Shakespeare

Mr. Byars

Freshman English

Introduction

• Welcome to the class• Be prepared to think critically• Class discussion is highly encouraged

Block Objective

• The study of Shakespeare is intended to prepare you for advancement to higher levels of learning and understanding about the great works of literature. You will gain a better understanding of the Shakespearean era and his plays and be able to apply this knowledge to the modern theater.

Block Overview

• Section I – Introduction and Orientation• Section II – Shakespeare’s Life• Section III –Shakespeare’s Theater• Section IV – Romeo and Juliet• Section V – Shakespeare’s Technique

Section I

Introduction and Orientation

Section II

Shakespeare’s Life

Growing Up

• How do we know anything about Shakespeare?

• When and where was he born?• Did Shakespeare’s upbringing affect his

life’s outcome?• How did Shakespeare’s school compare to

your school?

Shakespeare’s Life Growing Up

• Birth

Fathers History

Stratford-upon-Avon

School Life

Influence from Markets and Festivals

Marriage

The Missing Years

Shakespeare’s Theatrical Career

• What prompted Shakespeare to become a playwright?

• Why are his plays considered to be works of art?

• What do we know about his plays and sonnets?

• What do we know about the Globe Theater?

Shakespeare Arrives in London

Life in London and the Theater

Venus and Adonis

Shakespeare Becomes Established

• Four Periods– Period One– Period Two– Period Three– Period Four

First PeriodHenry VI

Richard III

Titus Andronicus

The Comedy of Errors

The Taming of the Shrew

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Love’s Labour’s Lost

Second PeriodRichard II

Henry IV

Henry V

A Midsummer Nights Dream

The Merchant of Venice

Much Ado About Nothing

As You Like It

Twelfth Night

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Romeo and Juliet

Julius Caesar

Financially Well Off

Globe Theater

Octagonal Shaped Outer Wall

Roofless Inner Pit and The Stage

Three Galleries

The Creative YearsThe Third Period

Hamlet

Othello

King Lear

Anthony and Cleopatra

Macbeth

Troilus and Cressida

Coriolanus

Timon of Athens

All’s Well That End’s Well

Measure for Measure

The Fourth PeriodCymbeline

The Winter’s Tale

The Tempest

Henry VIII

The Two Noble Kinsmen

The Retirement Years

Shakespeare’s Will and Death

Growing Up

• How do we know anything about Shakespeare?

• When and where was he born?• Did Shakespeare’s upbringing affect his

life’s outcome?• How did Shakespeare’s school compare to

your school?

Shakespeare’s Theatrical Career

• What prompted Shakespeare to become a playwright?

• Why are his plays considered to be works of art?

• What do we know about his plays and sonnets?

• What do we know about the Globe Theater?

Section III

Shakespeare’s Theater

Elizabethan Theater

• Three theater troupes• Proscenium stage• Censorship and plague• Design of the theater and stage• Use of props• Use of theatrical juxtaposition

Comparison/Contrast Exercise

Section IV

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

• Reading the play• Discussion of the actions of the characters• Identifying the character traits• Comparing classic and modern versions• Rewriting the outcome• Designing a theater setting for the play

Section V

Shakespeare’s Technique

Shakespeare’s Technique

• Significance of blank verse, rhyme, and prose

• Use of heavy dialogue and limited action• Use of men and women