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William Shakespeare Review of Background Information William Shakespeare Born (baptized) April 23, 1564 in Stratford on Avon Father –John Mother---Mary Arden Married Anne Hathaway in 1582 (@18 & she was 26) Had 3 children together Susanna (1583) Twins: Hamnet and Judith (1585) Settled in London where he began acting & writing Queen Elizabeth I loved arts, plays, and pageants Supported writers and theaters Her support helped prompt the popularity and growth of the arts in England Other beloved writers: Edward Spenser, Christopher Marlowe and Sir Philip Sidney William Shakespeare joined an acting group called: The Lord Chamberlain’s Men in 1594 Joined with leading tragic actor, Richard Burbage James I became a patron of the theater and of the acting company He changed the name to The King’s Men Financial success allowed Shakespeare to Become a partner in The Globe Theater Buy home---called New Place Bought a coat of arms for his father (usually only given to royalty and knights by the king) Earliest Masterpieces Included: Richard III The Comedy of Errors The Taming of the Shrew Romeo and Juliet Wrote comedies, tragedies and histories Most famous tragedies (play in which the hero/heroine MUST die): Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and Antony & Cleopatra He retired to Stratford Upon Avon in 1611 and died April 23, 1616 In his lifetime he wrote 37 plays, 154 sonnets and 2 narrative poems Included genres of histories, comedies, tragedies and tragic comedies Many plotlines based on or borrowed from ancient Greece where the tragedies would bring about pity and fear pity for the hero Fear of humans w/their character flaws Theaters of the Renaissance “The Theater”---the 1st theater (1576) “The Rose”, “The Swan”, “The Curtain”, “The Blackfriars” followed “The Globe” was built in 1598 and used for many of Shakespeare’s plays Built by James Burbage Held up to 3,000 people (2 areas…the pit and the galleries) Burned down in 1613 when a cannon was fired during a play and caught the roof on fire Very little scenery was used, therefore the writer had to rely heavily on dialogue to set the scene Flags were used to signify the genre of a play—Black = tragedy, white = comedy Eventually rebuilt and torn down again before 1644 Rebuilt in June 1997 (yes, 1997) Characteristics of a Tragedy Tragic hero comes to an unhappy end Tragic hero is usually a person of importance Tragic hero exhibits tragic flaw (an error in judgment or weakness) Antagonist contributes to the hero’s downfall A series of events lead inevitably to the catastrophe (tragic resolution) Plays of Shakespeare Tragedies Comedies Hamlet Othello Macbeth Antony & Cleopatra King Lear Romeo & Juliet Taming of the Shrew A Midsummer Night’s Dream Merchant of Venice Twelfth Night Merry Wives of Windsor Introduction to Shakespeare’s Hamlet Thematic Components: Deception: antic disposition, revenge, behavior of many characters Revenge: seeking to avenge a death Ambition: need/desire for more…anything to get it…with this comes the lust and incest Supernatural & death Theme #1: The Impossibility of Certainty The Impossibility of Certainty: there are a lot of things going on that both the characters and the audience are left to wonder about. Many people see the play as a vicious circle of indecisiveness and uncertainty Theme #2: The Complexity of Action The Complexity of Action: In Hamlet, the question of how to act is affected not only by rational considerations, such as the need for certainty, but also by emotional, ethical, and psychological factors. Hamlet himself appears to distrust the idea that it’s even possible to act in a controlled, purposeful way. Theme #3: The Mystery of Death The Mystery of Death: Throughout the play Hamlet ponders death—he obsesses over King Hamlet’s death, Yorick’s death, his own death, and the death he would like to see come to Claudius. “In his famous ‘To be or not to be’ soliloquy (III.i), Hamlet philosophically concludes that no one would choose to endure the pain of life if he or she were not afraid of what will come after death Theme #4: The Nation as a Diseased Body The Nation (of Denmark) as a Diseased Body: Everything is connected in Hamlet, including the welfare of the royal family and the health of the state as a whole. The troubles in the royal family seem as though they have tainted all of Denmark. “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (I.iv.67). Motif #1: Incest & Incestuous Desire Incest & Incestuous Desire: Most obviously in the characters of Gertrude and Claudius but also seen in the relationship between Laertes and Ophelia and Hamlet’s fixation on his mother (Gertrude Motif #2 - Misogyny Misogyny (hatred of women): Shattered by his mother’s decision to marry Claudius (his uncle), Hamlet becomes cynical about women in general, showing a particular obsession with what he perceives to be a connection between female sexuality and moral corruption. This occurs sporadically throughout the play, but it is an important factor in Hamlet’s relationships with Ophelia and Gertrude. Motif #3 - Ears & Hearing Ears & Hearing: Words are used to both express characters’ thoughts and to manipulate each other. What the characters hear from one another determines their actions/reactions to people and situations. Symbol - Yorick’s Skull Yorick’s Skull: There aren’t very many physical symbols in the play, but this is an important one. Hamlet talks to and about the skull and refers morbidly to the eventual death and decay of every human being. Terms to Remember: Amleth: the Danish prince upon whom Shakespeare’s play is based Elsinore: the Danish royal palace Sigmund Freud: psychologist who named the conflict b/t a son and a father for the mother’s affection the Oedipus complex Manic-Depression: psychological problem Hamlet seems to have, going from extremes of frenetic action to near paralysis The Murder of Gonzago: the play- within-the play that is performed at Elsinore. Hamlet calls it “The Mouse Trap” Revenge Tragedy: a genre of Renaissance tragedy in which the catastrophe is brought about by one character’s seeking a vengeful justice Soliloquy: A speech in which a character alone on stage speaks his thoughts (their innermost thoughts) Characters: • Ghost: Hamlet’s father, King Hamlet, the former king of Denmark • Claudius: New King of Denmark, the former king’s brother (lil’ Hamlet’s uncle) • Gertrude: Queen of Denmark, widow of the former king and now wife of Claudius. Hamlet’s mother • Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, son of late king and Gertrude, student in Germany. He is melancholy, bitter and cynical, full of hatred…sometimes hesitant and indecisive, but at other times prone to rash and impulsive acts • Polonius: Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’ court, a pompous, conniving old man….father of Laertes and Ophelia • Laertes: Polonius’ son & a student (in Paris) • Ophelia: Polonius’ daughter & love of Hamlet, sweet, innocent, young girl who obeys her father and brother • Horatio: Hamlet’s best friend and fellow student at Wittenberg. Loyal and helpful to Hamlet throughout • Fortinbras: Prince of Norway (his uncle Fortinbras is king) Minor Characters • Reynaldo: Polonius’ servant • Rosencrantz & Guildenstern: childhood friends of Hamlet….summoned by king and queen • Osric: courtier in Claudius’ court • Voltimand & Cornelius: courtiers sent to Norway • Marcellus, Bernardo & Francisco: officers, soldiers and guards –friends of Hamlet Question to consider: Is Hamlet mad? Watch his actions Listen to his words Decide with support if Hamlet is mad or if he is not mad.