莎士比亚，不是想给你的名字招嫉妒， 我这样竭力赞扬你的人和书； 说你的作品简直是超凡入圣， 人和诗神怎么夸也不会过分。 这是实情，谁也不可能有异议。 本 · 琼森：题威廉 · 莎士比亚的遗著， 纪念吾敬爱的作者 （ 1623 ）

他（莎士比亚）戏剧是生活的镜子；谁要 是被其他作家们捏造出来的荒唐故事弄得头 昏眼花，读一下莎士比亚用凡人的语言所表 达的凡人的思想感情，就会医治好他的颠三 倒四的狂想 …… 塞缪尔 · 约翰逊：《莎士比亚戏剧集》序言 （ 1765 ）

Shakespeare Born: in Stratford-on-Avon Family: a burgher, a well-to-do glove maker became an alderman Education: the grammar school little Latin less Greek Marriage: Nov. 26, 1582 married with Anna Hathaway three children ( ) Experiences: holding horses at a theatre serve in the army actor playwright

Shakespeare’s writing career can be divided into four stages: 1. the early years of his apprenticeship (1592 – 1594) early history plays and a group of comedies: a period of experimentation. Marked by imitation of existing plays, by the spirit of youthfulness and rich imagination, by exaggerated language and by the frequent use of rhymed couplets King Henry VI Richard III Two Gentlemen of Verona Love’s Labour lost 《爱的徒劳》 （ 1594 ） 《维洛那两绅士》（ 1594 ）

1590 Henry VI, Part II Henry VI, Part III 《亨利六世》（中, 下）（英史） 1591 Henry VI, Part I 《亨利六世》（上）（英史） 1592 Richard III 《理查三世》 （英史） 1592 The Comedy of Error 《错误的喜剧》（喜） Venus and Adonis 《维纳斯的埃道尼斯》 （诗） 1593 The Rape of Lucrece 《露克丽丝受辱记》 （诗） 1593 Titus Andronicus 《泰特斯安特洛尼克斯》 （悲） 1593 Taming of the Shrew 《驯悍记》 （喜） 1594 Two Gentlemen of Verona 《维洛那两绅士》 （喜） 1594 Love‘s Labours Lost 《爱的徒劳》 （喜） 1594 Romeo and Juliet 《罗密欧与朱丽叶》 （悲）

2. a period of rapid growth and development (1595 – 1600) show more careful and artistic work, better plot, and a marked increase in the knowledge of human nature Midsummer Night’s Dream 《仲夏夜之梦》 （喜） 1596 King John 《约翰王》 （英史） 1596 The Merchant of Venice 《威尼斯商人》 （喜） 1597 Henry IV 《亨利四世》 （英史） 1599 As You Like It 《皆大欢喜》 （喜） 1599 Julius Caesar 《裘力斯 · 凯撒》 （罗悲） 1598 Henry V 《亨利五世》 （英史） 1595 Richard II 《理查二世》 （英史） 1598 Much Ado About Nothing 《无事生非》 （喜） 1598 The Merry Wives of Windsor 《温莎的风流娘儿们》 （喜） 1600 Twelfth Night 《第十二夜》 （喜）

3. a period of gloom and depression (1601 – 1608) tragedies: Hamlet 1601 《哈姆雷特》 Othello 1604 《 奥赛罗》 King Lear 1605 《李尔王》 Macbeth 1605 《麦克白》 1602 All‘s Well That Ends Well 《终成眷属》 （喜） 1602 Troilus and Cressida 《特洛埃勒斯与克雷雪达》 （悲喜） 1604 Measure for Measure 《量罪记》（悲喜） 1606 Antony and Cleopatra 《安东尼与克莉奥佩特拉》 （罗悲） 1607 Coriolanus 《科利奥兰纳斯》 （罗悲） 1607 Timon of Athens 《雅典的泰门》 （悲）

4. a period of restored serenity (1608 – 1612) a period of calm after storm The Winter’s Tale 1610 《冬天的故事》 （传奇剧） The Tempest 1611 《暴风雨》 （传奇剧） Totally 37 plays, two narrative poems and 154 sonnets Pericles, Prince of Tyre 1608 《泰尔亲王配力克里斯》 （传奇剧） Cymbeline 1609 《辛白林》 （传奇剧） Henry VIII 1612 《亨利八世》（英史）

All's Well That Ends Well As You Like It The Comedy of Error Love's Labours Lost Measure for Measure The Merry Wives of Windsor The Merchant of Venice A Midsummer Night's Dream Much Ado About Nothing Taming of the Shrew Troilus and Cressida Twelfth Night Two Gentlemen of Verona Winter's Tale The Tempest Pericles, Prince of Tyre Cymbeline Comedies

Henry IV, Part I Henry IV, Part II Henry V Henry VI, Part I Henry VI, Part II Henry VI, Part III Henry VIII King John Richard II Richard III Histories

Antony and Cleopatra Coriolanus Hamlet Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth Othello Romeo and Juliet Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus Tragedies

Shakespeare’s achievements 1. represented the trend of history in giving voice to the desires and aspirations of the people 2. Shakespeare’s humanism 3. Shakespeare’s characterization: his characters are round and real 4. Shakespeare’s originality: draw materials from sources as Roman dramas, the Angl0-Saxon Chronicle, other writers’ plays 5. Shakespeare as a great poet: sonnets and long poems and his drama are in verse form 6. Shakespeare as master of the English language: --- a master of English language: command of about 15,000 works --- many quotations and phrases are absorbed in English language

Shakespeare’s sonnets A Sonnet originally means a short song, later became a poem of 14 lines, usually in iambic pentameter with various rhyming schemes. It was first written by the Italian poet Petrarch. And it was introduced to England by poets Thomas Wyatt and the Earl of Surrey. Sonnets were written mainly to love, patron, or friend. Shakespeare’s sonnets --- totally 154 sonnets and fall into two groups, divided at sonnet 126. The first group was addressed to a Mr. W. H., the second group was addressed to a Dark Lady. Shakespeare’s sonnet consists of three quatrains with a rhyming scheme abab cdcd efef and ends with a couplet rhyming gg. In the three quatrains the theme is put forward and developed, and in the couplet the sonnet ends with a surprise conclusion or shift of ideas.

the differences between Petrarch’s sonnets and Shakespeare’s sonnets 1. Petrarch’s sonnets: divided into two parts 2. First 8 lines --- octave with rhyming of abba abba 3. Next 6 lines --- sestet with rhyming of cde cde 4. In octave, a problem is raised 5. In sestet, the answer to the theme is given

Macbeth three witches predicate him to be the future king Lady Macbeth support him offer ideas Duncan (Scotland king) Banquo (general) killed mad Malcolm (Duncan’s son) killed dead

Othello Othello’s wife CassioIago Othello’s lieutenantOthello’s ancient Desdemona promote hate “love” killed