1. Shakespeare: His Life and Times
Adapted from

2. Early Life Born 1564—died 1616 Stratford-upon-Avon
Parents: John and Mary Arden Shakespeare
Mary—daughter of wealthy landowner
John—glovemaker, local politician

3. Location of Stratford-upon-Avon
From:

4. Stratford-on-Avon in Shakespeare’s Time
As reproduced in William Rolfe, Shakespeare the Boy (1896).

5. Stratford-upon-Avon Today
From Stratford’s web site:

6. Shakespeare’s Birthplace
From:

7. Education Probably attended King’s New School in Stratford
Educated in:
Rhetoric
Logic
History
Latin

8. King’s New School
From:

9. Married Life
Married in 1582 to Anne Hathaway, who was pregnant at the time with their first daughter
Had twins in 1585
Sometime between , he moved to London and began working in theatre.

10. Anne Hathaway’s Cottage
From:

11. Theatre Career
Member and later part-owner of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later called the King’s Men
Globe Theater built in 1599 by L.C.M. with Shakespeare as primary investor
Burned down in 1613 during one of Shakespeare’s plays

12. The Rebuilt Globe Theater, London

13. The Globe Theater

14. The Plays 14 comedies 10 histories 10 tragedies 4 romances
38 plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare
14 comedies
10 histories
10 tragedies
4 romances
Possibly wrote three others
Collaborated on several others

15. The Poetry
154 Sonnets
Numerous other poems

16. Shakespeare’s Language
Shakespeare did NOT write in “Old English.”
Old English is the language of Beowulf:
Hwaet! We Gardena in geardagum
Þeodcyninga Þrym gefrunon
Hu ða æÞelingas ellen fremedon!
(Hey! We have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes in the old days, the kings of tribes, how noble princes showed great courage!)

17. Shakespeare’s Language
Shakespeare did not write in “Middle English.”
Middle English is the language of Chaucer, the Gawain-poet, and Malory:
We redeth oft and findeth y-write—
And this clerkes wele it wite—
Layes that ben in harping
Ben y-founde of ferli thing… (Sir Orfeo)

18. Shakespeare’s Language
Shakespeare wrote in “Early Modern English.”
EME was not very different from “Modern English,”

19. Shakespeare’s Language
A mix of old and very new
Rural and urban words/images
Understandable by the lowest peasant and the highest noble

20. Elizabethan Theatrical Conventions

21. A theatrical convention is a
Theatrical Conventions
of Shakespeare's Theatre
A theatrical convention is a
suspension of reality.
No electricity
Women forbidden
to act on stage
Minimal, contemporary
costumes
Minimal scenery
These control the dialogue.

22. Theatrical Conventions of Shakespeare's Theatre
Soliloquy
Aside
Types of speech
Audience loves to be scared.
Blood
Use of supernatural

23. Theatrical Conventions of Shakespeare's Theatre
Use of disguises/
mistaken identity
Last speaker—highest in
rank (in tragedies)
Multiple murders
(in tragedies)
Multiple marriages
(in comedies)

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

25. Soliloquy
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.

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

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

28. Direct Address Words that tell the reader who is being addressed:
“A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit.”
“Ah, my mistresses, which of you all/ Will now deny to dance?”

29. Dramatic Irony
A contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader/audience knows to be true

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

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

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

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

34. OTHELLO
Historical context

35. Geography Othello takes place in two countries:
Venice
Cyprus
The Republic of Venice existed from
It is located in present-day Italy.

37. Geography (cont’d)
Venice controlled the island of Cyprus from
The island was a place for commerce and a good location for the Venetian fleet in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea.
Cyprus was lost to the Turks in 1571.

38. Cyprus is located east of Italy, in the
Mediterranean Sea. It is just south of Turkey.

39. h

40. Geography in the Play Othello
Othello is asked to help defend Cyprus against the Ottoman Turks.
Desdemona accompanies Othello to Cyprus.
It is unusual that a woman would go with her husband on military business.

41. Types of People in Othello
Venetians
Most are noblemen and women (Brabantio, Desdemona, Roderigo)
Also, there are the nobles’ servants (Emilia)
Some are soldiers (Othello, Cassio, Iago)
Others are part of Venetian government (the Duke)

42. Types of People (cont’d)
Moors
Black nomadic people of the northern shores of Africa, originally the inhabitants of Mauretania
Converted to Islam in the 8th century

43. Moors (cont’d)
Invaded Spain in 711 and dominated until the 11th century
had great dynasties up until 1492, when the last of their cities was conquered by Spain
virtually exterminated by Spain during the Inquisition (late 1400s-1820)

44. Moors (cont’d) Othello is a Moor
Discriminated against because of his race (black)
Othello has been accepted in some ways because he is a Christian and a military genius
Yet his marriage to Desdemona reflects the prevailing view toward interracial marriage.

45. Themes Appearance vs. reality Race Pride Magic Order vs. chaos
Good vs. evil
Honesty
Self-knowledge

46. Works Cited
Chronological History of Cyprus Ege Universitesi. 9 Feb <
.ege.edu.tr/~ncyprus/cyp1.html>.
Derhak, Dean. Muslim Spain and European Culture Muslim Spain and European Culture. 9 Feb <
index/moors.htm>.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. New York: Putnam,
Inc.1963.
The Venetian Period in Cyprus Ege Universitesi. 9 Feb <
.ege.edu.tr/~ncyprus/venedik.html>.