1. Shakespeare Born 1554 Acted with theater group and became principal playwright Most of his best known tragic dramas written from 1601-1607 Preferred to base his plays on existing stories, novellas or plays.

2. The Sonnet 14 verse lines 3 quatrains 1 couplet Usually follows strict rhyme scheme Sonnet sequences are usually about the Poet’s love for a woman Iambic pentameter Iambic – unstressed syllable followed by a stressed Pentameter – 5 such couples

3. Shakespeare’s Sonnets Published 1909 (mentioned in print 10 years before) His choice of characters is what sets him apart from other sonnet sequences of his day Most sonnets follow the same rhyme scheme but not all of them. 154 sonnets Last 28 sonnets are adressed to a Dark Lady – female cycle theory.

4. The Sequence 1-17: Celebrates the beauty of the young man Urges him to marry and reproduce 1-126 Long sequence focusing on The Fair Youth 40-41 The Youth and The Lady 78-86 Rival poet(s) series 87-93 Redrawal of love series 94-96 The Lover’s fault group 110-111 Regret at being an actor 127-154 The Dark Lady