Created by Ms. Irwin

 Introduction to Shakespeare  Shakespearean Archetypes  Unit questions and discussion  Hamlet related questions and discussions

Adapted from tion.ppt

 Born April 23, 1564—died 1616  In Stratford-upon-Avon  Parents: John and Mary Arden Shakespeare Mary—daughter of wealthy landowner John—glovemaker, local politician

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Probably attended King’s New School in Stratford (Little known about his childhood)

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Married in 1582 to Anne Hathaway (26), who was pregnant at the time with their first daughter (Susanna) He was 18! Had twins in 1585 (Hamnet & Judith) Sometime between , he moved to London and began working in theatre.

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Life in Elizabethan and Jacobean England London expanded greatly as a city People moved in from rural areas and from other European countries Strict class system Busy and crowded; lots of commerce, craftsmen Not a clean or safe city—“The Thames was a beautiful sewer” (224) and disease and criminals ran rampant Southwark: suburb known for its “vice” – theaters, gaming, prostitution, etc. Grew into substantial port and admired European city

Conditions in London-BAD! Thames River polluted with raw sewage Trees used up for fuel Poverty

Bathing considered dangerous Body odor strong Childhood diseases Children often died before 5 years Small Pox Bubonic Plague

No running water Chamber Pots Open Sewers Crowded

One set used all year long, rarely washed Underclothing slept in, infrequently changed Clothes

Performed in courtyards of inns The Theater-first public theater-1576 Daytime/open air Limited set design Relied on music, sound, costumes, props and great description

Member and later part-owner of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later called the King’s Men Globe Theater built in 1599 by L.C.M. with Shakespeare as primary investor was three-stories high and had no roof.\ could together hold more than 1,500 people. In 1613, during a performance of Henry VIII, a misfired canon ball set the Globe's thatched roof on fire and the whole theatre was consumed.

All men Female parts played by young boys No actual kissing or hugging on stage

GROUNDLINGS Poor audience member Stood around stage in “the pit” Threw rotten vegetables at bad performances

 1 shilling to stand  2 shillings to sit in the balcony

 38 plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare comedies histories Tragedies romances  Collaborated on several others

Numerous poems 154 Sonnets

The cause of Shakespeare's death is a mystery, but an entry in the diary of John Ward, the vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford (where Shakespeare is buried), tells us that "Shakespeare, Drayton, and Ben Jonson had a merry meeting and it seems drank too hard, for Shakespeare died of a fever there contracted." He was 52. He is buried at Holy Trinity Church in his birthplace of Stratford.

An epitaph is an inscription on or at a tomb or a grave in memory of the one buried there. Shakespeare also wrote his own epitaph because during his time, when the graveyard was full, people would dig up someone's corpse and burn it so that another could be buried in that person's place. This disgusted Shakespeare, and he didn't want this type of disrespect after his death. His epitaph reads as follows: “Good Friends, for Jesus' sake forbear, To dig the bones enclosed here! Blest be the man that spares these stones, And curst be he that moves my bones."

- one fell swoop  flesh and blood  vanish into thin air  pomp and circumstance  seen better days  a sorry sight  neither rhyme nor reason  full circle  dead as a doornail  for goodness sake  green-eyed monster  Not a mouse was stirring  In a pickle  Not slept one wink  Too much of a good thing  Foul play

 Use of disguises/ mistaken identity  Multiple marriages (in comedies)  Multiple murders (in tragedies)  Last speaker—highest in rank (in tragedies)

Shakespeare did NOT write in “Old English.” Old English is the language of Beowulf:Beowulf Hwaet! We Gardena in geardagum Þeodcyninga Þrym gefrunon Hu ða æÞelingas ellen fremedon! (Hey! We have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes in the old days, the kings of tribes, how noble princes showed great courage!)

Shakespeare did not write in “Middle English.” Middle English is the language of Chaucer, the author of The Canterbury Tales: Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote And bathed every veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

Original Middle English:  Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote And bathed every veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Modern Translation  When fair April with his showers sweet, Has pierced the drought of March to the root's feet And bathed each vein in liquid of such power, Its strength creates the newly springing flower;

Shakespeare wrote in “Early Modern English.” EME was not very different from “Modern English,” except that it had some old holdovers. The Shakespeare Glossary

 Omissions Again, for the sake of his poetry, Shakespeare often left out letters, syllables, and whole words. These omissions really aren't that much different from the way we speak today. We say: "Been to class yet?" "No. Heard Miss I’s givin' a test." "Wha'sup wi'that?“ We leave out words and parts of words to speed up our speech. If we were speaking in complete sentences, we would say: "Have you been to class yet?" "No, I have not been to class. I heard that Ms. Irwin is giving a test today." "What is up with that?"

