Introduction to

Shakespeare

English IMrs. GrahamMar. 12, 2012

William Shakespeare

Greatest writer in the English language

Nickname: “The Bard”

From Stratford-on-Avon, England

Born April 23(ish), 1564

Died April 23, 1616

His Work

Actor, poet, playwrightWrote 154 sonnetsWrote 37 plays

Sonnets

Form of poetry14 lines

3 quatrains (stanzas of 4 lines each)Ends with a couplet (pair of rhyming

lines that emphasizes the theme)ABAB CDCD EFEF GGIambic pentameter

Pattern of unstressed, stressed5 stressed syllables per line

Shakespeare wrote:

Comedies - happy endings

Tragedies – disastrous endings

Histories – involve events or persons from history

Types of Plays

Lesser-known Facts

Teen father: married pregnant 26 year-old Anne Hathaway when he was 18

Deadbeat dad: Left wife and children for London at age 22

Father of twins (Judith and Hamnet), and Susanna

London

CrowdedOpen sewersBubonic PlagueBathing

considered dangerous

Queen Elizabeth I (Renaissance Era)

Clothes

One set used all year long, rarely washed

Underclothing slept in, infrequently changed

Clothes handed down from rich to poor

Across the Thames River

Open ceiling

No artificial lighting

Three levels

The Globe Theatre

Actors Only men and boys Young boys whose

voices had not changed played the women’s roles

No kissing/hugging on stage

Women on stage would have been considered worse than prostitution

SpectatorsUpper class—pay extra for

cushionsLiked the POETRY

Middle class—sit on benchesLiked the PLOT

Lower class (called “groundlings” or “penny stinkards”) had to standLike the dirty JOKES

Lots of audience involvement

Romeo and Juliet

Written around 1595 Tragedy Set in Verona, Italy Theme: Going to

ExtremesAct I—Words vs.

ActionsAct II—Love vs. LustAct III—Love vs. HateAct IV—Old vs. YoungAct V—Fate vs. Freewill

The MontaguesLord Montague – father of Romeo

Lady Montague – mother of Romeo

Romeo Montague – in love with Juliet

Benvolio – cousin of Romeo

Balthasar – servant to Romeo

Abram – servant to Montague

The CapuletsLord Capulet – father of Juliet

Lady Capulet – mother of Juliet

Juliet Capulet – in love with Romeo

Tybalt – cousin of Juliet

Nurse – takes care of Juliet

Peter – servant to Juliet’s Nurse

The Royal FamilyPrince Escalus – ruler of Verona

Mercutio – kinsman of the Prince and best friend of Romeo

Count Paris – a young nobleman who wants to marry Juliet ; kinsman of the

Prince

The Priests

Friar Laurence – a Franciscan priest and Romeo’s adult confidant

Friar John – another Franciscan priest who is supposed to deliver a letter to

Romeo

Things to think about…

What would you do if your parents did not approve of someone you were dating?

How important is the opinion of your family in decisions that you make?

Does violence solve problems?

Learning Targets

I can cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. (RL.9-10.1)

I can analyze the development of a theme over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped by specific details. (RL.9-10.2)

I can analyze how complex characters advance the plot and develop the theme. (RL.9-10.3)

Thinking Strategies

Inferring—using facts plus schema to make an educated guess (or “reading between the lines”)

Synthesizing—integrating your background knowledge with new information to form a new perspective, conclusion, or product

SOURCES

Mr. Grahamhttp://exchange.guhsd.net/public.php

?searchcatalog=shakespeare&searchcontent=&searchsubject=Introduction to ShakespeareShakespeare PowerpointShakespeare’s Life and Time