“ALL THE WORD’S A STAGE”-AS YOU LIKE IT

William Shakespeare

Who Was Shakespeare

Not Sure What He Looks Like

No information about his childhood

No information about his person, other than his marriage lisense, grave stone epithet, court documents, business contracts, and property deeds.

We only have three paintings of Shakespeare, and we aren’t sure if any of them are really him.

Born in Stratford, England in 1564 and died in 1616.

Multitasking Master

Wrote 37 plays154 sonnetsSeveral businesses Husband and father

of three children.

Did I Mention He Was Also an Actor?

Did not take up large parts

Played the ghost in Hamlet

Acted in other playwright’s plays

Performed for both Queen Elizabeth and James I (King James Bible)

The Plays

38 plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare 14 comedies 10 histories 10 tragedies 4 romances

Possibly wrote three othersCollaborated on several others

The Globe Theater, but how much do we know about this theater?

Try—almost nothing!

In 1596 a Dutch traveller and student called Johannes de Witt attended a play at the Swan Theatre in London.. His diary note, together with the picture, is probably the single most important source of information regarding the internal layout of London theatres. The exact dimensions of the amphitheatres have been lost in time, however, the picture of the Swan allows for an approximation.

The Diary note of Johannes de WittFrom diary of Johannes de Witt: "There are four amphitheatres in London so beautiful that they are worth a visit, which are given different names from their different signs. In these theatres, a different play is offered to the public every day. The two more excellent of these are situated on the other side of the Thames, towards the South, and they are called the Rose and the Swan from their signboards.. As its form seems to bear the appearance of a Roman work, I have made a drawing of it"

Thank you, Johannes de Witt

The Swan Theater—our only link to the Globe

A theatrical convention is a

suspension of reality.

No electricity

Women forbidden

to act on stage

Minimal, contemporary

costumes

Minimal scenery

These control the dialogue.These control the dialogue.

Audience loves to be scared.

Audience loves to be scared.

Soliloquy

Aside Types of speechTypes of speech

Blood

Use of supernatural

HamletWILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Hamlet

400 years after Hamlet was written, people are still connecting to it.

Hamlet is one the Shakespeare’s most famous play, and it contains one of the most famous lines “To be or not to be, that is the question” (3.1)

Hamlet

Hamlet tells the story about Hamlet. Hamlet’s dad (King of Denmark) has been

murdered by his own brother (Hamlet’s Uncle Claudius).

Shortly after the murder, Claudius marries Hamlet’s mom Gertrude.

Needless to say, Hamlet has some serious issues to deal with and he’s a pretty complex character.

HamletThe story of Hamlet dates back to at least the

9th century. It centers around “Amleth” (sound familiar?), a young man who fakes being crazy in order to avenge his father’s murder.

The story was included in a 12th century text and later translated to French before Shakespeare found it.

Believe it or not, adaptations of this story have made its way into modern day films.

So why should you care?

Hamlet is having a teenage crisis. Which one of you has never had an inner

conflict? Struggled to figure out what to do with your life? Had conflicted feelings about your parents? ………yea I though so…..you can totally relate!

Concepts that you need to know

Conflict

Internal External How does conflict add to the theme?

Plot Elements

Soliloquy

Soliloquy- a speech in which a character speaks his or her private thoughts aloud.

The speaker is almost always alone and is generally unaware of an audience.

Gives the reader insight into the inner conflicts of the character, or can foreshadow.

Aside

Similar to the soliloquyA remark spoken in an undertone by a

character. Essentially, it is mumbling to oneself or

another person. Also gives insight to the characters feelings.

Foil

A foil is a character who provides a striking contrast to another character.

Writers use foils to call attention to certain traits possessed by the main character.

