William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare  April April 23, 1616 (52 nd Birthday)  Married Anne Hathaway at age 18. She is believed to have been 26.  Three children: son-Hamnet, daughters-Susanna and Judith  Wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets (comedies/tragedies)

Elizabethan Age ( )  Queen Elizabeth I –supported the English culture  Renaissance: Renewed interest in science, philosophy, and the arts. Placed an emphasis on the individual and freedom of choice  Globe Theatre- affordable entertainment  Chamberlain’s Men/King’s Men  Shakespeare acted in his own plays occasionally

Thanks to Shakespeare….Thanks to Shakespeare….  Assassination  Lonely  Addiction  Swagger  “dead as a doornail”  “laughing-stock”  “the green-eyed monster”  “for goodness’ sake”  “good riddance”  “love is blind”  “break the ice”  “fight fire with fire”  “wear your heart on your sleeve”

Terms to know…Terms to know…  Blank verse- unrhymed poetry  Soliloquy- speech a character gives when he or she is alone on stage. This lets the audience know what the character is thinking.  Aside-words spoken by an actor supposedly heard only by the audience.  Dramatic irony- when the audience knows something the characters do not.

Literary DevicesLiterary Devices  Personification  Rhyme (couplet)  Oxymoron  Hyperbole  Foreshadowing  Pun  Allusion  Irony  Metaphor  Simile

Motifs  Light/Dark Imagery : visual motif (example: night/day)  Light is not always good, and dark is not always evil. On the contrary, light and dark are generally used to provide a sensory contrast and to hint at opposed alternatives  Opposite Points of View: other characters speeches and scenes (Ex: Mercutio and servants)

Aristotle’s Elements of Drama  Tragedy has six parts:  Plot: The MOST important  Characters: Good, but not too good  Diction: Language used to give information, establish mood and tone  Thought: Theme or idea  Melody: Sound of the dialogue (rhythm/pace)  Spectacle: Visual elements like scenery, costumes, special effects, etc.

Tragic HeroTragic Hero  Four Characteristics  Is a flawed character with some goodness but suffers a downfall due to a tragic flaw. (Hubris: excessive pride carried to the point of foolishness)  Is usually protagonist of the play.  Is of noble birth and/or exhibits wisdom  Suffers a reversal of fortune brought on by his tragic flaw/error in judgment. (Moral consequences as a result to actions)

Gustav Freytag, a critic of Greek and Shakespearean drama, came up with a five act dramatic structure. ACT I-contains the exposition, introduces the characters and setting ACT II-complicates the problem created by the inciting incident ACT III- is the climax, in which the fortunes of the protagonist reverse. ACT IV- the results of the protagonist's turn of fortune plays out; this may end with a final moment of suspense, such as a confrontation between the protagonist and antagonist which puts the final outcome in doubt. ACT V- documents the consequences of the resolution, and ties-up any secondary plots

Montague FamilyMontague Family  Romeo- Main character, young man who in the beginning is in love with Rosaline but after seeing Juliet falls madly in love with her  Benvolio- Good friend of Romeo; sidekick  Mercutio- Good friend of Romeo; sidekick  Lord and Lady Montague- Romeo’s parents, hate the Capulets

The CapuletsThe Capulets  Juliet- Main girl character, young woman who is supposed to marry Paris even though she has never even met him  Lord and Lady Capulet- Juliet’s parents, working on setting Juliet up with Paris, want their daughter to marry someone from a prominent family they like  Tybalt- Juliet’s cousin, Lord and Lady Capulet’s nephew; protective of Juliet, hates the Montagues

Middle PeopleMiddle People  Nurse- Juliet’s “nanny”, nursed Juliet when she was younger, has taken care of her since birth  Friar Laurence- Priest, marries Romeo and Juliet because he believes it will bring peace between the two families  Prince Escallas- Head of Verona, Italy, states that death will be the penalty if the city’s peace is again disrupted by their feud (related to Montague)  Count Paris- Who Juliet is supposed to marry, meeting her at the party