUse 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