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The Elizabethan Age was a period of._--deveropment inEngrish commerce, navar power and nationarist feerinsJtt. Renaissance-period began in England inthe were major advancements in in,Jigion , thechang., asa resurt ofthe

2 shakespeare wrote
romances.

comedies,

probrem comedies and

5 rheterm a stock figule describes theuse ofa character toassume roles 'Pride'or such as vice'to corlvey universar human quarities. Erizabethan dramatic convention demanded that a character beaiways convincing) but they donot afways need tobe(consistent / convincing),Shakespeare,scharactersareu'ual[(argerthan|ife/ ordinary people). 4 a) Shakespeare often uses sylfables.
b) Anverse, which has norhyme andten

isa unitoftwosyllables which stresses thesecond syllable.

c) Aline that contains five units oftwosyrtabres iscailed a

5 fhe actions ofa hero often have aneffect onthe_ Toexamine _ world. effectively theactions ofa character I need to loo[forthe nfrho character. l can establish these from the thecharacter.

inthe built was Clobe 6 a ) The generally over were b) There spectators' thousand (one/two/three)

thestage viewed audience c) The theback). side#rom

was area acting The

three (from thefrontfirom

as) size same than/the (larger than/smaller

theatres. modern today's with (daylight/evening) outinthe play acted usually was e) The lighting. and scenery (much/limited/no)

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Learn thekey lacls

The Elizabethan Age was a period that saw great change. 0558-160i) lt is important that you are able to appreciate theideas ofShakespeare's time and how theaudience would have viewed theplays, shakespeare's contemporaries are Marlowe, Tourner, webster and Jonson. shakespeare's audience would have consisted ofaround 2,500 people from allsocial classes and ages. Remember to use theextensive footnotes you to help appreciate some ofthereferences that Shakespeare's audience would have been familiar with.

2 fhekey features ofthetypes ofdramas written byShakespeare are listed below:

t:

Genre tlq_leatures _ Tragedy eponyrnoui nerq

action results indisruption, chaos results, excessive emotions, breakdown ofsocial morality and order, climax isdeath ofhero, order isrestored

Examples :xing Leai, unitn

Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet

- --ninirf lL Henichallenge toauthority inform ofrebels, (Part lV 1), Henry order ofstate isaffected, (Part lV 2), Henry exploration ofnotion ofkingship, V, Antony and rebels coniribute tochaos, Cleopatra, heroes are shown tobe imperfect , Coriolanus, Julius Caesar crisis ofhistoricalfigure,
foolish behaviour, fantasy ordreamlike situations, normallife and love, mischance predicaments and result inconfusion, confusion resolved, happy ending with united lovers fwinnUight Love's Laboufs Lost, Much Ado About Nothing, AsYou Like lt

Tragicomedy dark serious tone, (or Problem noble characters revealed tobe flawed, Comedy) ambiguous characters, unsettling issues raised, (state disorder orpersonal), melancholy, realistic environment noble family, harmful orerroneous deed, distress and absence, new factor emanates that transforms old situation, mercy and forgiveness resolves, recdrnciliation I Characters

Measure for Measure, All's WellThat Ends Well, Troilus and Cressida Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale, Ihe Tempest

Shakespeare's characters often represent a universal human characteristic such as pride, vice, ambition orfolly. This type ofcharacterisation was often used in medieval plays and was called morality symbolism, which simply means that the character would represent a moral. Shakespeare further developed theuse of morality symbolism byproviding information regarding thepsychological complexity ofthecharacters. Heachieves this bygiving usinsight into the characters' moral nature, temperament and desires. From this wecan see what motivates their actions. Shakespeare's audience suspended their disbelief, and characters simply had to be consistent rather than convincing, We know that thewitches inMacbeth are not real butweaccept them and their actions"because they donotsuddenly change. A hero has heroic qualities throughout the'play and a villain rarely changes but remains avillain. However, Shakespeare created complex characters who grow as theplay progresses. For instance, theheroic status ofboth Macbeth and King Lear isdeflated because oftheir respective flaws, ambition and folly. Remember that Shakespeare understood people and had great insight into their complexity and vitality. This ispartly why shakespeare still has somuch meaning forustoday,

