Shakespearean Drama: Background
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Transcript of Shakespearean Drama: Background
ROMEO AND JULIETENGLISH I & HONORS
Shakespearean Drama: Background
“All the World’s a Stage”
Shakespeare’s Philosophy:
“All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages…”
-- From As You Like It
Theatre During Shakespeare’s Time
Plays were performed in public theaters.Wealthy playgoers sat on the benchesLess wealthy playgoers stood in the pitHazelnuts were their theater food of choice.The GLOBE
Where many of Shakespeare’s plays were performed. Located in London – built in 1599. Was reconstructed in 1997 Held ~3,000 people
Theater Cont’d
Setting and stage directions were imbedded in the script: “Soft! What light through yonder window breaks?” “If I profane with my unworthiest hand/this holy
shrine, the gentle sin is this” “What, drawn, and talk of peace?”
Women did NOT perform in the theater
Plays lasted roughly 2 hours
About Romeo & Juliet
Wrote histories, tragedies and comedies
It is one of Shakespeare’s tragedies A tragedy is a drama in which the central character
meets disaster or great misfortune.
The plot was borrowed!!!! Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet by Arthur
Brooke in 1562
Theatrical Terms
Monologue: a long speech made by one actor usually expressing thoughts.
Soliloquy: a long speech made by an actor to the audience (the content is private).
Aside: the character speaks to the audience; it’s unheard by the other characters
A Distinction of Importance
Shakespeare used two types of writing: Blank Verse: unrhymed poetry with a distinct meter Prose: no rhyme or meter; “normal speech”
Typically:The wealthy, important characters speak in
blank verse
The poor, unimportant characters speak in prose
Academic Vocabulary
Shakespeare is known for his wordplay.
Oxymoron: a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms “the deafening silence” “the living dead”
Pun: a play on words that suggests two or more meanings “I work as a baker because I knead dough.” “Never invest in funerals; it is a dying industry.”
Activity
Part I: Research “puns” tonight on the internet. Find three examples, write them down, and explain why each is a pun.
Part II: Shakespeare re-orders many of his words. “John caught the ball” in Shakespearean…“The
ball John caught” OR “John the ball caught”
YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Come up with three normal sentences and then re-word them into “Shakespearean lingo” (DUE tomorrow!)