Shakespeare

Drama - 2 languages 1. Dialogue 2. Staging

Dialogue As readers of drama we rely on the written word and stage directions

Staging Costumes - can tell time of year, time, place, status, highlight characters Gesture and movement Lighting Sound Scenery All aspects of staging can work together

Aristotelian Drama Shakespearian drama is Aristotelian Order, order lost, order restored - comedy Order lost, order restored - tragedy

Classic Aristotelian Plotline Act I - Introduction Get to know characters, conflict, setting Act II - Rising Action - conflict progresses Act III - Climax - major character changes, point of no return, point of highest emotional intensity Act IV - Falling Action - rapid movement towards the resolution Act V - Resolution - Order restored, loose ends tied up

Types of plays Shakespeare wrote three types of plays Comedy - always ends in a confession, a reunion, a celebration, a wedding Tragedies - people die and a new order is brought in to restore Histories - chronicle of English kings

Shakespeare “He was not of an age, but for all time” - Ben Jonson Born - Stratford-upon-Avon, England - April 23, 1564 Died April 23, 1616 Wrote plays in London between approximately 1590-1613 - during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I - they have been in almost constant production since their creation

Basewords Reading Shakespeare is like seeing language created Contributed over 20,138 basewords to the English language

Elizabethan drama Queen Elizabeth was a huge supporter of the arts - by the end of her reign London had more theatres than any other city in Europe Raucous audiences

Globe Theatre 1599 - Shakespeare became part owner of The Globe Theatre home of the King’s men - he was an actor as well as a writer Theatre - 3 story wooden building on the banks of the River Thames in Central London Held up to 3,000 people

Theatre II Open-air - plays only between April to October Groundlings stood in the pit No lighting Very small scenery Ornate costumes Props Sound effects Women were not actors - young boys More male than female roles in Shakespeare

Excitement of Shakespeare’s plays Sword fights Humor Eerie supernatural events

Exploration of human nature Shakespeare created character - explored human nature Tried to see how different people dealt with universal problems Insightful insight into the human character - understanding of human psychology

Alive Today Shakespeare’s plays are so alive because of the themes Betrayal of a friend Death and grieving for a father Prejudice against someone of another race The pursuit of a love forbidden