1. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

2. SHAKESPEARE  1563-1616  Stratford-on-Avon, England  wrote 37 plays  about 154 sonnets  started out as an actor

3. STAGE CELEBRITY  Actor for Lord Chamberlain’s Men (London theater co.)  Also was principal playwright for them  1599 - Lord Ch. Co. built Globe Theater where most of Sh. Plays were performed

4. SHAKESPEARE WROTE:  Comedies  Histories  Tragedies

5. ROMEO AND JULIET  Written about 1595  Considered a tragedy  West Side Story (Movie) based on R & J

6. THE THEATER  Plays produced for the general public  Roofless - open air  No artificial lighting  Courtyard surrounded by 3 levels of galleries

7. 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

8. STAGING AREAS  Stage - platform that extended into the pit  Dressing & storage rooms in galleries behind & above stage  second-level gallery - upper stage - famous balcony scene in R & J  Trap door - ghosts  “Heavens” - angelic beings

9. DIFFERENCES  No scenery  Settings - referenced in dialogue  Elaborate costumes  Plenty of props  Fast-paced, colorful 2 +hours!

10. 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

11. ELIZABETHAN (QE1) WORDS  An,and: If  Anon:Soon  Aye: Yes  But:Except for  E’en:Even  E’er: Ever

12. QE1 WORDS (CONT.)  Haply: Perhaps  Happy: Fortunate  Hence: Away, from her  Hie:Hurry  Marry:Indeed

13. QE1 WORDS (CONT.)  Whence:Where  Wilt:Will, will you  Withal:In addition to  Would:Wish

14. BLANK VERSE  Much of R & J is written in it: unrhymed verse iambic (unstressed, stressed) pentameter( 5 “feet” to a line) ends up to be 10 syllable lines

15. 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?

16. PLOT  The sequence of events in a literary work

17. EXPOSITION  The plot usually begins with this: Introduces the: setting characters basic situation

18. INCITING MOMENT  Often called “initial incident” the first bit of action that occurs which begins the plot Romeo and Juliet “lock eyes” at the party

19. CONFLICT  The struggle that develops man vs. man man vs. himself man vs. society man vs. nature

20. CRISIS  The point where the protagonist’s situation will either get better or worse Protagonist = good guy Antagonist = bad guy

21. CLIMAX  The turning point of the story; everything begins to unravel from here Thus begins the falling action

22. RESOLUTION  The end of the central conflict

23. DENOUEMENT  The final explanation or outcome of the plot If this is included in literature, it will occur after the resolution.

24. 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

25. THEME  Central idea of the piece:  Insight about life which explain the downfall

26. 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

27. DRAMATIC FOIL  A character whose purpose is to show off another character Benvolio for Tybalt look for others in R & J

28. ROUND CHARACTERS  Characters who have many personality traits, like real people.

29. FLAT CHARACTERS  One-dimensional, embodying only a single trait Shakespeare often uses them to provide comic relief even in a tragedy

30. STATIC CHARACTERS  Characters within a story who remain the same. They do not change. They do not change their minds, opinions or character.

31. DYNAMIC CHARACTER  Characters that change somehow during the course of the plot. They generally change for the better.

32. 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

33. SOLILOQUY  Long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage. In R & J, Romeo gives a soliloquy after the servant has fled and Paris has died.

34. ASIDE  Words spoken, usually in an undertone not intended to be heard by all characters

35. 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

36. 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?”

37. DRAMATIC IRONY  A contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader/audience knows to be true

38. VERBAL IRONY  Words used to suggest the opposite of what is meant

39. SITUATIONAL IRONY  An event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience

40. COMIC RELIEF  Use of comedy within literature that is NOT comedy to provide “relief” from seriousness or sadness.