SHAKESPEARESocial and Political Contexts

Research Assignment: Expert Circles

• In this assignment, you will be divided into five groups. Each group will be responsible for researching one aspect of the social/cultural/historical context of Shakespeare’s plays.

• Each group must bring to class:•One relevant video (from Youtube, etc.) OR not more than 3 slides which you will use to teach the class about this topic

•One handout per group member, which you will use to list your important findings (in bullet points/paragraphs – the format is up to you)

Research Topics1. Shakespeare’s life and his works Biographical

information; main themes of his plays

2. Elizabeth I and the Politics of the Elizabethan Era Political and Social Contexts – how do these relate to Shakespeare’s writing?

3. Customs and Lifestyle Ways of speech, manner etc. as well as economic/social makeup

4. Theatre in Shakespeare’s timeConventions of the stage, actors etc.

5. Religion: Jews vs Christians

Remember:

•NO blind copy/pasting from Wikipedia or any other site or book – focus on the most relevant points and rephrase them in your own words.

•This activity will be carried out in the last lesson of Week 2.

THE LANGUAGE OF SHAKESPEARE

Vocabulary and Verse

Shakespearean Language

ANTONIO: In sooth, I know not why I am so sad:It wearies me; you say it wearies you;But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born,I am to learn;And such a want-wit sadness makes of me,That I have much ado to know myself.

MACBETH:To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, (past)Creeps in this petty pace from day to day (present)To the last syllable of recorded time, (future)And all our yesterdays have lighted foolsThe way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!Life's but a walking shadow, a poor playerThat struts and frets his hour upon the stageAnd then is heard no more: it is a taleTold by an idiot, full of sound and fury,Signifying nothing.

BLANK VERSE: RHYTHM and METER

Stress or emphasis can change the meaning of a sentence:

What did he do?

What did he do?

What did he do?

What did he do?

MeterSome poetic forms (especially blank verse) follow a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed (i.e. strong and weak) syllables. These patterns are called ‘poetic feet’. Some kinds of poetic feet are:

IAMB: unstressed-stressed: at/TEMPT; to/DAY; re/LEASE; ex/TRACT, my/HEAD was/HOT

TROCHEE: stressed-unstressed: DREAD/ful; HELP/less

DACTYL: stressed-unstressed-unstressed: DIF/fi/cult (the rhythm sounds like a waltz!)

SPONDEE: stressed-stressed: DROP DEAD! (very exclamatory)

Iambic pentameter

Iambic pentameter is a common meter used in blank verse, and in famous rhymed forms like the Shakespearean sonnet.

Penta means five. This means that if you put five iambs together, you get iambic pentameter!

•Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. (Shakespeare)

•‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!‘ (Shelley)

•One equal temper of heroic hearts,Made weak by time and fate, but strong in willTo strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. (Tennyson)

ANTONIO: In sooth, I know not why I am so sad:It wearies me; you say it wearies you;But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born,I am to learn;And such a want-wit sadness makes of me,That I have much ado to know myself.

MACBETH:To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,Creeps in this petty pace from day to dayTo the last syllable of recorded time,And all our yesterdays have lighted foolsThe way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!Life's but a walking shadow, a poor playerThat struts and frets his hour upon the stageAnd then is heard no more: it is a taleTold by an idiot, full of sound and fury,Signifying nothing.

Why is iambic pentameter important?• ‘Heartbeat rhythm’

‘To be, or not to be: that is the question:’

(Hamlet)

Shakespearean Vocabulary

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65Cy4-rfd24 (Horrible Histories William Shakespeare Song)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EavSbv3sVHU (Shakespeare’s words that failed to catch on: QI Special)