Shakespeare Born 1554 Acted with theater group and became principal playwright Most of his best known tragic dramas written from Preferred to base his plays on existing stories, novellas or plays.

The Sonnet 14 verse lines 3 quatrains 1 couplet Usually follows strict rhyme scheme Sonnet sequences are usually about the Poet’s love for a woman Iambic pentameter Iambic – unstressed syllable followed by a stressed Pentameter – 5 such couples

Shakespeare’s Sonnets Published 1909 (mentioned in print 10 years before) His choice of characters is what sets him apart from other sonnet sequences of his day Most sonnets follow the same rhyme scheme but not all of them. 154 sonnets Last 28 sonnets are adressed to a Dark Lady – female cycle theory.

The Sequence 1-17: Celebrates the beauty of the young man Urges him to marry and reproduce Long sequence focusing on The Fair Youth The Youth and The Lady Rival poet(s) series Redrawal of love series The Lover’s fault group Regret at being an actor The Dark Lady