 A few examples of Shakespearean omissions/contractions follow: 'tis ~ it is ope ~ open o'er ~ over gi' ~ give ne'er ~ never i' ~ in e'er ~ ever oft ~ often e'en ~ even thou/thee ~ you thy/thine ~ your ye ~ y’all

Shakespeare’s Poetry We speak in prose (language without metrical structure).  Shakespeare wrote both prose and poetry (verse).  To understand his poetry, we need to understand these terms: Blank Verse: unrhymed iambic pentameter. Iambic Pentameter: five beats of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables; ten syllables per line.Iambic Pentameter

Shakespeare coined many words we still use today: Critical Majestic Dwindle Fashionable Embrace (as a noun) Vulnerable

one fell swoop flesh and blood vanish into thin air pomp and circumstance seen better days a sorry sight neither rhyme nor reason full circle dead as a doornail for goodness sake green-eyed monster

A mix of old and very new Rural and urban words/images Understandable by the lowest peasant and the highest noble

Elizabethan Theatrical Conventions

A theatrical convention is a suspension of reality.  No electricity  Women forbidden to act on stage  Minimal, contemporary costumes  Minimal scenery These control the dialogue. Good dialogue is key!

Audience loves to be scared.  Soliloquy- an extended speech, directed to the audience rather than to other characters, in which the speaker explores their thoughts and feelings.  Aside- Words an actor speaks to the audience which other actors on the stage cannot hear. Sometimes the actor cups his mouth toward the audience or turns away from the other actors. An aside serves to reveal a character's thoughts or concerns to the audience without revealing them to other characters in a play. Types of speech  Blood and gore  Use of supernatural

Unlocking Shakespeare's LanguageUnlocking Shakespeare's Language, by Randal Robinson  Unusual Word Arrangements I ate the sandwich. I the sandwich ate. Ate the sandwich I. Ate I the sandwich. The sandwich I ate. The sandwich ate I. Robinson shows us that these four words can create six unique sentences which carry the same meaning. Locate the subject, verb, and the object of the sentence. Notice that the object of the sentence is often placed at the beginning (the sandwich) in front of the verb (ate) and subject (I). Rearrange the words in the order that makes the most sense to you (I ate the sandwich).

Renaissance = rebirth Rebirth of: interest in learning, especially that of ancient Greece and Rome civilization in general arts and sciences Reaction to “Dark Ages” of medieval Europe

There is no such thing as “hard” or “difficult” there is just familiar and unfamiliar. Shakespeare’s themes are universal His language is beautiful, funny, and worthy of exploration and analysis. Learn to read Shakespeare because it is really freaking cool when you start to get it. Shakespeare and Hip Hop actually have a lot in common:

Archetype: A very typical example of a certain person or thing Are recognized across cultures, languages, and religions Have a meaningful impact on the understanding of a text

Protagonist or central character Usually fails or dies due to a character flaw or cruel twist of fate

Character who experiences similar situation to protagonist but reacts differently

There from beginning to end Order is restored and these characters are left to tell the story

Wise and trustworthy Reveal plot clues

Trigger the conflict

Initiate thoughtful laughter Point out the flaws of other characters

Typically apparitions, magical beings, or fortune tellers Bring light to the main characters Foreshadow what’s to come

 Introduction to Shakespeare  Shakespearean Archetypes  Unit questions and discussion  Hamlet related questions and discussions

 Who is usually the source of conflict in Shakespeare’s plays?

 Who is are the characters that are wise and trustworthy?

 These characters initiate laughter while revealing truths or criticism of the society.

 These characters bring light to the main character and foreshadow what is to come.

 These characters are usually the protagonist and suffer from some fatal flaw or fate.

 These characters survive and tell the story.

 These characters go through the same events, yet react very differently.

1. How do we define madness? Sanity? 2. What makes love so complicated and multi- dimensional? 3. How can acting/pretending hurt others? 4. Why do people seek power? 5. Is it possible to persistently garner power without the existence of corruption? 6. What about familial relationships helps us? What about them make us vulnerable? 7. What are the benefits and consequences of revenge? 8. How do we know who we can and cannot trust?

 What would it feel like to be gone for the summer then come home to discover that you dad is dead?

 What would it feel like to find out that not only is your dad dead, but your mom has already remarried?

 What if the man your mom remarried was a powerhungry jerk who has taken over the business your dad ran?

 What action, if any, would you take in these circumstances?

 What if a trusted friend came to you and told you that he suspects that your father was murdered by your new stepfather? What would you do?

 If you wanted to set a trap to get someone to admit a they lied, how would you go about it?

 How would you feel if your mother was overly demonstrative with her new husband— always hanging on him and kissing him in your presence?

 If you, for some strange reason, wanted to make people believe you are insane, how would you do it?

 If you discovered that a close friend has lied to you, what would you do?