1. Widely regarded as the greatest writer in English Literature
William Shakespeare
Widely regarded as the greatest writer in English Literature

2. Shakespeare 1564-1616 April 23 Born in Stratford-on-Avon, England
wrote 37 plays
about 154 sonnets
started out as an actor

3. Stratford-On-Avon
Shakespeare’s home

4. Stage Celebrity
1592 Shakespeare was working as an actor and playwright in London.
1597 He became a shareholder in Lord Chamberlain’s Men (London theater co.), in addition to being an actor and playwright for the company.
1603 James I, renamed the company, The Kings Men. *James I was a patron of Shakespeare.

5. The Globe Theatre 1599 LCM built the Globe Theater where most of Shakespeare’s plays were performed.

6. The Theater Plays produced for the general public Roofless open air
No artificial lighting
The stage jutted out into the pit
Courtyard surrounded by 3 levels of galleries
Groundlings could stand and watch for .01 cent, equal to a movie now.
Gallery above stage used for musicians, or as actors balcony.

7. Globe Interior Diagram

8. Spectators Wealthy got benches
“Groundlings” - poorer people stood and watched from the courtyard (“pit”)
All but wealthy were uneducated/illiterate
Much more interaction than today
They would throw rotten food at the actors if it was bad.

9. The Globe – Interior

10. Roofless open air theatre Plays were performed rain or shine A canopy covered the stage

11. Staging Areas Stage extended into the pit
Dressing & storage rooms in galleries behind & above stage
Second-level gallery, upper stage is famous balcony scene in R & J
Trap door – witches and ghosts exit/enter
“Heavens” angelic beings
A flag above the hut designated comedy or tragedy

12. Differences from modern theatres
No scenery
The actors had to have good memories, nothing was written down.
Settings references in dialogue
Elaborate costumes
Plenty of props
Fast-paced, colorful 2 hours!

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

14. Shakespeare wrote: Comedies Histories Tragedies
His First Folio published 37 plays in 1623, after his death.

15. Macbeth
Shakespeare found inspiration from Holinshed’s Chronicles a popular British history book at the time.
The Scottish play is based loosely on an episode from history, the death of King Duncan at the hands of his kinsman Macbeth.

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

17. QE1 Words (cont’d.) Haply: Perhaps Happy: Fortunate
Hence: Away, from her
Hie: Hurry
Marry: Indeed

18. QE1 Words (cont’d.) Whence: Where Wilt: Will, will you
Withal: In addition to
Would: Wish

19. Prose Ordinary writing that is not poetry, drama, or song
Only characters in the lower social classes spoke this way in Shakespeare’s plays

20. Plot Introduces the setting, characters and situation.
The sequence of events in a literary work
Exposition - The plot usually begins with this:
Introduces the setting, characters and situation.

21. Conflict The struggle that develops man vs. man man vs. himself
man vs. society
man vs. nature

22. Climax
The turning point of the story - everything begins to unravel from here
Thus begins the falling action

23. Resolution
The end of the central conflict

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

25. Theme Central idea Insight about life which explains the downfall
Macbeth - Unchecked ambition can lead to corruption

26. Dramatic Foil A character who sets off another character by contrast.
In Macbeth Banquo is a foil for Macbeth.

27. Soliloquy
Long speech expressing the inner thoughts of a character who is alone on stage.
Typically a spotlight would be on the actor during the soliloquy.

28. Aside
Words spoken, usually in an undertone directed at the audience, not intended to be heard by the other actors on stage.
Think of Ferris Bueller talking to the camera in the movie.

30. Dramatic Irony
A contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader/audience knows to be true.
Verbal Irony – when a writer or speaker says one thing and means something entirely different.

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 provides “relief” from a serious or sad mood.
In Macbeth it is “The knocking at the gate” scene.

33. THE END