William Shakespeare and Elizabethan England

• Elizabethan England was a period of significant change and excitement.
• Queen Elizabeth I's 45-year reign led to exploration, artistic growth, and national pride.

William Shakespeare

• Born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon.
• Died on April 23, 1616, at age 52.
• He was a voracious reader in English and Latin
• Some experts believe he also spoke French.
• Married to Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children.
• Information about Shakespeare comes from secondhand accounts, not personal documents.
• From 1585-1592, there are no records until he surfaced in London with the Lord Chamberlain's Men.
• He worked as a playwright and actor until his retirement in 1613.
• Shakespeare wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets.

Elizabethan England

• Theatre became very popular during Elizabeth's reign.
• London was a hub for plays, attracting diverse audiences
• The era's religious and political tensions influenced Shakespeare's exploration of power, justice, and social order.

Political Ties

• Shakespeare drew parallels between Elizabethan England's political anxieties and events in Julius Caesar.
• Queen Elizabeth I lacked a direct heir, causing uncertainty and political instability.
• Caesar's ambition in the play leads to his assassination and subsequent civil war.
• Shakespeare cautioned the audience about the dangers of political instability through Caesar's death.
• Caesar's ambition led to his downfall, resonating with Elizabethan audiences witnessing the rise and fall of powerful figures.
• The Roman population's susceptibility to manipulation in the play results in unpredictable consequences.

Tragedy Structure

• Shakespearean tragedies often involve a noble character with a fatal flaw that causes their demise.
• Common themes are suffering, fate, and the human condition.
• Focus is given to internal and external struggles.
• Tragedies often conclude with death.

Iambic Pentameter

• Iambic pentameter is the most common verse form in English literature.
• Used by Chaucer, Milton, and Shakespeare.
• Shakespeare used it as the main verse form in all of his plays.
• Each line consists of five "iambs" or stressed beats.
• An iamb is a two-syllable unit with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (da DUM).
• Example of a line in iambic pentameter: "shall I comPARE thee TO a SUMmer's DAY".
• "Irregular" iambic pentameter also exists.

Prose vs. Verse

• Prose resembles normal speech without rhythm or rhyme.
• Lower-class characters in Shakespeare's plays often speak in prose.
• Prose is used for comic relief or during moments of emotional intensity.
• Verse is like poetry, with rhythm and rhyme.
• Nobility and royalty in Shakespeare's plays often speak in verse.
• Verse is used for important speeches, like soliloquies, and elevates the language.