Get excited about SHAKESPEARE Or at least pretend

Get excited about SHAKESPEARE!! Or at least pretend to… ; )

Quick fact Shakespeare Greatest writer in the English language Plays have been produced more often and in more countries than any other author Lived during Renaissance Plays appealed to all classes Globe Theatre – open, 3 story, no curtains, little scenery; props, sound effects and costumes created setting

Shakespeare’s Impact on English Language He contributed more words, phrases, and expressions than any other Created assassination, bump, and lonely; dead as a doornail, for goodness sake, and green-eyed monster

Vocab to Know Tragedy – drama that ends in catastrophe (death) for the main character & other important characters (supernatural element – contribute to actions of tragic hero) Tragic Hero – usually nobly born & may have great influence on his/her society; has fatal flaws (weakness or error in judgement) Comic relief – humorous scenes that relieve overall emotional intensity

Vocab to Know Allusion – brief reference to something outside the play that the audience is expected to know; ex. A reference from another work of literature like Greek or Roman mythology & the bible ex. “Speak to my gossip Venus on word…” Foil – characters whose personalities are a sharp contrast to another ex. Lennie & George

Vocab to Know Dramatic Conventions Dramatic conventions – devices theater audiences accept as real even though they do not necessarily reflect the real-life behavior: Soliloquy – speech by a character when he’s alone to let audience know what he’s thinking; reveals secrets; villains explain behavior Aside – character’s remarks to the audience or another character that others on stage aren’t supposed to hear; ex. p. 994

Blank Verse Unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter – lines that have 5 unstressed syllables followed by 5 stressed syllables Romeo: But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? Fairly close to regular, natural patterns of speech

Good Ole Romeo & Juliet Oh, wait. They’re not old, they’re dead. Setting: Verona, Italy, 14 th century. (I was there and ate an entire pizza; it was the best pizza I’ve ever had. ) Initiating Event: fight between 2 families Main Conflict: R & J love each other, but their families hate each other. R=Montague J = Capulet

SO? Romeo loves Rosaline and Juliet is slated to marry Paris. Romeo hears about the party the Capulets are hosting (to get Paris & Juliet to know each other) and crashes the party. Romeo & Juliet meet and instantly fall in love; later they realize their families are feuding. This conflict is the catalyst for the play.

Word if An – sometimes means Ay – yes Coz – cousin Doth – does Thee – you Thine – your Thou art – you are Thou wert – you were ‘tis – it is

Finally… As you read/watch: Evaluate character’s speech and actions to figure out his attitudes, personality, and motives (look for foils!) Evaluate tragic hero’s strengths and weakness, esp. tragic flaw Look for cause & effect relationships