Module 3 Lessons: Introduction to Shakespeare

1. Introduction to Shakespeare

Lesson 74

Introduction to Shakespeare

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Watch the following video - its an over view of Shakespeare...

William Shakespeare is generally considered to be the greatest writer in the English language. In this lesson, you will be given a more in-depth introduction to Shakespeare, who is often referred to as the Bard of Avon or simply "the Bard."

Who Is William Shakespeare?

Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, on April 23, 1564. He was the third child of John, a glove maker and local government official, and Mary Arden, daughter of a wealthy landowner. He attended grammar school until the age of fifteen, and read voraciously in the Classics, French and Italian literature, legends, historical chronicles, and the Bible. He married Anne Hathaway, and they had three children, Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith.

Shakespeare wrote his plays over a 20-year period from 1593 to 1613. He acted himself and helped manage an acting troupe at the Globe Theatre, which he partially owned. Writing plays allowed him to retire a wealthy man in his birthplace in 1613. He died in 1616 at the age of 52.

Shakespeare is buried in the chancel at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, alongside the grave of his wife—who outlived her husband by seven years—and that of their older daughter, Susanna. A flat stone bearing the following epitaph, which Shakespeare supposedly wrote himself, covers the grave.

Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare,
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones.

The purpose of the inscription was apparently to warn against the removal of Shakespeare's bones from the church. Without this epitath, Shakespeare's remains might have been moved and stored in a nearby vault or charnel house—a place where dead bodies are stored to make room for new burials.

What Did William Shakespeare Look Like?

Following are two famous portraits of William Shakespeare.

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Portrait of playwright William Shakespeare by Martin Droeshout	Chandros portrait of Shakespeare

Turn to page 247 of Sightlines 10 and see how Mirko Ilic has represented Shakespeare in a contemporary fashion. This is a takeoff on the famous engraving by Martin Droeshout.

To find out more about what Shakespeare looked like, go to the following website and read the short essay discussing the possibilities:

http://www.allshakespeare.com/pictures/

In 2001, another possible image of Shakespeare surfaced. A Canadian claimed to have a genuine portrait of Shakespeare that was painted in 1603 by John Sanders. To learn more about the Sanders portrait, go to the following website:

http://www2.localaccess.com/marlowe/portrait.htm

The Globe Theatre

Although Shakespeare's plays were performed at other locations during his career, the Globe Theatre, which opened in 1599, was the venue at which the Bard's best-known stage works were first produced.

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Did You Know?

A full-sized replica of the Globe Theatre has been built in London, England. The new Globe Theatre is about 200 metres from the original site.

After many years of construction, the theatre opened its doors to the public in 1997. Now, modern-day spectators have an opportunity to see theatre as it was performed in Shakespeare's time.

For more information about the new Globe Theatre, go to the following websites:

http://www.rdg.ac.uk/globe/

http://allshakespeare.com/globe/

Large enough to accommodate 3000 spectators, the Globe welcomed people of all classes. The poorer people, "the groundlings," had to stand on the ground in front of and beside the raised stage that "thrust out" into the viewing area. More prosperous patrons sat in tiered galleries higher than the stage.

There were usually two doors "upstage," which allowed for entrances and exits. A small upper playing area served as a balcony—needed in plays such as Romeo and Juliet—and a trapdoor on the floor let ghosts, such as Hamlet's father, make their appearance.

Scenery was minimal, as were props. Because there was no artificial lighting, plays were performed during daylight hours. The theatre was open to the elements, so performances were cancelled during inclement weather.

Costumes were important; in fact, they were essential. Women were not allowed to be stage performers, so young male actors had to disguise themselves in order to perform female roles.

Did You Know?

Have you seen the 1998 award-winning film Shakespeare in Love? This movie is a fictionalized account of the early life of Shakespeare in London. Although the plot and characters in the film are only loosely biographical, the language and the setting are "pure Shakespeare." The movie also shows how drama was performed and watched in Shakespeare's time.

Shakespeare's Language

Shakespeare wrote during the latter part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1. This time period is often referred to as the Elizabethan era.

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Students are sometimes intimidated by Shakespeare's plays because they contain expressions that were commonly used in Elizabethan English but which are no longer used in modern English.

Here are some words and expressions that you'll encounter as you read or listen to Romeo and Juliet.

