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

2. Shakespeare April 23, 1564-April 23, 1616 Born in Stratford-on-Avon, England The information we have about him is based on baptism, court, and marriage records, as well as wills and his tombstone.

3. Stage Celebrity Started as an actor for Lord Chamberlain’s Men ( now the London Theater Co.) Also principal playwright for them 1599: Lord Ch. Co. built Globe Theater where most of Sh. Play’s were performed

4. Shakespeare’s Works wrote 37 plays about 154 sonnets Comedies Histories Tragedies

5. The Importance of Being Balanced All of the plays include elements of humor, drama, suspense…WHY??? History vs. Tragedy: histories are true stories, based on historical content. Though they are tragic, they are steeped in some historical truth; tragedies are works of fiction.

6. Why is da’ man so Great???

7. Universal Themes What sets Shakespeare apart from the rest of the crew…his works withstand the test of time, and can be set in the past, present, or future.

8. Famous Adaptations 10 Things I Hate About You (Taming) O (Othello) Kiss Me Kate (Taming) West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet) Baz Luhrmann’s, Romeo + Juliet (Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes)

9. The Theater Plays produced for the general public Roofless: open air No artificial lighting Courtyard surrounded by 3 levels of galleries

10. Spectators Wealthy got benches “Groundlings” were the poorer people. They stood and watched from the courtyard (“pit”) All but wealthy were uneducated / illiterate Much more interaction than today

11. Staging Areas Stage: a platform that extended into the pit and sloped downward (this is where we get “Up stage” & “Down stage” Dressing & storage rooms in galleries behind & above stage Second-level gallery/upper stage is where famous balcony scene in Romeo & Juliet took place Trap door = ghosts “Heavens” = angelic beings

12. Differences No scenery Settings were referenced in the dialogue Elaborate costumes Plenty of props Fast-paced, colorful—were not really intended to last more than 2 hours!

13. Actors Only men and boys Young boys whose voices had not changed play women’s roles Why do you think women weren’t part of the theater?

14. Women in the Theater Violated codes of chastity. Protecting a woman’s virginity was of utmost importance during this time. Women were thought of as property, the “property’s” value went down if a woman was proven to be unchaste.

15. Blank Verse Most of each play is written in it: –unrhymed verse –iambic (unstressed, stressed) –pentameter( 5 “feet” to a line) ends up to be 10 syllable lines

16. Prose Ordinary writing that is not poetry, drama, or song –Only characters in the lower social classes speak this way in Shakespeare’s plays. Why do you suppose that is?

17. Plot The sequence of events in a literary work

18. Exposition The plot usually begins with an introduction to: setting characters basic situation

19. Inciting Moment Often called “initial incident” –the first bit of action that occurs which begins the plot. i.e. Romeo and Juliet “lock eyes” at the party or Petruchio attempts to woo Katherine.

20. Conflict The struggle that develops –man vs. man –man vs. himself –man vs. society –man vs. nature

21. Crisis The point where the protagonist’s situation will either get better or worse –Protagonist: the main character –Antagonist: the character causing conflict for the main character/protagonist.

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. Denouement The final explanation or outcome of the plot –If this is included in literature, it will occur after the resolution.

25. 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

26. Theme Central idea or insight about life which explains the downfall.

27. Metaphorical Language Comparison of unlike things –Paris standing over the “lifeless body” of Juliet, “Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew…” –“Thou detestable maw…”Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth…” Romeo

28. Dramatic Foil A character whose purpose is to show off another character i.e. Benvolio for Tybalt or Romeo & Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet. Who will it be in the play we read???

29. Round characters Characters who have many personality traits, like real people.

30. Flat Characters One-dimensional, embodying only a single trait Shakespeare often uses them to provide comic relief even in a tragedy

31. Static Characters Characters within a story who remain the same. They do not change. They do not change their minds, opinions or character.

32. Dynamic Character Characters that change somehow during the course of the plot. They generally change for the better.

33. Monologue One person speaking on stage (there may be other characters on stage too) i.e. the Prince of Verona commanding the Capulets and Montagues to cease feuding.

34. Soliloquy Long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage. In Romeo & Juliet, Romeo gives a soliloquy after the servant has fled and Paris has died.

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

36. 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

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

38. Dramatic Irony A contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader/audience knows to be true. Be looking for this in the play we read!

39. Verbal Irony Words used to suggest the opposite of what is meant (i.e. SARCASM)

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

41. Comic Relief Use of comedy within literature that is NOT comedy to provide “relief” from seriousness or sadness. In Shakespeare’s tragedies, look for moments of comic relief that help “relieve” the tragedy of the situation.