William Shakespeare
Man of Mystery and Controversy
The Dramatic Types
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Comedy
 Nobody
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History
 Historic

British Kings
Tragedy
 Death

dies
is certain
Romance
 Possible
Death
 Exotic locale
Name the Type
The Verse
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Iambic Pentameter – The
Meter, five iambic feet
Blank Verse – Unrhymed
Iambic Pentameter
Meter – The beat or pulse
Feet – smallest unit
within the meter; a beat
Iambic Foot – Unstressed
syllable followed by a
stressed.
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Examples:
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“Go bid thy mistress, when
my drink is ready.”
She strike upon the bell.
Get thee to bed.”
Reading Tips
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Know the setting
Take notes – determine and question meaning.
Read through line breaks. Stop at punctuation.
Read aloud.
Read footnotes.
Don’t let fancy words and old dialogue push you
around. Battle it out!
The Man
1564 – 1616
 Stratford Upon Avon
 Middle Class background
 Married Anne Hathaway
 Twins: Judith,Hamnet
 1585 – 1592: The Dark
Years
 1590’s – Emerged in
London
 Prolific: 38 plays in 25
years: Sophocles, Homer
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The Theater
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1576 – The Theater built by
Richard Burbage
1598 – The Globe Theater
constructed
The Scene
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Rowdy, crowded, Noisy
Religious opposition
Building Design
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3 Stories High
3000 people capacity
Pit up front
Open roof
Heaven and Hell
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Queen Elizabeth
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Patron and fan
Protestant
Catholic opposition
Much Ado About Nothing
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1598 – 1600
Thematically linked to
Twelfth Night and As You
Like It
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The Mask plays an
integral role.
“Nothing” = “Noting”
Misunderstandings
Important Works
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Titus Andronicus – 1589
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First Play
Classical References
Violence and Brutality
Romeo and Juliet
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Love theme
Less violence
Greater complexity
The Romances
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1608 – 1611; late in career
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Cymbeline, A Winter’s Tale
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The Tempest
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Final Play
Great Mysticism
Farewell to the stage
Influences
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Greek Mythology
Mystery Plays
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Morality Plays
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Allegory – “Every Man”
Thomas Kyd
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Religion
Closeness to the audience
The Spanish Tragedy
Christopher Marlowe

Dr. Faustus