Introduction to the Literature of William Shakespeare The
Worlds Greatest Storyteller
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We do not understand Shakespeare from a single reading, and
certainly not from a single play. There is a relation between the
various plays of Shakespeare, taken in order; and it is work of
years to venture even one individual interpretation of the pattern
in Shakespeares carpet. T. S. Elliot, Dante, 1929
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Shakespeares Life (1564- 1616) Early Life Born in Stratford,
England to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden Father was a glove maker
Grammar school still in use today Saw a traveling acting show at
the age of 4
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Shakespeares Life, Cont. Later Life Married Anne Hathaway at
the age of 18 (she was 28) (Nov. 1582) Children: Susanna and twins;
Hamnet and Judith (Baptized 1583 and 1585) Around 1587 left for
London
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Shakespeares Theatrical Life Professional Life Member of the
Lord Chamberlains Players Wrote first plays in 1592 (Henry VI,
Titus Andronicus, Comedy of Errors, Loves Labors Lost). Comedy of
Errors is said to be the first. Instant success with the public
(patriotic, violent; he was experimenting) Theatres closed down for
two years because of the plague Shakespeare turned to writing
poetry (sonnets) Venus and Adonis and Lucrece only published works
( great success)
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Theatrical Life, Cont. 1594 theatres reopened; Shakespeare
began writing for the stage (did not care what literary world
thought of him) opened with Romeo and Juliet 1599- Globe Theatre
opened; Shakespeare part owner; new acting company The Kings Men
(1603 King James, King of England) Wrote and acted in 37 plays in
his lifetime Retired to and died in Stratford in 1616; buried in
Holy Trinity Church (Cursed be he who moves my bones.)
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Queen Elizabeth (Queen from 1533-1603) Patron of the arts Loved
plays; they were presented at court at Christmas Would not let the
Puritans close the theatres; they needed the practice
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The Elizabethan Audience Loved violence and gore; did not mind
that they were already familiar with the plots All classes of
people attended; loved the language of Shakespeares plays; it was
to them what music is to us today. Wealthy got benches Groundlings
= poorer people stood and watched from the courtyard (pit) All but
wealthy were uneducated/illiterate
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Theatres Began in inn courtyards; people hanging out their
windows to watch 1576 - James Burbage built the Theatre in London
(Shakespeare was 12 had to be built _out of the city limits) 1599
the theatre lost its lease; was rebuilt in another part of town and
named the Globe Theatres were round, opened in the center; a flag
was put each day to signify whether a comedy or a tragedy was
playing; multilevel Very little use of scenery or props; however,
elaborate costumes
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Theatres, Cont. Plays performed during the day (around 2 PM)
1613 Globe Theatre burned down during a performance of Henry VI
1614 rebuilt better, later torn down (1641) Late 1990s rebuilt on
its original site on the Thames in East London The theatres were
repeatedly closed down during the 1500s and 1600s because it was
believed to be connected to many deaths (plague)
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The Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre in London was the venue at
which the Bard's best known stage works were first produced. The
Globe was built in 1599 and had a total capacity of 2,000 -3,000
spectators. Because there was no lighting, all performances at the
Globe were conducted between 2 and 5 Acoustics were poor and the
actors had to shout their lines, stress their enunciation, and
engage in exaggerated theatrical gestures. Productions were
completely devoid of background scenery. Changes of scene were
indicated in the speeches and narrative situations that Shakespeare
wrote into the text of the plays. The Globe was destroyed by fire
in 1613, rebuilt, and remained active until 1642. It was demolished
in 1644. Excavation was begun in 1989; finished almost 10 years
later
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Props & Scenery Hair: wigs Makeup: flour to whiten faces
for ghosts or villains Ink: to draw features such as wrinkles, etc.
