SHAKESPEARE!!!!
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Transcript SHAKESPEARE!!!!
SHAKESPEARE!!!!
Can you feel the excitement?!
Some Quotes…
“A Fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows
himself to be a fool.”
“Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some
achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon
them.”
“Beauty is all very well at first sight; but whoever looks
at it when it has been in the house three days?”
“Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.”
“How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a
good deed in a naughty world.”
“Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts
and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no
more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
signifying nothing.”
“Sweet are the uses of adversity which, like the toad,
ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his
head.”
Some of the “good stuff…”
“Thou whoreson, senseless villain!”
“Dissembling harlot, thou art false in all!”
“More of your conversation would infect
my brain.”
“I’ll pray a thousand prayers for your
death.”
“Your horrid image does unfix my hair.”
“You peasant swain! You whoreson malthorse drudge!”
Homework:
Do some research, and identify
your favorite Shakespearean insult
for Friday…
Our Intro. to Shakespeare…
I. Historical Background
II. Features of Shakespeare’s Theatre, the
Globe
III. The Plays Themselves
IV. Shakespeare’s Life & Career
V. The Others…
I.
Historical Background
A. English Reformation 1534
Henry VIII breaks
from Rome
Shift in power –
Secular & Religious
Daily Life
I.
Historical Background
B. Rise of Humanism
Humanism: A
displacement of the
“other worldly” values
of the middle ages in
favor of a belief in the
potential of humanity
in this world.
I.
Historical Background
B. Rise of Humanism
Renaissance or a “rebirth” of art and
literature of the past…
I.
Historical Background
C. Elizabeth I Accedes to the
Throne (1558)
Elizabeth comes to the throne after the
death of her half-sister, Mary I, and reigns
until 1603.
England rises to the height of political
power.
1588: England defeats
The Spanish Armada… @
The same time Shakespeare
Begins his career
I.
Historical Background
C. Elizabeth accedes to the throne
England’s Political Scene:
Catholics
(Recusants)
Protestants
Puritans
I.
Historical Background
D. Construction of the Theatre
1576: James
Burbage built 1st
Permanent theatrical
building… Guess who
the landlord is…
The Suburbs
The Acting Profession
1599: The Globe
Theatre built
I.
Historical Background…
E. Death of Elizabeth 1603
James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England
Parliament is against the coronation… Why? James’ wife
was a Catholic
1620: Plymouth Rock
1642: Puritans take over the country of England…
Charles I beheaded… BUT THE MOST TERRIBLE PART…
All theaters are closed!
1642-1660: Interregnum Period
1660: THE RESTORATION: Britain brings back the
monarchy… Charles II crowned
Charles II allows women on stage & performances now
take place in doors…
II. Features of Shakespeare’s Theatre,
The Globe
A. Seating
Clues in play as to the design of the
theatre…
Can house up to 3,800 spectators…
Roughly
1,500 people in higher levels
Remaining 2,300 squeezed groundlings
No spectator is more than 50 ft. away
from the actors
II. Features of Shakespeare’s
Theatre, The Globe
B. The Stage, Props, Costumes,
and Scenery
Non-Representational: They did not try to
visually recreate what the audience was to
see. So how was this done?
EXAMPLES…
Proscenium: Today versus then… 4th
Wall?
Some furniture used
Costumes… Contemporary of course!
Let’s go to the Globe!
http://www.shakespearesglobe.org/virtualtour/stage/
The Plays…
III. The Plays Themselves
37 Total… Divided into Four Groups
Comedies
Tragedies
Histories
Deal
with specific period in English history
Romances
Fairy
tale like quality with a mix of comedy and tragic
moments. GENERALLY a happy ending follows
Shakespeare never took part in publishing his
own plays
No plays written by Shakespeare’s hand has
survived…
IV. Shakespeare’s Life & Career
1564-1616
Stratford-upon-Avon
“Not of an age but for all
time.” –Ben Jonson
Authorship
Married to Ann Hathaway, but
some rumors
Epitaph: “GOOD FREND FOR
JESUS SAKE FORBEARE TO
DIGG THE DUST ENCLOASED
HEARE.
BLEST BE YE MAN YT SPARES
THES STONES AND
CURST BE HE THAT MOVES
MY BONES”
The others…
Ben Jonson
1572-1637
Master of English
comedy
Volpone, The
Alchemist, Every Man
in his Humour
The MASQUE
Christopher Marlowe
1564-1593
Untimely Death
Introduced the first
important use of
blank (unrhymed)
verse
Tamburlaine the
Great, The Jew of
Malta, and Edward II
Doctor Faustus
His Life