William Shakespeare Widely regarded as the greatest writer in English Literature

I. Shakespeare O O Stratford-on-Avon, England O wrote 37 plays O about 154 sonnets O started out as an actor

A. Stage Celebrity O Actor for Lord Chamberlain’s Men (London theater co.) O Also > principal playwright for them O 1599> Lord Ch. Co. built Globe Theater where most of Sh. Play’s were performed

B. Wrote: O Comedies O Histories O Tragedies

C.Romeo and Juliet O Written about 1595 O Considered a tragedy O West Side Story (Movie) based on R&J

II. The Theater O Plays produced for the general public O Roofless>open air O No artificial lighting O Courtyard surrounded by 3 levels of galleries

A. Spectators O Wealthy got benches O “Groundlings”>poorer people stood and watched from the courtyard (“pit”) O All but wealthy were uneducated/illiterate O Much more interaction than today

B. Staging Areas O Stage>platform that extended into the pit O Dressing & storage rooms in galleries behind & above stage O second-level gallery> upper stage> famous balcony scene in R & J O Trap door>ghosts O “Heavens”> angelic beings

C. Differences O No scenery O Settings > references in dialogue O Elaborate costumes O Plenty of props O Fast-paced, colorful>2 hours!

D. Actors O Only men and boys O Young boys whose voices had not changed play women’s roles O Would have been considered indecent for a woman to appear on stage

Elizabethan (QE1) Words O An,and: If O Anon: Soon O Aye: Yes O But:Except for O E’en:Even O E’er: Ever

QE1 Words (contin.) O Haply:Perhaps O Happy:Fortunate O Hence:Away, from her O Hie:Hurry O Marry:Indeed

QE1 Words (contin.) O Whence:Where O Wilt:Will, will you O Withal:In addition to O Would:Wish

O III. His Main Literary Contributions

A. Prose O Ordinary writing that is not poetry, drama, or song O Only characters in the lower social classes speak this way in Shakespeare’s plays O Why do you suppose that is?

B. Monologue O One person speaking on stage > may be other character on stage too O ex > the Prince of Verona commanding the Capulets and Montagues to cease feuding

C. Soliloquy O 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.

IV. Plot & Order O The sequence of events in a literary work

A. Exposition O The plot usually begins with this: O introduces>>>> O setting O characters O basic situation

B. Inciting Moment O Often called “initial incident” O the first bit of action that occurs which begins the plot O Romeo and Juliet “lock eyes” at the party

C. Conflict O The struggle that develops O man vs. man O man vs. himself O man vs. society O man vs. nature

D. Crisis O The point where the protagonist’s situation will either get better or worse O protagonist>good guy O antagonist>bad guy

E. Climax O The turning point of the story>everything begins to unravel from here O Thus begins the falling action

F. Resolution O The end of the central conflict

Denouement O The final explanation or outcome of the plot O If this is included in literature, it will occur after the resolution.

Tragedy (Shakespearean) O Drama where the central character/s suffer disaster/great misfortune O In many tragedies, downfall results from> O Fate O Character flaw/Fatal flaw O Combination of the two

Theme O Central idea or >> O Insight about life which explain the downfall

Metaphorical Language O Comparison of unlike things > O Paris 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 Foil O A character whose purpose is to show off another character O Benvolio for Tybalt O look for others in R & J

Round characters O Characters who have many personality traits, like real people.

Flat Characters O One-dimensional, embodying only a single trait O Shakespeare often uses them to provide comic relief even in a tragedy

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

Dynamic Character O Characters that change somehow during the course of the plot. They generally change for the better.

Aside O Words spoken, usually in an undertone not intended to be heard by all characters

Pun O Shakespeare loved to use them!!! O Humorous use of a word with two meanings > sometimes missed by the reader because of Elizabethan language and sexual innuendo

Direct Address O Words 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 O A contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader/audience knows to be true

Verbal Irony O Words used to suggest the opposite of what is meant

Situational Irony O An event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience

Comic Relief O Use of comedy within literature that is NOT comedy to provide “relief” from seriousness or sadness. O In R & J, look for moments of comic relief that help “relieve” the tragedy of the situation