Cheeks: brick dust, or slap them around before going out on stage;
charcoal for black faces
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Props & Scenery, Cont. Props: blood, real blood, an animal
spleen or heart (Shakespeare one of the first to show violence on
stage) Expensive costumes (often reused) Cannons for battle scenes
Open sky Music created mood and scene; also done by language drums
and trumpets (special effects for distance) Bright colors, banners,
fireworks, processions Dress easily distinguished social class and
profession
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Actors Only men Needed to be able to sing, dance, tumble,
swordfight Had to have fantastic memories (often had to do several
plays a week) Rarely wrote their own plays Were often looked down
upon; were not university educated; however, they were respected
and well known abroad Young boys were used for the womens parts
(boys were often kidnapped and forced into the theatre lifeuntil
their voices changed) The same actor was often well known for a
certain type of character, and plays were written with this in mind
(Richard Burbage played Othello) Richard Burbage-most famous
Shakespearean actor of the time
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Subjects & Themes of Shakespeares Plays All of Shakespeares
37 plays were adaptations, not original creations Shakespeare added
elements of human nature to all his plays; made cardboard
characters more rounded; made plots more complicated, therefore
lifelike Ideas for plays came from: History plays: Holinsheds
Chronicles; classical mythology; Englands own history Comedies and
tragedies: poems and classical literature Shakespeare was the first
to mix comedy with tragedy
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Subjects & Themes of Shakespeares Plays, Cont. Shakespeares
plays were criticized during his lifetime because they did not
follow the formula that other dramatists followed, particularly
university educated writers. Shakespeare wrote for the common man.
His plays were not published in his lifetime. The action took place
off stage. Frequent themes found in Shakespeares plays are revenge,
hate, love, jealousy, power Plays werent published until 1623 in
the First Folio by two members of Shakespeares acting company who
issued it as a memorial to their fellow actor.
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Language in Shakespeares Plays Written in iambic pentameter
(unstressed/stressed accent) Blank verse Often rhymed to help
actors learn lines and to show when a scene was coming to an end Is
rich with new words added to our language (afeared) Shows the
development of the English language (you, thou, thee) Is filled
with many frequently quoted passages (To be or not to be) Language
was used to establish the setting as there was no curtain Used
contractions, elongated words
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Quick Write: Please take a minute to write down all the
Shakespearean plays you have heard of or read.
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Shakespeare wrote: Comedies Histories Tragedies
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All's Well That Ends Well As You Like It The Comedy of Errors
Cymbeline Love's Labours Lost Measure for Measure The Merry Wives
of Windsor The Merchant of Venice A Midsummer Night's Dream Much
Ado About Nothing Pericles, Prince of Tyre Taming of the Shrew The
Tempest Troilus and Cressida Twelfth Night Two Gentlemen of Verona
Winter's TaleAll's Well That Ends Well As You Like It The Comedy of
Errors Cymbeline Love's Labours Lost Measure for Measure The Merry
Wives of Windsor The Merchant of Venice A Midsummer Night's Dream
Much Ado About Nothing Pericles, Prince of Tyre Taming of the Shrew
The Tempest Troilus and Cressida Twelfth Night Two Gentlemen of
Verona Winter's Tale Henry IV, Part I Henry IV, Part II Henry V
Henry VI, Part I Henry VI, Part II Henry VI, Part III Henry VIII
King John Richard II Richard III Antony and Cleopatra Coriolanus
Hamlet Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth Othello Romeo and Juliet
Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus
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Typical Images of Shakespeare
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Atypical Images
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Q: What do the following words have in common?
AddictionAdvertisingBedroomChampion DruggedElbowEyeballGossip
HintLonely Skim milk Tranquil
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A: They were all coined by Shakespeare. William Shakespeare
invented over 1700 words by changing nouns into verbs, changing
verbs into adjectives, connecting words that were never before used
together, adding prefixes and suffixes, and devising original
words.
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The Will The Bard's will gave most of his property to Susanna,
his first child and not to his wife Anne Hathaway. Instead his wife
received his "second-best bed".
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The Cursed Grave Good friend, for Jesus sake, forbear To dig
the dust enclosed here; Blest be the man that spares these stones
And curst he that moves my bones.
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Publishing William never published any of his plays. We read
his plays today only because seven years after his death, fellow
actors posthumously recorded his work as a dedication to
Shakespeare in 1623. This collection, The First Folio, is the
source from which all published Shakespeare books are derived and
is proof that he authored his plays. FOLIO: The largest common size
of a book or manuscript, usually about 38 cm (or 15 in.) in height
and made up of folded sheets.
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The First Folio
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When Shakespeare was writing, plays were not really considered
Literature were not published with the care that his poems were.
