Widely regarded as the greatest writer in English Literature 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

Stage Celebrity Actor for Lord Chamberlain’s Men in the London Theater Co. Principal playwright for them 1599: Lord Chamberlain built the Globe Theater where most of Shakespeare’s plays were performed

Shakespeare wrote: Comedies Histories Tragedies- Macbeth is a tragedy

The Theater Plays produced for the general public- vernacular Roofless/open air theater No artificial lighting Courtyard surrounded by 3 levels of galleries

Spectators Wealthy: sat on benches Groundlings: poorer people stood and watched from the courtyard known as the “pit” All but wealthy were uneducated/illiterate Much more audience interaction than today- asides & comic relief

Staging Areas Stage: platform that extended into the pit with people on 3 sides Dressing & storage rooms in galleries behind & above stage Second-level gallery/upper stage used for higher stage positioning Trap doors used for ghosts to appear “Heavens”: angelic beings (on upper level)

Contrasts No elaborate scenery then Settings were established using references in dialogue Elaborate costumes worn then Plenty of mobile props used then

Contrasts Cont. Fast-paced, colorful- 2 hours Contemporary adaptations made to maintain audience attention- changing settings, using contemporary slang, etc.

Actors Only men and boys performed Young boys whose voices had not changed play women’s roles It would have been considered indecent for a woman to appear on stage- time period/ content

The sequence of events in a literary work Plot The sequence of events in a literary work

Exposition The plot usually begins with this. Setting, characters, and situation Minimalized in plays because information is learned through actions of characters

Inciting Moment Often called “initial incident” the first bit of action that occurs which begins the plot Ex. This starts immediately with the 3 witches in Macbeth.

Conflict The struggle that develops man vs. man- Macbeth man vs. himself- Macbeth man vs. society man vs. nature

Crisis The point where the protagonist’s situation will either get better or worse Starts in Act I

Climax The turning point of the story>everything begins to unravel from here Thus begins the falling action Typically Act III

Resolution The end of the central conflict

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

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 Both are seen in Macbeth.

Theme Central idea or insight that can be applied to real life (more than 1 word)

Dramatic Foil A character whose purpose is to show off another character Macbeth and Banquo

Round characters Characters who have many personality traits, like real people.

Flat Characters One-dimensional, embodying only a single trait Shakespeare often uses them to provide comic relief, even in a tragedy.

Static Characters Characters within a story who remain the same. They do not change their minds, opinions or character.

Dynamic Character Characters that change somehow during the course of the plot. They generally change for the better.

Monologue One person is speaking on stage while other character(s) is/are on stage listening.

Soliloquy It is long speech expressing the inner thoughts of a character while s/he is alone on stage.

Aside The words are spoken (usually in an undertone) to the audience, not intended to be heard by other characters

Direct Address The character will acknowledge the person being spoken to by name or relationship. This is convenient when multiple characters are on stage.

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

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

Verbal Irony Words used to suggest the opposite of what is meant Puns and sarcasm

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 Tons in Macbeth

Comic Relief Use of comedy within literature that is NOT comedy to provide “relief” from seriousness or sadness. Pay attention to when the Porter appears in Macbeth