w0[1d,,,,,.,,,,, ontheexternal aneffect have often or protagonist actions of thehero The perspective and theindividual's viery presents themicroscopic both Shakespeare 0rcosmos. oftheworld theresponse view, and themacroscopic their actions, moral their act byexamining thecharacters forreasons why to look Remember and desites. temperament nature, and macroscopic microscopic both has from King Leor thespeech For example, also nottoweeP. We passionate strength rage, fear and viewpoints. We see Lea/s external draws ontheuniversal, this and to theheavens himappeal directly see 'terrors ofthe the to evoke and strength hehas thepower viewpoint. Hebelieves 'will revenges onyou such that he have believes earth' onto hisdaughters. Healso -'. Hence to bereflected in actions hisown hesees both/ That alltheworld shall of directions asthebeginning thestage through theenvironment. [hisissupported Lear. thestorm reflects thestorm within King thestrength orthe nothave Lear does isonly implied; The action inthis extract like to. ashewould power onhisdaughters, to exact revenge such catastrophic oftheplay, attheopening with theLear This weakened action strongly contrasts powerfully regally. and isexacted where hisdivision ofthekingdom twothousand and over inthelate century The Globe was built sixteenth ofthestage, either three sides from spectators, from watched theplay allclasses, indaylight and the performed were Plays atstage level orfrom a series ofgalleries. more active way than ina much their imagination audience were required to use possible bytoda/s technology made and intoday's theatre, asthelighting scenery were notavailable. youmay andtherefore viewing area typically has restricted A modern stage a more asanElizabethan oftheplay notfeel asintimately involved with theaction are ofusing today capable audience would have done. However, directors you..ln visual theGlobe Theatre in London was impressive effects to engage 1996, you plays audience rebuilt and asanElizabethan can experience Shakespeare's you theplay would have been would have. Examiners expect how to appreciate performed forShakespeare's audience,

seeing asHamlet such feats, of unusual accepting more much were Elizabethans that Remember ginMocbeth. disappearin witches ghost orthe fathe/s his and Spielberg ofSteven advantages thetechnical didnothave Shakespeare Remember a comparison' onsuch your criticism notbase you should therefore your,disbelief! suspending isabout drama that

in London Theotre Globe The1996

England Why is it important to appreciate theideas of Elizabethan in thestudy of your play? 2 Wtrictr genre features belong list? withwhich inthefollowing a) crisis of historical figure, challenge to authority inform order isaffected, of rebels, ofthestate exploration of notion ofkingship, rebels contribute to chaos t. b) noble family,l harmful orerroneous deed, distress and absence, new factor emanates that transforms oldsituation, mercy and forgiveness, reconciliation

1,4

c) dark serious tone, noble characters revealed to beflawed, ambiguous characters, unsettling issues raised, (state disorder orpersonal), melancholy realistic environment

d) foolish behaviour,
' fantasy ordreamlike situations, normal life and love, mischance predicaments and result inconfusion, confusion resolved, happy ending withunited lovers
e) eponymous hero,

action results indisruption, chaos results, excessive emotions, breakdown ofsocial morality and order, climax isdeath ofhero, order isrestored.

characters inthe qualities ineach ofthemain are evident universal human 5 What you play are studying? plays you the need to address analysing speech inShakespeare 4 When as well as the actual content. features
view and a istheeffect of presenting both a microscopic 5 What view? macroscopic theaudience even though most ways domodern directors seek to engage $ Inwhat stages are theGlobe? s0different from
I

been whohas Cordelia, hisdaughter over crying Lear leorshows oIKing end The Regan, and ofGoneril bodies dead The machinations, ofpolitical asa result killed onstage. also are him, plotted against who daughters Lea/s
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 l0 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 26 27 Lear No,no,nolife? foolis hanged. Andmypoor 'lfhy should life, arathave a doga horse, n0more. come atall?Thou'lt 6ndthounobreath never. never, nevef, never, Hever, you, sir. Thank you, thisbutton. undo Pray Kent) 1To herliPs' Look, Po]ou seel.this? lookthere. there; 1-ook mylord! (ToLear)My lord, Edgut Hefaints. prithee break. heart,I Lear)Break, K.nt (To upmylord. Lear)Look Edgar (To him Hehates O,lethimpass. nothisghost, Kent Vex world of thistough theneck upon would That longer. himoutany Stretch indeed. Edgar Heis gone solong. isthatheendured Kent Thewonder hislife. Hebutusurped present business hence,Our fram them AibanyBear (To Kent) and Edgar Is genera!r'voe. you twain of mys*ul, Friends sustain. state and thegored in thisrealm, Riile . journey, g0: t0 shortly sir, a Kent I have n0. not.say I must calls me: Mymaster obey wemust time ofthissad Edgar Theweight t0 say. weought notwhat wefeel, what Speak young \trethatare most. borne hath Theoldest norlivesolong. see somuch, never Shall (Exuent thebodies.) carrying rnarch, witha dead

