TO BE OR NOT TO BE – THAT IS THE QUESTION 400 ANNIVERSARY OF SHAKESPEARE´S DEATH

William Shakespeare = the greatest playwright of world´s literature

SHAKESPEARE´S LIFE

SHAKESPEARE´S WORK Tragedies Comedies Historical plays Sonnets

CHARACTERS OF SHAKESPEARE´S DRAMAS: Renaissance features Not the same unity of space, time and plot Modern types of characters (eg. Emancipated women)

THREE PERIODS OF SHAKESPEARE´S WORK: 1st period ( ) Comedies: Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Twelfth Night, As the you like? Tragedies : Romeo and Juliet Historical plays: Henry IV., Henry V, Henry VI., Richard II., Richard III. Drama: The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar

2nd period ( ) Tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, Timon Athens 3rd period (from 1609) Romantic Game: The Tempest, The Winter's Tale Historical game: Henry VIII.

QUOTES FROM SHAKESPEARE´S PLAYS

ROMEO AND JULIET The play which is set in Verona is a story about a long feud between the Montague and Capulet families. This feud causes tragic results for the main characters in the play, Romeo and Juliet. The events contrast hatred and revenge with love and a secret marriage, forcing the young star-crossed lovers to grow up quickly and die tragically in despair.

Romeo and Juliet fall in love at a party. But they come from families which hate each other. They are sure they will not be allowed to marry. Nevertheless, helped by Friar Laurence, they marry in secret instead. Unfortunately, before their wedding night Romeo kills Juliet's cousin in a duel, and in the morning he is forced to leave her. If he ever returns to the city, he will be put to death. Juliet's parents told her she must marry Paris. Her parents do not know she is already married. She refuses in the beginning, but later agrees because she plans to fake her death and escape to be with Romeo forever; again with the help of Friar Laurence. Frair Laurence designs the plan. He gives Juliet a sleeping potion. She appears to be dead and was put in a tomb. However, Romeo does not know about the plan, visits her grave, thinks she is dead, and kills himself. When Juliet finally wakes up, she discovers that Romeo is dead and then kills herself.

SCENES FROM FILM (2013): Trailer: Very famous balcony scene: Final scene:

HAMLET Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is visited by the ghost of his father and told that his uncle Claudius, who is now King, was responsible for his murder. Hamlet is torn about trying to avenge him, and ends up pretending to be insane. He hires actors to do a play about a man who kills his brother to become king to see Claudius' reaction. Hamlet confirms that Claudius was responsible, ends up being abusive to his mother Gertrude for shacking up with the murderer of his father, and murders his girlfriend Ophelia's dad thinking that it's Claudius. Ophelia goes insane from having her boyfriend kill her dad and dies. Her brother Laertes is pissed and is convinced by Claudius to kill Hamlet. The two duel, and both are fatally injured. Gertrude accidentally drinks the poison that Claudius had prepared for Hamlet and dies. Hamlet manages to kill Claudius before finally dying.

SCENE FROM FILM (1996)

OTHELLO The story of William Shakespeare's Othello is set in 16th-century Venice and Cyprus. Othello the Moor, a noble black general in the Venetian army, has secretly married a beautiful white woman called Desdemona, the daughter of a prominent senator, Brabantio.

Othello is a black soldier who starts out the novel being accused of stealing his soon-to-be wife Desdemona. However, Desdemona loves Othello very much and the two are to be married much to the dissatisfaction of Desdemona's father. Iago, Othello's right hand man, is angered at the fact that Othello picked a man by the name of Cassio to be more important to him. Iago comes up with a plan to bring down Othello but eventually leads into the downfall of most of the characters. During a fight, Cassio is striped of his lieutenant markings and has to try to please Othello. Because Othello does not care anymore, he goes to Desdemona to seek help. Iago uses the meeting between Cassio and Desdemona against them and tries to make Othello believe that they are seeing each other.

Iago plants a handkerchief in Cassio's room and begins to tell Othello about what he has "seen" Cassio do. Othello becomes increasingly jealous throughout the story and eventually comes to a boiling point when he believes Cassio to be talking about his wife. Othello and Iago come up with a plan to kill Cassio and Desdemona. As Othello tries to kill Desdemona, Emilia who is Iago's wife comes in and tells Othello the truth about Iago. However, it is to late and Desdemona dies. When Othello confronts Iago, the villian kills his own wife and tries to run but is captured by some guards. Othello then proceeds to kill himself because of all the horrible doings that he has done.