Introduction to Shakespeare

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Introduction to Shakespeare

• A Genius from Stratford
• William Shakespeare
• 1564-1616

2
William Shakespeares supporter

• Queen Elizabeth I, who ruled England from 1558 to
  1603, was a fan of Wills plays.
• The arts flourished under her reign.

Catherine of Aragon
Anne Boylyn
King Henry 8
Mary Tutor
Elizabeth
A portrait of Queen Elizabeth I after her
ascension to the throne in 1558.
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Understanding the 1500s

• Elizabethans
• people who lived during the reignof Queen
  Elizabeth I (1558 to 1603).
• The thought patterns of Elizabethans are similar
  to modern ideas, but dissimilar in enough ways
  that we need to study their beliefs about life

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Elizabethan Chain of Being
The chain of life stands as one of the most
important and long-lasting ideas in the history
of humankind. It can still be seen today. This
is the key to understanding Shakespeare!
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The ECB body talk

• The human form fits into the ECB
• Compliment
• Wisdom comes from brain, not from passion or the
  lower part of your body.
• Insult
• By my heal I care not!

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Shakespeares tragedies as a form

• Tragedy a play in which there is an ethical
  violation (moral law)
• Romeo Juliet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear,
  Hamlet
• Character violates the law and becomes isolated
  from his/her society
• This disrupts the communitys order (ECB!)

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Understanding Shakespeares plays

• Soliloquy to speak alone
• The audience can see into a characters mind
• Often used in times of great stress
• Aside short, quick comment to ones self
• Comic relief characters low on the ECB are used
  to make audience laugh after stressful scenes

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Understanding Shakespeares plays
(below) Costume worn by noblemen in several plays

• Prologue spoken piece before the play
• Actor who speaks is called the chorus
• Usually asks audience to forgive or accept the
  playwrights poor efforts.
• Summarizes entire play!
• Epilogue spoken piece after the play

(above) Costume worn in several plays for Queen
Elizabeths character
Thats it! ?
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Works Cited

• Thrasher, Thomas. The Importance of William
  Shakespeare. San Diego Lucent Books, 1999