William Shakespeare

Widely regarded as the greatest writer in English

Literature

Shakespeare

• 1563-1616

• Stratford-on-Avon, England

• wrote 37 plays

• about 154 sonnets

• started out as an actor

Shakespeare wrote:

• Comedies

• Histories

• Tragedies

The Globe Theater

• Plays produced for the general public

• Roofless>open air

• No artificial lighting

• Courtyard surrounded by 3 levels of galleries

Spectators• Wealthy got benches

• “Groundlings”>poorer people stood and watched from the courtyard (“pit”)

• All but wealthy were uneducated/illiterate

• Much more interaction than today

Differences• No scenery

• Settings > references in dialogue

• Elaborate costumes

• Plenty of props

• Fast-paced, colorful>2 hours!

Actors

• Only men and boys

• Young boys whose voices had not changed play women’s roles

• Would have been considered indecent for a woman to appear on stage

Blank Verse

• Much of Othello is written in it:–unrhymed verse–iambic (unstressed, stressed)–pentameter( 5 “feet” to a line)

• ends up to be 10 syllable lines

Prose• Ordinary writing that is not

poetry, drama, or song–Only characters in the lower

social classes speak this way in Shakespeare’s plays

–Why do you suppose that is?

Tragedy (Shakespearean)• Drama where the central character/s

suffer disaster/great misfortune– In many tragedies, downfall results

from>

•Fate

•Character flaw/Fatal flaw

•Combination of the two

Theme

•Central idea or >>

•Insight about life which explain the downfall

Metaphorical Language

• Comparison of unlike things >– Paris standing over the “lifeless

body” of Juliet, “Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew…”

– “Thou detestable maw…”Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth…” Romeo

Dramatic Foil

• A character whose purpose is to show off another character.

Monologue

• One person speaking on stage > may be other character on stage too–ex > the Prince of Verona

commanding the Capulets and Montagues to cease feuding

Sophomore Assignment

• 2-3 page paper (double spaced)

• What are “frenemies”? Are they prevelant today? What is your experience with them? How does “frenemeies” relate to what you know about “Othello”?

• Due at the end of class.

Soliloquy

• Long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage.

Aside

•Words spoken, usually in an undertone not intended to be heard by all characters

Pun

• Shakespeare loved to use them!!!

–Humorous use of a word with two meanings > sometimes missed by the reader because of Elizabethan language and sexual innuendo

Direct Address

• Words that tell the reader who is being addressed:

• “A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit.”

• “Ah, my mistresses, which of you all/ Will now deny to dance?”

Dramatic Irony

• A contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader/audience knows to be true

Verbal Irony

•Words used to suggest the opposite of what is meant

Situational Irony

• An event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience

Comic Relief• Use of comedy within literature

that is NOT comedy to provide “relief” from seriousness or sadness.

• In Othello, look for moments of comic relief that help “relieve” the tragedy of the situation

If you have not already begun to answer the questions on the

worksheet, now might be a good time to start!