provide you Match the statements below totheline numbers think thebest forthe statement. evidence theresolution ofthe tragedy. I fhisrepresents oftheplay istragedy. 2 rhegenre 'gored role isto restore order tothe state' asa resutt ofthedeath 5 a) Edga/s ofKing Lear, interaction b) The between Kent and Lear shows thatKent isvery loyal to Lear and has nowish tocontinue his own life now that his master isdead. c) The most importlnt action isdemonstrated here. 4 These lines written are inheroic to demonstrate couplets that truth and honesty are valuable virtues. ismotivated towish 5 u) Kent forhisown death because of hisloyalty to King Lear grief and his athis loss. Kent realises that has experienced great Lear tragedy inthis life, culminating with the death ofCordetia. b) These lines show the metaphorical ofLear being action tortured toa tenible extent. 6 fhisstage direction demonstrates emphatically thatShakespeare wanted usto be ofthe aware tragedy oftheplay.

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Learn lhe keytacts
I ldentifying thekey moments in a pfay isa useful revision technique. Examiners often comment that students know thefirst actoftheirftays very wellbutdonot always have a cfear understanding ofthe.na;ng. rnu g.n."f question you wifl have to show that youunderstanJ how theproideu.rJps. 2 when thegenre of your play ensure yguareabfe .discussing to show theexaminer textual evidence youshourd foreach feature. beabfe to identifo themost appropriate scenes thatdefine each feature.

I You need to ensure you can comment oneach feature ofthecharacters intheplay you are studying!,n shuk.rp.u,; *'., beespeciaily ;6 demanding, sotrytobreak ,FRAiSER,. down your analysis byusing
For exampfe, a summary ofa character anarysis ofLady Macbeth: ' Function: reveals Macbeth's weakness, provides alternative view of hero. ' Role: catalyst forMacbeth,s murder ofKing Duncan. ' Action: 'unsexing' significant offemare attributes to accomprish deed, resonant ofthewitches, actions. ' Interaction: Macbeth's responses revear her to bea powerfur and efficacious character before themurder of Duncan. After thedeed, Macbeth increasingry afienates himserf, which resurts inanincrease in her own personar torment until her death/suicide. ' speech: similar towitches' byuse of invocations and chants, forceful and challenging language indialogue with Macbeth, disintegrates to incoherent rambfings representing theturmoil ofhermind. . Emotions: demonstrates passion,.cruelry fove and courage. ' Response: audiences have responded to ruay Macbeth asanevir hag, akin to thewitches, asasupportive and passi6nate wirelil';r; w'man scarred by theloss ofa chifd.

sPeech Character verse' blank from in hisplays, ofspeech offorms a variety employs shakespeare to rhetoric, verse poetic language, fragmented pentameter, iambic prose, Always isfora purpose' used isbeing device wit.tihut.uu, and speech paradoxical way. inthis isconstructed speech thecharactels why state
blow' Rage' yourcheela! andcrack winds, Blow sPout andhurricanoes' Youcataracts ourcocls drowned oursteeples, drenched Tillyouhave fires' executing andthought Yousulphrous thunderbolts of oakcleaving Vaunt-co;rriers thunder' andthouall shaking mywhitehead; Singe o' theworld' flatthethickroundiry Strike spillatonce all germens moulds, natureb Crack man. ingrateful Thatmakes

using above onthespeech comments analytical atthefollowing look example, For ,TRIMS,: theimperative through evident man . Tone: ofa powerful rage and anger commands. t0 momentum gains and increases pulPosefully, . Rhythm: and slowly begins words staccato inshort, culminates ofthestorm, imagery thedestructive match line. last inthe and ofdestruction images Recuning theearth. . lmagery: condemning nature 'dr'wned', 'drenched', executing','cleaving''singe' thought ('cracp diviiing human ofthe ,strike forthedestruction ina curse climaxes which fiai,'spill') race. . Mood:fearful,vengeful. the emphasisng lineisshcirt' last The inverse' . Structure: commands imperatiie feels. Lear that wrath and venom