Shakespeare's Words	Modern Meanings
anon	soon, right away
by my troth	(rhymes with the word oath) truly, on my word
coz	(rhymes with the word buzz) cousin
fie	(rhymes with the word pie) an exclamation expressing disgust or anger
I trow	(rhymes with now) I think, I believe
marry	an exclamation expressing surprise (really?) or anger at something that is unfair or mean (really!)
sirrah	sir, often used to imply anger or outrage
good morrow	good morning
good den	good evening
thou	you (informal, for speaking to someone who is your equal or of a lower social class)
thee	you (formal, for speaking to a stranger or someone of a higher social class)
thy	your (possessive of thou)
thine	your (possessive of thee)
thyself	yourself

Elizabethan English also used verb forms that are no longer used today. Here are examples of some of the old verb forms that you'll encounter in Romeo and Juliet.

Verb Forms	Meanings
thou art	you are
thou dost	you do
thou know'st	you know
he/she hath	he/she has
he/she doth	he/she does
methinks	I think

You've likely seen poems and song lyrics where the writer has omitted letters from words to create a particular effect. Often letters are omitted in order to make the lines conform to a particular rhythm. Shakespeare frequently omitted letters from words for the sake of the sound of lines. Here are some examples from Romeo and Juliet.

'tis	it is
't	it
i'	in
o'	of
o'er	over
ne'er	never
ta'en	taken

When you encounter unfamiliar words or phrases, try using context clues to determine the meaning. If you are still unsure, use the side notes or ask other readers for assistance. Keep a list of words and expressions to research or discuss with a partner or in a group. Add definitions or explanations to this list as you uncover the meanings. Use this list as a reference tool as you read Romeo and Juliet.

Did You Know?

Over time, new words and expressions enter the English language. At the same time, other words and expressions are used less and less until eventually they're encountered only in older works of literature and in dictionaries. As well, the denotations and connotations of words can change. For example, over the last two or three decades, the word lover has undergone a change in meaning. It used to mean a person who is in love. Today, the word lover suggests a sexual relationship. In the play Romeo and Juliet, it is important to understand that the word lover simply refers to people who are in love.

Many words and phrases that are commonplace today were unknown until Shakespeare coined them. Here are a few phrases Shakespeare wrote that people now take for granted.

an eyesore
apple of her eye
as white as the driven snow
dead as a doornail
eaten me out of house and home
every inch a king
fool's paradise
for goodness sake
foregone conclusion
in my heart of hearts
the long and the short of it
man of steel
not a mouse stirring
out of the question
the be-all and end-all
the game is up
too much of a good thing
what the dickens
what's done is done
won't budge an inch

Working with a partner or a small group, discuss your understandings of the Shakespearean phrases listed. Try to use each one in a meaningful oral sentence.

1. Copy the phrases into your notebook. Provide a brief explanation of each one.

Romeo and Juliet, too, has famous phrases that Shakespeare created. Look over these six to see how many you recognize.

I am fortune's fool!
A pair of star-cross'd lovers
Parting is such sweet sorrow . . .
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
A plague o' both your houses!
But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?

2. Write the previous six phrases in your notebook. When you find each one in the play, write down the act, scene, and line reference.

Shakespeare's Verse

It was common practice in Shakespeare's time to write in verse, even in plays. This probably surprises you because contemporary playwrights tend to write in prose.

The majority of Romeo and Juliet is written in blank verse. Blank verse is unrhymed iambic pentameter.

Recall that iambic pentameter is a regular rhythm pattern. Pentameter means each line of verse consists of five metrical feet. Iambic means that each metrical foot contains two syllables—an unaccented one (soft) followed by an accented one (stressed). Each line consists of ten syllables, with the accent on every second syllable.

For example, the following line is written in iambic pentameter:

Blank verse is rhythmic in the sense that the first, third, fifth, seventh, and ninth syllables in each line are unstressed while the second, fourth, sixth, eighth, and tenth are stressed.

This may seem complicated, but it's almost identical to the rhythms of everyday speech. Look at the following three examples of verse, all spoken by Romeo in Act 1.

Read the following three passages aloud with a partner, and listen for the stressed and unstressed syllables in each passage:

Passage 1: Act 1, Scene 1, lines 170 to 175

Where shall we dine? O me! What fray was here?
Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all.
Here's much to do with hate, but more with love:
Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!
O anything, of nothing first create!
O heavy lightness! serious vanity!

Passage 2: Act 1, Scene 4, lines 106 to 111

I fear, too early; for my mind misgives
Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars,
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night's revels, and expire the term
Of a despised life closed in my breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.

Passage 3: Act 1, Scene 5, lines 44 to 49

O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,
As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.

To better understand Shakespeare's verse, you must resist the tendency to always stop at the end of each line of blank verse. Instead, let the punctuation guide your voice. If there is no punctuation, don't stop; just keep reading.

Rhyme

As you read the play, you'll notice that there is rhyme in some passages and not in others. You'll see many rhyming couplets—that is, two adjoining lines that rhyme.

