William Shakespeare
Elizabethan era
Golden Age: prosperity, exploration and cultural flourishing
Queen Elizabeth I: astute leadership, diplomacy and patronage of arts
flourishing of English literature
emerge of English Renaissance in literature
rise of English theatre
religious tensions between Catholics and Evangelists
society was hierarchical
clothing as symbol of status and wealth
end: death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603
General information
probably born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon
baptized on April 26, 1564
parents: John Shakespeare and Mary Arden
children: Judith, Hamnet and Susanne
marriage: married Anne Hathaway in 1582
education: probably attended King Edward VI School
established himself as playwright and actor in London
involved in construction and management of global theatre
wrote 37 plays
renowned for his poetry
around 1613: returned to Stratford-upon-Avon
died on April 23, 1616
Writing style and language
Writing style
Language
blank verse for formal characters
prose for commoners
iambic pentameter
unrhymed verse
soliloquies and monologues
innovative vocabulary (e.g. “eyeball”, “bedroom”, “lonely”)
figurative language
use of wordplays and puns
varied dialects
ambiguity
Famous works
General
Tragedies
Comedies
History plays
timeless topics: love, jealousy, power, betrayal, revenge
rich characters: complex and multidimensional, psychological depth
innovative plot devices: mistaken identity, dramatic irony, disguise
translated in over 50 languages
no original manuscripts of his plays
most famous for tragedies
10 tragedies
high-status central character
Examples: Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet
17 comedies
irony and wordplays
Examples: All’s Well That Ends Well, As You Like It, The Comedy of Errors
10 history plays
English history from 12th to 16th century
Examples: Richard III., Heinrich V., King John
Macbeth
Background knowledge
Story
Topics
written during the early 17th century
based on Raphael Holinshed’s “Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland” (1587)
first performed around 1606 for King James I
other inspiration from “Daemonologie” (1597) by King James I
altering timelines, characters and events
Macbeth encounters three witches who prophesy his future
He murders King Duncan
Macbeth’s guilty and paranoia intensifies
Kills anyone he perceives as a threat
Lady Macbeth is consumed by guilt
Macbeth faces resistance from Malcolm
Malcolm kills Macbeth
ambition
guilt and conscience
fate vs. free will
corruption of power
Shakespearean sonnet
14 lines
iambic pentameter
ten syllables per line
rhyme scheme: AB AB CD CD EF EF GG
three quatrains
couplet as summary or twist
volta between third quatrain and couplet
Relevance today
relevant because...
not relevant because...
timeless topics
unparalleled language and poetry
memorable lines
complex and multidimensional characters
cultural influence
educational value
language barrier
different time and cultural context
made for stage
no direct address contemporary issues