1. Survey of Literature NOTES The Life of Shakespeare
The Renaissance
Revised 2004 © Copyright. Academic Year , by M. Chavez. (

2. The Rennaisance Literally means “to be born again”
Re (again)
Redo, recapture, reiterate, recant
Naissance (birth)
Nativity, native, natal
A rebirth of classical ideas from Greece and Rome
Studied the achievements of past scholarly work in philosophy, religion, science, literature and art

3. British
Isles
ROME
(Modern Day Italy)
GREECE

4. William Shakespeare
Recognized as the world’s most famous playwright.
No other writer’s plays and poetry have been produced so many times or in so many countries or translated into so many languages.
Wrote tragic and comic plays
Produced 37 plays in 20 years
Studied Latin and Greek
Wrote over 154 sonnets

5. William Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s most productive years were from 1594 to 1608, the period in which he wrote all of his great tragedies, such as Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Romeo and Juliet.
During these fourteen years, he furnished his acting company with approximately two plays annually.
Lived on Stratford on Avon, England

6. William Shakespeare Became an actor Focused on the lives of kings
Lived during reign of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I
Formed Lord Chamberlain’s Men (acting company)

7. The Globe Opened in 1599 First theater in London
Famous theater that was commissioned to be built by Lord Chamberlain’s Men (Acting/Production company)
Burned down in 1613 and was immediately rebuilt.
Closed by the Puritans in 1642.
Now, 200 yards from its original site, after almost 400 years, the Globe Theatre has been opened to the public again

8. Survey of Literature Class Notes Shakespearean Sonnets
Revised 2004 © Copyright. Academic Year , by M. Chavez. (

9. About SONNETS Sonnet A lyric poem which contains 14 lines
written in iambic pentameter form.
Shakesperean Sonnet
Consists of three quatrains (four line units)
Ends with a couplet*
Rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg
octave (first 8 lines) sestet (last 6 lines)
Petrarchan/Italian Sonnet
octave (first 8 lines) rhyme scheme: abbaabba
sestet (last 6 lines) rhyme scheme: cdecde or cdccde

10. About SONNETS Functions of OCTAVES and SESTETS
Octave- presents a situation, attitude, or problem
Sestet comments upon or resolves the problem, situation or attitude posed in the octave

11. ˘ ′ ˘ ′ ˘ ′ ˘ ′ ˘ ′ Sonnet Definitions
Iambic Foot - Consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Iambic foot is usually depicted with these symbols:
Iambic Pentameter
A line of verse with five feet is known as pentameter (Greek penta, "five"). Five feet in each verse, each containing an iamb (the second of two syllables stressed).
Meter - The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables or the units of stress pattern.
˘= Unnacented Syllable ′ = Accented Syllable / = Foot
˘ ′ ˘ ′ ˘ ′ ˘ ′ ˘ ′ / / / / /
Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake
1 foot
2 feet
3 feet
4 feet
5 feet

12. Sonnets- Terms to Know
Couplet - A pair of rhymed lines (of any length or rhythm).
Rhyme Scheme - The pattern of rhymed words.  Stanzas are often linked by their rhyme scheme.  Rhyme scheme is lacking in some modern poetry.
Scansion - The process of measuring verse, that is, of marking accented and unaccented syllables, dividing the lines into feet, identifying the metrical pattern, and noting significant variations from that pattern.
Stress - A term applied to the emphasis placed on a syllable in a word.  A synonym for stress is "accent."
Verse - A single line of poetry

13. Sonnet #12 Explained When I do count the clock that tells the time,
Rhyme Scheme
Sonnet #12 Explained
When I do count the clock that tells the time,
And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;
When I behold the violet past prime,
And sable curls, all silvered o'er with white;
When lofty trees I see barren of leaves,
Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,
And summer's green all girded up in sheaves,
Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard,
Then of thy beauty do I question make,
That thou among the wastes of time must go,
Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake
And die as fast as they see others grow;
And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence
Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence. A B C D E F G O C T A V E S E T
Couplet