But in 1616, Ben Jonson published his complete Works --and included
his plays (which he called "poems"). Seven years later, the First
Folio was published. Had the First Folio not been published, we
would have lost three of Shakespeare's last plays (Cymbeline, The
Winter's Tale, and The Tempest), four tragedies (Julius Caesar,
Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, and Coriolanus), and two of the
mature comedies (As You Like It and Twelfth Night).
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Multi-Talented Fact: Few people realize that aside from writing
37 plays and composing 154 sonnets, William was also an actor who
performed many of his own plays as well as those of other
playwrights (such as Ben Jonson).
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Elizabethan (QE) Words You have to understand a little of the
Queens English An,and: If Anon: Soon Aye: Yes But:Except for
Een:Even Eer: Ever
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QE Words (cont.) Haply:Perhaps Happy:Fortunate Hence:Away, from
her Hie:Hurry Marry:Indeed
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QE Words (cont.) Whence:Where Wilt:Will, will you Withal:In
addition to Would:Wish
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Why Are These Plays Good? 1.Transcend Time and Place 2.Reflect
Humanity: Emotions Continual Struggles 3.Reflect History 4.Still
relatable
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Blank Verse Much of Shakespeare is written in it: unrhymed
verse iambic (unstressed, stressed) pentameter( 5 feet to a line)
ends up to be 10 syllable lines
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Prose Ordinary writing that is not poetry, drama, or song Only
characters in the lower social classes speak this way in
Shakespeares plays Why do you suppose that is?
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Structure of The Bards Plays All have a Plot: The sequence of
events in a literary work All have Exposition: The plot usually
begins with this: Introduces: setting characters basic
situation
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Inciting Moment Often called initial incident the first bit of
action that occurs which begins the plot For example, Romeo and
Juliet lock eyes at the party
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Conflict The struggle that develops man vs. man man vs. himself
man vs. society man vs. nature
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Crisis The point where the protagonists situation will either
get better or worse
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Climax The turning point of the story everything begins to
unravel from here Thus begins the falling action
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Resolution The end of the central conflict
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Denouement The final explanation or outcome of the plot If this
is included in literature, it will occur after the resolution.
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Metaphorical Language Comparison of unlike things Paris
standing over the lifeless body of Juliet, Sweet flower, with
flowers thy bridal bed I strew Thou detestable mawGorged with the
dearest morsel of the earth Romeo
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Dramatic Foil A character whose purpose is to show off another
character Benvolio for Tybalt look for others in R & J
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Round characters Characters who have many personality traits,
like real people.
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Flat Characters One-dimensional, embodying only a single trait
Shakespeare often uses them to provide comic relief even in a
tragedy
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Static Characters Characters within a story who remain the
same. They do not change. They do not change their minds, opinions
or character.
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Dynamic Character Characters that change somehow during the
course of the plot. They generally change for the better.
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Monologue One person speaking on stage; may be other character
on stage too Logue speech; mono - one
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Soliloquy Long 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.
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Aside Words spoken, usually in an undertone not intended to be
heard by all characters
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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
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Direct Address Words that tell the reader who is being
addressed: A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit. Ah, my
mistresses, which of you all/ Will now deny to dance?
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Dramatic Irony A contradiction between what a character thinks
and what the reader/audience knows to be true
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Verbal Irony Words used to suggest the opposite of what is
meant
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Situational Irony An event occurs that directly contradicts the
expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience
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Comic Relief Use of comedy within literature that is NOT comedy
to provide relief from seriousness or sadness. In Hamlet and
Othello, look for moments of comic relief that help relieve the
tragedy of the situation
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The Products of Shakespeare Out of his 37 plays the top 6 most
popular are: Hamlet Othello Macbeth Romeo and Juliet The Tempest
Julius Caesar
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Words of Wisdom from Shakespeare To be or not to be; that is
the question. Hamlet Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. Alls
Well That Ends Well Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born
great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon
'em. Twelfth Night Its not enough to speak, but to speak true.
Midsummer Nights Dream
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Helpful Websites The Shakespeare Glossary
http://shakespeare.about.com/library/blglossary.htm
http://shakespeare.about.com/library/blglossary.htm Romeo and
Juliet Online Quizzes
http://www.edhelper.com/books/Romeo_and_Juliet.htm
http://www.edhelper.com/books/Romeo_and_Juliet.htm William
Shakespeare Biography
http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/