Who Was Shakespeare? Bard of Avon = poet of Avon 37 plays are attributed to him, but there is great controversy over the authorship. 154 Sonnets. Some claim many authors wrote under one name. In Elizabethan England, one could spell their name any way they wished, including changing it from day to day, which led to much confusion. Shakespeare s name has been spelled in over 80 different ways including Shagspeare, Shaxpere, and Shakestaffe.
The Early Years Born in April 1564 in Stratford on Avon Seven brothers and sisters His father - a fairly rich merchant
Stratford on Avon
Shakespeare s Schooling Grammar School from age 7 to 13
Shakespeare s Family Married Anne Hathaway in 1582 Anne was 26, he was 18 3 children The youngest, Hamnet (only son) died at the age of 11
Shakespeare in London went to London at 21 joined a travelling company of actors called Lord Chamberlain s Men worked both as an actor and a writer
The Globe Open-air octagonal amphitheater that could seat up to 3000 No artificial lighting so plays were shown during daylight hours only
Returned to Stratford in 1610 The End of his Life The Globe was destroyed in the 1613 Great Fire of London In 1616 Shakespeare died on April 23 rd (His birthday ) after a night of drinking with his friends
Shakespeare s Time Period: Elizabethan Era Early Modern period or the English Renaissance (rebirth) Queen Elizabeth I was an anomaly (strange, out of place) of the time period. She was strong, intelligent, and a well-respected ruler. Women during this time had little or no power and were seen as less than men, so her power was not typical By refusing to marry throughout her 45 year reign as queen, she retained her own power Women, once married, had practically no rights
The Globe Wealthier people would pay more to sit in the balcony. Others had to pay more to sit on benches even. The working class stood in front of the stage (groundlings). Brought together social elite and common drunks Only men could act (Juliet was performed by a boy!).
Love During this time, young women (like Juliet) were controlled specifically by their fathers. They were expected to marry within their own class. This play is a reflection of the time in which it was written. The women s input in whom they wanted to marry was only a mention. Juliet s father says My will to her consent is but a part [I.ii.15]. Many marriages were arranged and there was nothing that could be done about it. Love in marriage was not common, or it did not matter. Marriages were arranged in order to promote status and wealth within families, like the Capulets.
Types of Plays Shakespeare wrote: Comedies: light and amusing; usually with a happy ending and people married Midsummer Night s Dream Histories: involve events or persons from history King Henry VIII Tragedies: serious dramas with disastrous endings Romeo and Juliet
The Play A PLAY is not a BOOK. A play shows while a book tells. To help you understand, try and picture the actions and dialogue in your mind. Stage Direction tells the actors when they should be on stage and what they should do on stage Directions are usually in italics or brackets Ex. [They Fight] Stage directions are not read out loud
The Play Shakespeare Plays are divided into 5 acts (like chapters in a book) Acts: short performances that are part of a longer story Acts are broken down into scenes Scenes: help break down the story into even smaller pieces Ex. Act 1 Scene 2 or Act I Scene ii
The Play Shakespeare s plays can usually be divided into five parts, and follow the same pattern that looks something like this: (Copy down this graph) ACT III Turning Point ACT II Rising Action ACT IV Falling Action ACT I Exposition ACT V Climax & Resolution
Elizabethan English In order to better understand Shakespeare s plays, it is good to understand some of the terminology Shakespeare uses in the writing of his plays. The language is called Elizabethan English, named after Queen Elizabeth the I. Here are some examples: ere ~ the old English word for before hence ~ the old English word for here swear st ~ the old English word for swear thee, thy, thou ~ are old English words for you thine ~ the old English word for your wert ~ the old English word for were wherefore ~ the old English word for why
Shakespeare References Shakespeare is known to have invented dozens of words and phrases, such as: Laugh it off Hint Lonely Excellent Fair play Catch cold
Inspiration for R+J Shakespeare s play is based off a 1562 poem called The Tragicale Historie of Romeus & Juliet by Arthur Brooke. It has French, Italian, and Greek origins based on a Greek story called Pyramus and Thisbe Shakespeare wrote R+J ~age 30
Shakespeare s R+J Shakespeare made the story his own by changing the time frame from 9 months to 5 days. This was designed to emphasize the passing of time & add intensity to the story He also decreased Juliet s age from 16 to 13, to highlight her youth and immaturity He set the play in July, rather than in winter as it was originally written Focused the language on puns (plays on words) In puns, words have more than one meaning. This focuses the audience s attention on surface meanings & deeper meanings
Dramatic Irony Shakespeare uses dramatic irony: the audience or reader knows something important that a character in a play or story does not know Creates tension. At times Shakespeare layers the dramatic irony, making it harder and harder for Romeo and Juliet to escape their untimely deaths. Some of the most poignant moments in the play come from the knowledge that we cannot share with the characters.
Language in R+J Soliloquy-an unusually long speech in which a character who is on stage alone expresses his or her thoughts aloud Aside-words that are spoken by a character in a play to the audience or to another character but that are not supposed to be overheard by the others onstage Monologue like a soliloquy, is a lengthy speech. However, a monologue is addressed to other characters on stage, not to the audience.
Language in R+J Allusion -references to well-known people, places, or even from myths or literature. Shakespeare s characters often allude to figures in myths or popular stories to add meaning to their speeches. Pun-a play on the multiple meanings of a word, or on two words that sound alike but have different meanings Mercutio is one of the most witting and intelligent characters
Language in R+J Comic relief - a short comic scene that releases some of the built-up tension of the play - giving the audience a momentary relief before the tension mounts higher. Mercutio and his puns The nurse s low-end humor (sexual punning); Being a servant she has no social etiquette Example: I would say thou hads t suck d wisdom from thy teat [I.iii.76] In the best tragedies, comic relief also provides an ironic counterpoint to the tragic action.
Summary (2-3 sentences) Something that is becoming clear to me about Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet is