william shakespeare

This tutorial has been created under the Educational Fair Use Guidelines.

The student will acquire biographical and historical knowledge about William Shakespeare and the period during which he lived.

The student will be able to define and recognize the use of literary figure.

The student will gain an understanding of the language of Shakespeare.

The student will continue on the quest for a life-long love of learning.

BardWeb.netBardWeb.net

Take a virtual tour of The Globe Theater

produced at Clemson University.

Take a virtual tour of The Globe Theater

produced at Clemson University.

Encyclopedia Britannica presents The GlobeEncyclopedia Britannica presents The Globe

Match Quotations to the Corresponding Plays

Match Characters to Their Corresponding Tragic Flaws

Match Elizabethan Words to Their Modern Day Meanings

For more meanings of archaic words refer to the Oxford English Dictionary, Ask Oxford or

click here for a very abridged glossary.

Enter Stage Here

ComedyHistory

Tragedy

Comedy

History

Tragedy

Tragedy

Comedy

History

History

ComedyTragedy

History

Comedy

Tragedy

Click me to get

back to the main

menu.

Fashion in Elizabethan EnglandShakespeare wrote during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the ultimate

monarch in the Tudor dynasty, and the beginning of the Augustan period, which is marked by the rule of King James VI. Click on the image of Elizabeth

I to use the BBC History website to dress ladies and gentlemen from the Elizabethan period and compare with the fashion of the Victorian era. The

Victorian Era was three centuries later, during the reign of Queen Victoria I.

Elizabeth I r. (1558 – 1603)

James VI r. (1567 to 1625)

Victoria I r. (1837 to 1901)

What’s in a name? A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

If you were born in the Elizabethan era, your parents would have given you godparents. You would have been Christened at two to three days old, at which time, you would have been named after one of your godparents.

Click on one of the infants to see common female and male

names of the Elizabethan era.

Learn about a famous

Elizabethan Francis.

Learn about a famous

Elizabethan Edmund.

Learn about a famous

Elizabethan John.

Learn about a famous

Elizabethan Jane.

Learn about a famous Elizabet

han Mary.

Learn about a famous

Elizabethan Anne.

Sir Francis Bacon (1561 – 1626) was an English philosopher, statesman, essayist and lawyer. He was knighted in 1603. For more on Bacon, see his biography at Wikipedia, s.v. Francis Bacon

Shakespearean Authorship

The works of William

Shakespeare have been

questioned for centuries as to whether they were actually

written by William

Shakespeare or someone else.

For more information on

this subject click on

Edmund Spenser (1552 – 1599) was a poet and Poet Laureate in Elizabethan England. Spenser’s great works include his allegorical

romantic epic, The Faerie Queen and his eclogue, The Shepheardes Calendar. He is also remembered for creating the Spenserian Sonnet.

Wikipedia, s.v. Edmund Spenser

Sir John Hawkins (1532 – 1595) was a pirate for Queen Elizabeth I. He and his cousin Sir Francis Drake were successful in stealing great wealth for the queen from Spanish ships in the West Indies. Hawkins reconstructed the English fleet, replacing high-forecastled galleons with low 'race-built' ships. The ships were key in England’s victory over the Spanish Armada; requiring small crews, they were fast and heavily armed. Hawkins was remarkably honest, for a pirate. He cleaned up the navy's finances for the queen.

Channel 4 History, s.v. Sir John Hawkins

pbs.org

Anne Hathaway (1556 – 1623) was William Shakespeare’s wife. In his will, Shakespeare wrote: "item to my wife the second best bed. . . .”

The meaning of his bequest has been debated throughout the centuries. Anne is buried next to William in Holy Trinity Church,

Stratford, England.

Lady Jane Grey, (1537 – 1554) sometimes known as The Nine Days Queen, was the niece of Henry VIII; and, therefore, the cousin of Mary I, and

Elizabeth I. The historian, Alison Weir, calls Lady Jane one of the “finest female minds of the century.”

Lady Jane Grey at Britannia.com

Mary Tudor (1516 - 1558) or Mary I of England is not to be confused with her cousin Mary Queen of Scots. She is also known as Bloody Mary

because she had almost 300 people killed, including her cousin, Lady Jane Grey, in order to restore Catholicism in England.

