Shakespeare The Dirty Old English Man and His Times (1564 – 1616)

Shakespearean Myth Despite the vicious rumors started by hateful and spite-filled students, Shakespeare writes in Modern English. Beowulf Canterbury Tales

Shakespearean Myth Busting The difficulty in Shakespeare’s language is not that he writes in a different language, but that he uses a lot of idioms, colloquialisms, and allusions specific to his time period. Just like you!

Shakespeare’s Society

 Middle Age Class systems  Royalty  Nobility  Peasant  Church = State  Kings/Queens = authority from God.

Shakespeare’s Society

Shakespeare is a puzzle and his published plays are comprised (put together) by editors using their best judgment after analyzing multiple versions

5 Reasons Why  Brain workout to capture meaning because of text difficulty.  Universal themes with relevance today.  Master of language manipulation, rhetorical devices, and weaving plots together. Allows the strongest readers and weakest readers to work at a level that challenges them.  Make your life easier next year.  Frequently alluded to in all areas (TV, Movies, books, etc.) of Western society. Just Fun!

Hamlet

Not in England

Characteristics of Plays Uses MANY layered of plots. Make-up = artificial beauty/corruption Little/No Scenery Inspired by social issues

Shakespeare’s Language

Alternate Word Meanings “Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo?” “But what is your affair in Elisnore?” ( ) “Ay, marry, is’t” (1.4.13) (Yes, indeed it is.) Be sure to write down words like these that are defined for you because they will only be defined the first time they appear.

Syntax Differences “And sure I am two men there is not living to whom he more adheres.” ( ) “Mad call I it, for, to define true madness what is’t but to be nothing else but mad?” ( )

Dashes “We have here writ To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras – Who impotent and bedrid, scarcely hears Of this his nephew’s purpose – to suppress His further gait herein, in that the levies, The lists, and full proportions are all made Out of his subject” ( )

Dashes “Why, she – O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason Would have mourned longer! – married with my uncle, My father’s brother, but no more like my father Than I to Hercules.” ( )

Royal “We” “Now our Queen, Th’ imperial jointress to this warlike state, have we…taken to wife. ( ,14)

Character Activity

Characters Major Hamlet Gertrude Claudius Polonius Laertes Ophelia Horatio Rosencrantz Guildenstern Minor Ghost Reynaldo Voltemand Cornelius Barnardo Francisco Marcellus