1. Shakespeare

2. William Shakespeare
Born on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Queen Elizabeth I supported all the arts
Married Anne Hathaway and had three children
The Lost Years:
May have worked as a soldier, a sailor, or a schoolmaster
Part of Lord Chamberlain’s Men since the early 1590s

3. William Shakespeare (continued)
Company renamed King’s Men when James I became king
In 1599, became part of the Globe Theatre
Fire destroyed Globe Theatre, ending Shakespeare’s career
Died on his birthday, April 23, 1616
Left his wife Anne “his second-best bed” and his daughter Susanna everything else

4. Elements of Fiction/Shakespearean Tragedy
Exposition:
Characters & Setting
Act I
Rising Action:
Introduction of Conflicts
Act II
Climax:
Turning Point
Act III
In a tragedy, things usually go from bad to worse in Act III
Falling Action:
Conflict resolution begins to fall into place
Result of the climax
Act IV
Denouement:
Main conflicts are resolved
Act V
This act includes a catastrophe, which is another climactic turning point in the story line.

5. Literary/Drama Terms

6. Literary Terms Act: major division within a play
Allusion: reference to a literary/historical person/event
Aside: lines whispered to audience or another character
Blank Verse: poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter
Foreshadowing: lines that give a clue to future events

7. Literary Terms (continued)
Irony: a contrast between what is and what appears to be
Verbal irony: character says one thing but means another
Dramatic irony: audience knows something characters don’t
Rhetoric: the art of persuasion
Logos: reason
Ethos: credibility
Pathos: emotion
Scene: small unit within an act of a play
Soliloquy: a single character on stage thinking out loud

8. Literary Terms (continued)
Tragedy: a drama that ends in defeat and suffering
Tragic Hero: the main character in a tragedy
Born into nobility or high status
Having a good character, often courageous
Possessing a tragic flaw that ultimately causes the character’s downfall
Ultimately achieving some self-knowledge and wisdom, even though he/she suffers defeat, possibly even death
Tragic Flaw: a personality trait in a character that leads him to make poor decisions that result in tragic consequences

9. Julius Caesar

10. Julius Caesar Background
Shakespeare used Plutarch’s The Parallel Lives as inspiration for his play
500 years before Caesar, the Roman Republic was established.
Aristocratic classes called Patricians
Commoners called Plebians
Rome was ruled by two consuls chosen by the Senate and two tribunes elected by the commoners
In 60 BC, the Senate chose three consuls to rule Rome: Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey

11. Julius Caesar Background
Together, they were called the First Triumvirate
Triumvirate = three men working together
When Crassus died, Pompey and Caesar raced for power.
Caesar departed Rome to fight in the Gallic Wars.
The Senate ordered Caesar to abandon his army and return to Rome as a private citizen.
Caesar instead marched his army on Rome, clashing with Pompey’s army.
Pompey fled to Egypt and was murdered.

12. Julius Caesar Background
Caesar remained in Egypt and had an affair with Cleopatra
On his return to Rome, Caesar was declared perpetual dictator.
The Senate (including Brutus) thought Caesar would crown himself Emperor and put an end to the Republic, so they made plans to assassinate him on March 15, 44 BC.
The tragic hero of the play is Brutus, a nobleman who truly believes his actions are for the good of his country.
The setting of the play is primarily Rome, Italy.

13. Superstitions Emperors were gods
Animals were spirits of dead ancestors
Chickens predicted success in battle—if they ate, all would go well; if they did not eat, signs were unfavorable
Bad omens: owls, solar eclipses, lightning, dreams