Characteristics of Shakespearean Tragedy A tragedy is a

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Characteristics of Shakespearean Tragedy… • A tragedy is a drama in which a series

Characteristics of Shakespearean Tragedy… • A tragedy is a drama in which a series of actions leads to the downfall of the main character, called the tragic hero. The plot builds to a catastrophe, or a disastrous final outcome, that usually involves the death of the hero and many others.

Tragic Hero • The tragic hero at the center of a tragedy is a

Tragic Hero • The tragic hero at the center of a tragedy is a person of high rank who accepts his or her downfall with dignity. The tragic hero is a common archetype. • A tragic flaw is an error in judgment or a weakness in character, such as hubris. The tragic hero recognizes the flaw and its consequences, but only after it is too late. This realization helps to redeem his character. • Despite the tragic hero’s tragic flaw, there is usually some redeeming quality or qualities that make us sympathize with or root for the tragic hero.

More About the Tragic Hero • The catastrophe must be a result of the

More About the Tragic Hero • The catastrophe must be a result of the tragic hero’s tragic flaw. It is not usually an accident or coincidence. • The tragic hero is usually a “human” character with which the audience can relate. • The tragic hero usually encounters some disappointed hope or frustrated ambition.

Dramatic Irony • Results when the audience knows more than one or more of

Dramatic Irony • Results when the audience knows more than one or more of the characters • Helps build suspense

Soliloquy • A speech given by a character alone on stage, used to reveal

Soliloquy • A speech given by a character alone on stage, used to reveal his or her private thoughts and feelings

Aside • A character’s remark, either to the audience or to another character, that

Aside • A character’s remark, either to the audience or to another character, that no one else on stage is supposed to hear

Blank Verse & Iambic Pentameter • Blank verse is unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter.

Blank Verse & Iambic Pentameter • Blank verse is unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter. Shakespeare’s plays are primarily written in blank verse • Iambic pentameter is a pattern of rhythm that has five unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable in one line of poetry

Rhetorical Devices • A rhetorical device is a use of language for a particular

Rhetorical Devices • A rhetorical device is a use of language for a particular effect. • Shakespeare uses many rhetorical devices, such as repetition (the use of words and phrases more than once in a short space to emphasize ideas), parallelism (the repetition of grammatical structures to express ideas that are related or of equal importance, and rhetorical questions (a question that expects no answer; used to make the speaker’s rightness seem self-evident).

Stage Directions • Stage directions are written in brackets or are italicized. Be sure

Stage Directions • Stage directions are written in brackets or are italicized. Be sure to read them!

Dramatic Structure • The structure of the plot is usually as follows: • Exposition

Dramatic Structure • The structure of the plot is usually as follows: • Exposition and exciting force (background information and incident that sets the action in motion): Act 1 • Rising Action (complications in main plot and sub plot): Acts 1 -2 • Climax (plots come together; turning point that changes the main character’s fate): Act 3 • Falling Action (Conflict unravels; things fall apart; main character wins or loses): Acts 4 -5 • Catastrophe (Conflicts are resolved—disastrous final outcome): Act 5

Words to know… An: if Aught: anything Beseech: beg But: only Durst: dared Ere:

Words to know… An: if Aught: anything Beseech: beg But: only Durst: dared Ere: before Hie: hurry Hither: here Mark: notice Marry: mild oath or exclamation Prithee: please Save: except Soft: wait a minute Thither: there Wherefore: why Whither: when Withal: also

Monologue • A long speech given onstage in the presence of others.

Monologue • A long speech given onstage in the presence of others.

Apostrophe • This is a speech given by an actor onstage in which he

Apostrophe • This is a speech given by an actor onstage in which he or she addresses a personification or abstract concept that is not physically present onstage.

Subplot • A smaller plot that is happening at the same time as the

Subplot • A smaller plot that is happening at the same time as the main plot; usually involves less important characters.