This technique makes the play both easy and difficult to read. It's easy because the end of one line rhymes with another. It's difficult because rhyming couplets tend to make people read in a singsong fashion, which is not what Shakespeare intended. Singsong reading is not conducive to understanding, nor is it pleasing to the ear.

Respond to the following questions about the three passages you read aloud with a partner.

How many rhyming couplets are there in Passage 1 on page 18?
In Passage 2 on this page?
In Passage 3 on this page?

Prose

Romeo and Juliet is not written entirely in blank verse and rhyming couplets. At times, Shakespeare uses prose. For example, look at the exchange between Sampson and Gregory at the beginning of Act 1, Scene 1:

Sampson: Gregory, on my word, we'll not carry coals.

Gregory: No, for then we should be colliers.

Sampson: I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw.

Gregory: Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o' the collar.

Sampson: I strike quickly, being moved.

Gregory: But thou art not quickly moved to strike.

4. How is this passage different from the three passages on pages 18 and 19?

Shakespeare tends to use prose for common folk like Samson and Gregory and verse for upper-class characters like Romeo and Juliet. However, on occasion, Shakespeare's nobles use prose to make a dramatic point, to show levity, or simply for variety.

Diction and Syntax

In the previous exercises, you learned how to use rhythm, rhyme, and punctuation as aids to reading and understanding. Now, it's time to look more closely at Shakespeare's diction and syntax.

Mr. Haas: Let's return to Passage 1 on page 18 of this lesson. Do you notice any difficult words?

Chelsea: Fray.

Dominic: Brawling.

Mr. Haas: Good. Conscientious readers of Shakespeare have at least three strategies to employ if they don't know the meanings of words such as these:

Use the context to determine meaning.
Look up the word in the dictionary.
Ask a partner, family member, teacher, or someone else.

Brandon: What if none of these strategies work?

Mr. Haas: That's possible. You may have to leave certain words undefined. But you can make a note of such words and return to them later.

On another topic, Shakespeare's word and phrase order may be different from contemporary language. His language may not follow current grammatical rules. Look at this line:

Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all.

Lin: The diction isn't difficult, but the arrangement of words seems strange.

Mr. Haas: If you have trouble understanding this line, do you know what to do?

Lin: Read the footnotes or side notes that are printed in many editions of the play?

Mr. Haas: Right. Anything else?

Lin: Rearrange it the way you'd speak it. The line means "Don't tell me, because I've already heard it."

Mr. Haas: Good. You can paraphrase it.

Figurative Language

One of the delights of reading Shakespeare is enjoying the artistry of his language. He doesn't always use words or phrases in the literal or conventional sense, but instead he enriches, broadens, and extends language through metaphor, hyperbole, oxymoron, and imagery—in other words, through figures of speech or figurative language. That's why his work is so memorable and meaningful even today, 400 years after it was written.

When you read Romeo and Juliet, take note of Shakespeare's poetic devices so that you can fully enjoy and understand the play.

Mr. Haas: Can anyone find examples of figurative language from Passage 2 on page 19 of this lesson?

Chelsea: "Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars"—that must be a metaphor.

Brandon: Consequence is also given life. It's personified. It says, ". . . his fearful date with this night's revels."

Lin: Will it make more sense when we read this passage in the play?

Mr. Haas: Yes. You'll have the context and the side-notes to help you. Before we begin the play, however, let's see if there is imagery in Passage 2.

Chelsea: There's visual imagery in the metaphor we talked about—"Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars." There are strong visual images.

Brandon: It's much stronger than saying, "I think there will be a consequence." The heavenly imagery emphasizes the power of the consequence.

Mr. Haas: Good. I think you know enough about Shakespeare's language to start reading the play.

In this first lesson, you've learned about Shakespeare as a historical figure. You also gained knowledge about theatre performances in the Elizabethan era. Through an introduction to the language of Shakespeare's plays, you acquired the skills and confidence you need before reading.

Lesson Glossary

bard: a poet
blank verse: unrhymed iambic pentameter that has a regular rhythm
diction: a writer's choice of words, especially for clarity, effectiveness, or precision
epitaph: a short inscription on a tomb or gravestone
metrical foot: a group of two or three syllables forming the basic unit of poetic rhythm
paraphrase: to restate something in your own words
prop: a movable object used on a theatre stage
prose: normal, ordinary speech or writing
rhyming couplet: two rhymed lines of similar or identical metre that usually form a complete thought
scenery: the set or background for a play or film
syntax: sentence structure

Sampson:	Gregory, on my word, we'll not carry coals.
Gregory:	No, for then we should be colliers.
Sampson:	I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw.
Gregory:	Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o' the collar.
Sampson:	I strike quickly, being moved.
Gregory:	But thou art not quickly moved to strike.