Understanding Shakespeare’s “Greatest Work.” The Tragedy of Hamlet. Understanding Shakespeare’s “Greatest Work.”

A Hook: The Circle of Life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYheFyrahng

Learning Objectives. To understand some background information on William Shakespeare, types of dramas, theatre in the day, and Elizabethan society. To understand the setting, plot overview, and major characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. To continue moving through a survey of renowned pieces of Western canonical literature, paying special tribute to historically-prominent, dead, white men.

Things You Should Know. Shakespeare, as historically documented, is not my favorite person in the world. And, so, yeah, you are getting a biased pitch of Shakespeare. NEVERTHELESS, “his” works are worth our time. This is my first time reading Hamlet (and I am reading it with you). I dodged a lot of the required Shakespeare reading in college, because Chaucer was/is my man. For English majors at IU, you had to pick one course from the big three (like the Holy Trinity of Western Lit.)- Chaucer, Milton, or Shakespeare. So, I am looking forward to seeing this drama through fresh eyes– just like you. Let’s do this.

The BIG Three. Geoffrey Chaucer. 13??-1400 The Canterbury Tales William Shakespeare. 1564-1616 Romeo & Juliet, A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet. John Milton. 1608-1674 Paradise Lost

Shakespeare Background. LO= To understand the background of the mysterious W. Shakespeare.

Shakespeare’s Family Tree. LO= To understand the mysterious William Shakespeare.

To write or not to write… Some individuals and scholars of Shakespeare believe that the true author of these works was Edward de Vere. However, since an actor and playwright was not an acceptable profession for a member of the aristocracy, de Vere could not use his own name.

Elizabethan Timeframe.

Early Modern English.

Remember This?

Those Dramas Though. Shakespeare’s plays include comedies, tragedies—and histories, such as Hamlet. Some of his other famous plays include Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Othello, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In addition, Shakespeare wrote love poems called sonnets. Like ”Sonnet 18,” which we read.

Types of Dramas.

Perspective on Theatre. The theater in Shakespeare’s day was tremendously different from what we see today. Being an actor was not a highly regarded profession; actors were looked down upon in society.

The Globe. Shakespeare’s plays were performed in a theater called the Globe, sometimes called “The Wooden ‘O’” because of its circular shape.

A Bit More about Then. Theaters had no lighting, so performances took place during the day. There were few special effects or props; Shakespeare used detailed verbal description to paint a picture of his scenes.

Actors Only. In Shakespeare’s time, it was considered immoral for a woman to appear onstage. So, the female roles in Shakespeare’s plays were performed by young men. How would we re-write the above sentences to ensure active voice?

Some Extra Stuff. The time period in which Shakespeare lived—Elizabethan England, named for the queen—influenced the content of his plays as well as the way in which they were performed. Elizabethans believed the earth was flat…

Some Extra Stuff. In Elizabethan times, people believed that a person’s mental, physical, and emotional state were determined by the balance of the four “humours” in the body: blood, yellow bile, phlegm and black bile.  They believed the humors gave off vapors that affected the brain, so whatever humor dominated would determine your personality type.

Words. More Words. Sometimes a character will give a long speech all by herself, revealing her secret thoughts to the audience: this is called a soliloquy. Sometimes a character will just make a brief comment to the audience that the other characters don’t hear; this is called an aside.

Some Stats.

Check for Understanding. In which timeframe was Shakespeare writing? What is another term for Shakespearean language? What is a fourteen-line poem that ends in a couplet and follows the following rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg? What is it called when an actor makes a side-comment to the audience? What is it called when an actor goes on a long rant? What are the three types of Shakespearean dramas? Who were the BIG three? And… what were their greatest works?

Now, a Beautiful Synopsis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmjWIMMtjDc