Everything you should have learned last year in English 9, plus a little extra!

“There are some parts of the plays you’ll never understand. But excuse me, I thought that’s what great art was supposed to be about. Don’t freak out over it.

Keep reading.” ~Peter Sellers

English playwright and poetConsidered to be the greatest writer the

world has ever knownKnowledge of human nature – creates

characters that have a meaning beyond time and place of his plays

Born in Stratford-upon-AvonMarried Anne Hathaway and had three childrenMoved to London and worked for an acting

group called Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later called the King’s Men)

Became London’s leading actor and playwrightBy 1590, he was quite wealthy and owned a lot

of property and buildings in StratfordIn 1599, he became co-owner of the Globe

Theater in London

Wrote at least 37 plays (with only a quill pen!)3 categories: comedies, tragedies, and historiesAppealed to all audiences: from children to kingsIn Shakespeare’s plays you can find drunks, ghosts,

teenagers running away from home, boy who gets girl, boy who loses girl, king who loses everything, woman caressing her lover’s body that is minus its head, woman caressing her lover’s head that is minus its body, weddings and celebrations, and murder by stabbing, suffocation, poison, decapitation, and drowning in a vat of wine

Full of human emotion: love, greed, jealousy, and vengeance

Many words and phrases we use today were created by Shakespeare: fair play, catch a cold, green-eyed monster

The Globe Theater In 1576, James Burbage built England’s first “real” theater

– The Theater In 1594, the Puritans closed London’s playhouses, calling

them meeting places for the “trash” of the cityWhen Burbage died, his sons moved his theater across the

river to the “red-light district,” renaming it The Globe

The Globe Theater, cont.Poor acoustics, no

background scenery, utilized costumes and props

Performances given Monday-Saturday from 2:00-5:00

Best seats: on stageWorst seats: on the ground

surrounding the stage – “groundlings”

Globe was destroyed in 1613 when the roof caught on fire

Rebuilt in 1614, but eventually torn down in 1644

RenaissancePeriod from 1485-1625Renaissance = rebirth (re = “to happen again” and

naissance = “birth”)Began in Italy and spread throughout most of EuropeAlso called many other names:

Reformation – movement that began when King Henry VIII split from the Catholic Church and began a Protestant movement

Age of Exploration – time when England was expanding trade and commerce routes and exploring the world

Age of Discovery – many scientific discoveries: from the circulation of blood to the law of planetary movement

Elizabethan – English Renaissance at its peak. England was under control of Queen Elizabeth I

Important Renaissance FactsMedicine was NOT nearly as advanced as the

artsBig medical concern – the Bubonic Plague/Black

DeathSchool was only available for families with moneyEntertainment opportunities:

TheaterBear- or Bull-baitingCockfightingBrawling/RiotingWitch burningsPublic executions

Social HierarchiesPeople believed in The

Great Chain of Being Stretched from the

lowest member of society to God. Humans were above animals, and men were above women

Laws dictated what colors people could wear: Royalty could wear

purple Middle class could wear

black, white, and other bright jewel tones.

Peasants wore muted and pastel colors

God

Royal MenRoyal Women

Noble MenNobel Women

Middle Class MenMiddle Class Women

Peasant MenPeasant Women

Animals

Social Hierarchies – Women in the Renaissance Women were not allowed to attend school.

Fathers could hire private tutors for their daughters IF they felt it was necessary.

Tutors often focused on literature, music, and language rather than math and sciences.

It was important for women to be well educated in the domestic arena. Women went from being under the control of their fathers to the control of

their husbands. She took her husband’s title whether it was above or below hers. Men often used their daughters’ marriages to form business and political

ties for themselves. Everything, including clothing and jewelry, was considered the property of

the father/husband not hers. Women were not allowed on stage as it was thought to be a crude and

undesirable career. Young boys would have to play the female roles in any production.

Women were also not allowed to become lawyers, priests/ministers, professional teachers, or doctors.

While Queen Elizabeth I was the ruler in this time, she had to be very careful to retain her power. She led on many male, foreign diplomats. She did not marry as she would have abdicated the throne to her husband. She did not anger the men in her court by making sure she did not appoint

other women to positions of power.

Interesting Renaissance Dates1520 – Bowling becomes popular1572 – Pigeons first used to carry

letters1582 – First known life insurance sold

in England1587 – The first forks were used in

France1635 – Speed limit established for

London coaches: 3 mph

Iambic Pentameter - The BasicsMeter- organization of verbal stresses/speech rhythms

into regular patternsFoot- one set of metrical markings Iamb- an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed

syllable (U /) U /Afraid

U /Attack

U /Appoint

Pentameter- five sets of a metrical pattern

Putting it together…Iambic pentameter- five iambs

(U / U / U / U / U /)

Blank verse- unrhymed iambic pentameter

The building block for most medieval and Renaissance poetic forms.

Why use iambic pentameter?Two purposes for iambic pentameter:

Denotes upper class characters from lower class characters

Easier to memorize

Iambic Pentameter Practice

U / U / U / U / U /Oh gentle Faustus, leave this damned art.

Words that end in –ed were considered two syllable words. Now we pronounce them as single syllable words, but still write them as two syllable words.

Damned (then) Damn’d (now)Walked (then) Walk’d (now)

More Practice

U / U / U / U / U / I walked, she fled, and day brought back my

night.

Iambic Practice

U / U / U / U / U /But surely Adam cannot be excused.

“The answer to the question ‘Why Shakespeare?’ must be ‘Who else is there?’”

~Harold Bloom