William Shakespeare

William ShakespeareWidely regarded as the greatest writer

in English Literature

I. ShakespeareO1563-1616OStratford-on-Avon, England

Owrote 37 playsOabout 154 sonnetsOstarted out as an actor

A. Stage Celebrity

OActor for Lord Chamberlain’s Men (London theater co.)

OAlso > principal playwright for them

O1599> Lord Ch. Co. built Globe Theater where most of Sh. Play’s were performed

B. Wrote:OComediesOHistoriesOTragedies

C.Romeo and Juliet

OWritten about 1595OConsidered a tragedy

OWest Side Story (Movie) based on R&J

II. The TheaterOPlays produced for the

general publicORoofless>open airONo artificial lightingOCourtyard surrounded by 3 levels of galleries

A. SpectatorsOWealthy got benches

O“Groundlings”>poorer people stood and watched from the courtyard (“pit”)

OAll but wealthy were uneducated/illiterate

OMuch more interaction than today

B. Staging Areas

OStage>platform that extended into the pit

ODressing & storage rooms in galleries behind & above stage

Osecond-level gallery> upper stage> famous balcony scene in R & J

OTrap door>ghostsO“Heavens”> angelic beings

C. DifferencesONo scenery

OSettings > references in dialogue

OElaborate costumesOPlenty of propsOFast-paced, colorful>2 hours!

D. ActorsOOnly men and boysOYoung boys whose voices had not changed play women’s roles

OWould have been considered indecent for a woman to appear on stage

Elizabethan (QE1) WordsOAn,and: If

OAnon: SoonOAye: YesOBut: Except forOE’en: EvenOE’er: Ever

QE1 Words (contin.)OHaply: Perhaps

OHappy: FortunateOHence: Away, from her

OHie: HurryOMarry: Indeed

QE1 Words (contin.)

OWhence: WhereOWilt:Will, will youOWithal: In addition to

OWould: Wish

OIII. His Main Literary Contributions

A. ProseOOrdinary writing that is not poetry, drama, or songOOnly characters in the lower social classes speak this way in Shakespeare’s plays

OWhy do you suppose that is?

B. MonologueOOne person speaking on stage > may be other character on stage tooOex > the Prince of Verona commanding the Capulets and Montagues to cease feuding

C. SoliloquyOLong speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage. In R & J, Romeo gives a soliloquy after the servant has fled and Paris has died.

IV. Plot & Order

OThe sequence of events in a literary work

A. ExpositionOThe plot usually begins with this:Ointroduces>>>>

OsettingOcharactersObasic situation

B. Inciting Moment

OOften called “initial incident”Othe first bit of action that occurs which begins the plot

ORomeo and Juliet “lock eyes” at the party

C. ConflictOThe struggle that developsOman vs. manOman vs. himselfOman vs. societyOman vs. nature

D. CrisisOThe point where the protagonist’s situation will either get better or worseOprotagonist>good guy

Oantagonist>bad guy

E. ClimaxOThe turning point of the story>everything begins to unravel from here OThus begins the falling action

F. Resolution

OThe end of the central conflict

DenouementOThe final explanation or outcome of the plotOIf this is included in literature, it will occur after the resolution.

Tragedy (Shakespearean)ODrama where the central

character/s suffer disaster/great misfortuneOIn many tragedies, downfall results from>

OFateOCharacter flaw/Fatal flawOCombination of the two

ThemeOCentral idea or >>

OInsight about life which explain the downfall

Metaphorical Language

OComparison of unlike things >OParis standing over the “lifeless body” of Juliet, “Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew…”

O“Thou detestable maw…”Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth…” Romeo

Dramatic FoilOA character whose

purpose is to show off another characterOBenvolio for Tybalt

Olook for others in R & J

Round characters

OCharacters who have many personality traits, like real people.

Flat CharactersOOne-dimensional, embodying only a single traitOShakespeare often uses them to provide comic relief even in a tragedy

Static Characters

OCharacters within a story who remain the same. They do not change. They do not change their minds, opinions or character.

Dynamic Character

OCharacters that change somehow during the course of the plot. They generally change for the better.

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

PunOShakespeare loved to use them!!!OHumorous use of a word with two meanings > sometimes missed by the reader because of Elizabethan language and sexual innuendo

Direct AddressOWords that tell the

reader who is being addressed:

O“A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit.”

O“Ah, my mistresses, which of you all/ Will now deny to dance?”

Dramatic Irony

OA contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader/audience knows to be true

Verbal IronyOWords used to suggest the opposite of what is meant

Situational Irony

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

Comic ReliefOUse of comedy within literature that is NOT comedy to provide “relief” from seriousness or sadness.

OIn R & J, look for moments of comic relief that help “relieve” the tragedy of the situation