Example: Donkey and Shrek

Dramatic Irony

when the audience or reader knows something that the characters in the story do not know

Used a lot in scary movies

Useful Vocabulary

drama: a work of literature designed to be performed in front of an audience

act: a division within a play, much like chapters of a novel scene: a division of an act into smaller parts comedy: a humorous work of drama tragedy: a serious work of drama in which the hero suffers

catastrophe or serious misfortune, usually because of his own actions dialogue: conversation between two or more characters stage directions: italicized comments that identify parts of the setting

or the use of props or costumes, give further information about a character, or provide background information

iambic pentameter: a line of poetry that contains 5 iambs of two syllables each

monologue: a long speech spoken by a character to himself, another character, or to the audience

Themes

Think about this…

MadnessRevengeMortalityReligionLies and deceit

Playing rolesGender

FamilySexuality

Revenge

In Elizabethan London, people often amused themselves by watching executions and other bloody spectacles. Dramatists of the time helped to satisfy the public’s taste for blood by creating revenge tragedies

Religion

Even though the reformation was 60 years old by the time Hamlet was written, elements of Catholicism are still evident.

Catholicism vs. Protestantism

Incest

During the Elizabethan era, marriage between a widow and her late husband’s brother was forbidden by both Catholics and Protestants.

Henry VIII tried to justify his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, who had been married to his older brother, by citing this passage in the Bible: “The man who takes to wife the wife of his brother: that is impurity… (Leviticus 20:21)

Health

During this time period, doctors believed that emotions were controlled by a mixture of four “humors” in the body. Blood (happiness) Yellow bile (anger) Black bile (depression) Phlegm (calm/apathetic)

Understanding the Language of

What were the influences on Early Modern (also called Elizabethan or Shakespearean) English ?

The Elizabethan period “presentsthe English language in a

transitional and undeveloped condition, rejecting and inventing much that the verdict of posterity

has retained and discarded” (Abbott 15).

Influences onShakespeare’s English

Values of the time: clarity preferred over correctness, and

brevity preferred over both clarity and correctness

New discoveries = new thoughts that require new words

Revival of classical studies (Greek, Latin)Transitional period of the LanguageGreater influence of spoken English over

written (more contractions)From A Shakespearean Grammar by Edwin Abbott

Qualities of Shakespearean English

Grammatical errors (according to today’s rules of Standard English)

Any part of speech can be used as any otherVersatility in the arrangement of words in

sentencesWords and phrases have a greater variety of

uses than today

Adjectives In Shakespeare’s English

Add “y” to any word to form an adjective “Slumbery agitation” – Macbeth 5.1.12 “Unheedy haste” – A Midsummer Night’s

Dream 1.1.237Articles (a, an, the) may be omitted “When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream 5.1.224 (“a” omitted before “lion”)

Adjectives In Shakespeare’s English

Adjectives may be used as adverbs or nouns“Which the false man does easy.” Macbeth 2.3.143 (easily) “Grow not instant old.” Hamlet 1.2.94 (instantly)

Adjectives may be compounded “I am too sudden-bold.” Love’s Labour Lost

2.1.197“Honorable-dangerous” Julius Caesar 1.3.124

Adjectives In Shakespeare’s English

“-er” and “-est” added where today’s English doesn’t add them“Horrider: Cymbeline 4.2.331“Certainer” Much Ado About Nothing 5.3.62

Double comparative and superlative“More nearer” Hamlet 2.1.11“Most unkindest” Julius Caesar 3.2.187

Adjective may be placed AFTER the noun rather than before“In the seat royal” Richard III 3.1.164

Adverbs in Shakespeare’s English

Along may mean “along with me”

Forth, hence, and hither may be used to show motion without a verb “I have no mind of feasting forth tonight”Merchant of Venice 2.2.37

Double negative: Viola in Twelfth Night says,

“Nor never none /Shall mistress of it be, save I alone,” by which she meant that no one except herself would ever be mistress of her heart.