Want to learn more? Follow this link. Mary I of England - Wikipedia

, the free encyclopedia

Literary Figure or Figures of SpeechLiterary Figure or Figures of SpeechFigures of Speech were defined by Quintillian as “any

deviation, either in thought or expression, from the ordinary and simple method of speaking.” They are the “graces of language,” and Shakespeare was the master of their use.

Both schemes and tropes are figures of speech.

Schemes are deviations from the normal pattern or arrangement of words.

Tropes are deviations from the ordinary and principal meanings of words.

In this game you will practice the recognition of various figures of speech written by The Bard. Click on the

correct answer for each question.Click here to

enter the game. Click me

to go to the main menu.

A. personification

B. simile

C. metaphor

D. climax

“. . . and Juliet is the sun” is an example of

“. . . and Juliet is the sun” is a metaphor. Juliet is not really the sun but because of the use of this figure we can ascertain that she has the qualities of warmth and brightness.

““Oh happy dagger!” is an example ofOh happy dagger!” is an example of

A. apostrophe

B. onomatopoeia

C. oxymoron

D. personification

“Oh happy dagger,” is an example of apostrophe because Juliet is speaking to a personified object.

““Death lies upon her like an untimely frost” Death lies upon her like an untimely frost” is an example ofis an example of

A.anastrophe

B.metaphor

C.personification

D.simile

““Death lies upon her like an untimely frost” is a simileDeath lies upon her like an untimely frost” is a simile. An untimely frost lies on a blossom killing it in the prime of its life, like (they key to finding a simile, along with as) death lies on Juliet in the prime of her life.

““And he to England shall along with you” And he to England shall along with you” is an example ofis an example of

A. ellipsis

B. isocolon

C. parallelism

D. polytoton

“And he to England shall along with youAnd he to England shall along with you” is an ellipsis. Shakespeare has omitted the word go between shall and along.

“I’ll have my bond! Speak not against my bond! I’ll have my bond! Speak not against my bond! I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond!” I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond!”

is an example ofis an example of

A. antithesis

B. ellipsis

C. epiphora

D. climax

“I’ll have my bond! Speak not against my bond! I have sworn I’ll have my bond! Speak not against my bond! I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond!”an oath that I will have my bond!” is an epiphora. The word bond is repeated at the end of each clause.

Congratulations! You’ve shown that you understand

these literary figures.

Johannes fac totem – a Jack-of-all-trades

Epitaph on Shakespeare’s grave:Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbeareTo dig the dust enclosed here.Blessed be the man that spares these stones,And cursed be he that moves my bones.

William Shakespeare’s signature from his will. Click the signature to read this document.

Nash’s HouseStratford, England

There are many places to find information about William

Shakespeare; this page contains links to three sites on the Web

to find out more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare Find biographical information and information on Shakespeare’s work here. Portraits, signature, etc.http://www.bardweb.net/man.html Find information on Shakespeare’s life, language, work, Elizabethan England, his will and more.http://www.britannica.com/shakespeare Another resource with valuable information on Shakespeare.http://virtual.clemson.edu/caah/shakespr/whoweare.php Clemson University’s Annual Shakespeare Festival page with virtual tour of The Globe and links to full text Shakespeare.http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/xArchaisms.html A study guide website with guides to Shakespeare’s works; a short glossary of archaic terms.http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/ The BBC’s website for British history. Includes interactive games, encyclopedic entries, timelines, portraits of monarchs, etc.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon Find Biographical information on Sir Francis Bacon.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Spenser Find Biographical information on Edmund Spenser.http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/pirates/piratesgilbert.html Find biographical information on all of Queen Elizabeth’s pirates.http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/players/player23.html Find information about Anne Hathaway and William Shakespeare.http://britannia.com/history/ladyjane/janefram.html A biography of Lady Jane Grey.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_I_of_England Find biographical information on Mary I of England, with external links.http://www.elizabethi.org/uk/ Learn about Queen Elizabeth I. Encyclopedic entries, links, interactive games and more.

Print this slide and match. Then check answers.

Print this slide and match. Then check answers.