by: William Shakespeare Ms. Amorin Grade 12

 (April 23, ) from England  The most famous writer in all of English literature (writer: poet & playwright).  He wrote 37 plays (tragedies and comedies) and 154 sonnets.  Most famous works are: - Othello - Hamlet - King Lear - A Taming of the Shrew

 A tragedy is a type of play that ends tragically, usually with the death or ruin of multiple characters.

 Denmark*  Castle of Elsinore*  Medieval times of early 1600s  University of Wittenberg- England  France

Elsinore Castle- Denmark

 Protagonist- main character of a literary work that is involved in central conflict of story (“good guy”).  Antagonist- the force working against the protagonist (can be another character, society, nature, or internal force).  Foil- a character whose attributes, or characteristics, contrast with the attributes of another character.

 Tragic hero- is a heroic main character (protagonist) of a tragedy whose life is brought to ruin due to a character flaw.  A character flaw is an admirable quality that turns into an imperfection. When “used” inappropriately, it can lead to the downfall of both the main character and others in his/ her surroundings. ex.) loyalty, trust, jealousy, love, etc…

 Tragic hero = Romeo & Juliet  Character flaw = love  Reasoning?? = Romeo and Juliet sacrificed their lives (suicide) for their undying love for one another. Their lives were brought to ruin as a result of their selfish, overindulgence of love. (Leading to their death and the suffering of their families). EXAMPLE*

 Tragic hero =  Tragic flaw =  Reasoning??? =

 Madness  Love vs. Betrayal  Honor  Revenge  Loyalty  Death  Reality vs. Illusion  Decisiveness

 Prince Hamlet  Queen Gertrude  King Claudius  King Hamlet’s Ghost  Polonius  Ophelia  Laertes  Horatio  Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

 “To be or not to be, that is the question?”  “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”  “…to thine own self be true.”  “Thus conscience make cowards of us all.”  “…the rest is silence.”

 King Hamlet, former King of Denmark, died two months ago.  His only son, Prince Hamlet, is mourning his father’s death, going through severe depression behaving erratically around the Elsinore Castle  Queen Gertrude, remarried her late husband’s brother, Claudius (now King), only two months after her husband’s death.  The people of Denmark are consumed with the new king and seem to have already forgotten the noble and late King Hamlet.

ENJOY THE PLAY!!!