Prepositions in Shakespeare’s English

May be left out“That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds”

Romeo and Juliet 3.1.122 “to” left out before “clouds”

May differ slightly in meaning to today’s prepositions, but the meaning is usually decipherable

Verbs in Shakespeare’s English

The “-ed” ending may be omitted“These things indeed you have articulate” Henry IV 5.1.72 (articulated)

“to” may be omitted in an infinitive“The rest I wish thee gather.” Henry VI 2.5.96 (to gather)

Verbs in Shakespeare’s English

Verb tense may be inconsistent: changes in tense allowed where today’s rules would not allow it“Therefore they thought (past) it good you hear (present) a play.” Taming of the Shrew

Any noun or adjective could become a verb“That has so cowarded and chased your blood.” Henry V 2.2.75

Effects of Rhythm on Shakespeare’s Language

Shortening of words by using contractions so words will fit the rhythm

Changing the accent of words so they fit the rhythm

Compounding

New words created by compounding any parts of speech:

“the steep-up heavenly hill” “Sonnet 7”

“til Henry’s back-return” Henry V Prologue 41

Sentence Order

The most emphatic words may be placed at the beginning of the sentence in spite of grammatical rules:

“In dreadful secrecy impart they did” Hamlet 1.2.207

“Before the time I did Lysander see,Seem’d Athens a paradise to me.” A

Midsummer Night’s Dream 1.1.205

Ellipses (Words Left Out)

“Elizabethan Authors objected to scarcely any ellipsis, provided the deficiency could be easily supplied from the context.” (Abbott 279)

Little words left out such as : and, as, but, if, ere, or, like, since, than, though, and pronouns“This is that banish’d haughty Montague,And here is come.” Romeo and Juliet 5.3.52(here he is come)

Shakespeare’s Impact on Modern English:

Some Phrases Created by Shakespeare

Eaten out of house and homeFull circleNeither rhyme nor reasonSeen better daysA sorry sightA spotless reputationIn my heart of hearts

Words Coined by ShakespeareNouns:

accused addiction alligator amazement anchovies assassination backing bandit bedroom bump buzzers courtship critic dauntless dawn design dickens discontent embrace employer engagements excitements exposure eyeball fixture futurity glow immediacy investments kick leapfrog luggage manager mimic misgiving mountaineer ode outbreak pageantry pedant perusal questioning reinforcement retirement roadway rumination savagery scuffles shudders switch tardiness transcendence urging watchdog wormhole zany

Words Coined by Shakespeare

Verbs: besmirch bet blanket cake champion

compromise cow denote deracinate dialogue dislocate divest drug dwindle elbow enmesh film forward gossip grovel hobnob humor hurry impedes lapse lower misquote negotiate numb pander partner petition puke rant reword secure submerge swagger torture unclog

Words Coined by Shakespeare

Adjectives:

aerial auspicious baseless beached bloodstained blushing circumstantial consanguineous deafening disgraceful domineering enrapt epileptic equivocal eventful fashionable foregone frugal generous gloomy gnarled hush inaudible invulnerable jaded juiced lackluster laughable lonely lustrous madcap majestic marketable monumental nervy noiseless obscene olympian premeditated promethean quarrelsome radiance rancorous reclusive remorseless rival sacrificial sanctimonious softhearted splitting stealthy traditional tranquil unmitigated unreal varied vaulting viewless widowed worthless yelping

Words Coined by Shakespeare

Adverbs:

importantly instinctively obsequiously threateningly tightly trippingly unaware

Works Cited and ConsultedAbbott, Edwin. A Shakespearian grammar: An attempt to

illustrate some of the differences between Elizabethan and modern English. For the use of schools . 2nd ed. London:Macmillan, 1901.

"History of the English Language." Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation Inc. 7 Mar 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_English_language>.

Holladay, April. "English Language - Big Changes." USA Today 07/15/2005 03/06/2005 <http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/aprilholladay/2005-07-15-english-part2_x.htm>.

Holladay, April. "Script for origins of English Language Comes out of Africa." USA Today 7/8/2005 03/06/2007 <http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/aprilholladay/2005-07-07-english-part1_x.htm >.

Vernon, Jennifer. "Shakespeare's Coined Words Now Common Currency." National Geographic News April 22, 2004 03/06/2007 <nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0419_040419_shakespeare.html>.