NOTES Shakespeare s Career Why is his work so popular? Shakespeare s Works Elizabethan Beliefs The Chain of Being

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1 s birth is celebrated Died AT AGE Married Anne Hathaway in She was years older than he Had three children:, Hamnet, No record of his activity from Shakespeare s Career By - actor and playwright in charter member of Lord Chamberlain's Men Name of theatre company changed to Retired in Wrote plays Julius Caesar written in when he was about years old. Why is his work so popular? Shakespeare wrote about and how people behave. Although his words can be hard to understand, his ideas are as relevant now as they were four centuries ago. Shakespeare s Works No one knows exactly when each of his works was written; there are approximate dates. Some experts have even said that Shakespeare s plays are really the work of other writers. This may be because some people cannot believe that Shakespeare, who came from an ordinary background, could have written such great works of literature. Elizabethan Beliefs Life in Elizabethan England could be cruel and hard. The poor often went hungry, was widespread, medical remedies often felt more like, and many women died in childbirth. But through their beliefs, people found ways of making sense of their existence. People were, in general, much more religious than people today. Almost everyone believed in God and expected to go to heaven or hell after death. At this time, England was a country it had broken away from the Catholic Church of Rome. This was part of the European movement called the, which began with attacks on corruption in the Catholic Church. The Chain of Being A concept inherited from the An attempt to give order, or degree, to the vastness of creation. God created everything in a strict hierarchy, or chain, that stretched from God himself down to the things in existence. Humans occupied a place in the chain below the but above animals, plants and stones. Some humans were higher in the chain than others. The monarch was the in the chain Nobles and churchmen below Gentlemen Commoners All were considered to be inferior to men, with the obvious exception of. Accepting one s place in the chain was a duty that would be rewarded God in heaven. Disrupting the chain was thought to lead to, but of course many people still did challenge their position in society.

2 Myths and Magic, magic,, spells and prophecies all formed part of their view of life. Folklore and were often as important to people as the official religious beliefs taught the Church. Little and Large The human body was thought to be a miniature representation of the universe as a whole. Various parts of the body were linked to the and signs of the The body was thought to contain four or fluids black bile, phlegm, blood and choler. A person s temperament depended on the way the humours were mixed. Most people were thought to have one humour that was more than the others. Illnesses and mental disorders were blamed on an of the humours. The Globe ( Wooden O ) - opened Jan. 20, 1599 (Shakespeare was a major investor) -Probably the first play to be performed at The Globe Sets would primarily be the audience (heaven, stage, hell) All actors were Henry VIII, ignited the thatch roof and the theatre burned down Shakespeare owned it in joint with others unusual for a playwright made a lot of money from it Stage, 3-sided, platform, tiers of seats, groundlings From onwards, Shakespeare s plays were usually performed at the Globe, a huge, open-air, circular theatre. It could hold people, and there were performances a day. Shakespeare s writing may sometimes reflect the design of the theatre. Some of the lines in his plays have parts, or a word repeated times. At the Globe, this allowed an actor to address the audience on all sides of the thrust stage. Elizabethan Theatre The audience It was an entertainment for everyone, like movies today. The cheapest tickets cost a, which most ordinary people could afford. Because of the crowds, theatres were popular with and. People jeered at the actors and shouted out Some even climbed onto the stage and joined in with. People also brought food with them to eat during the performance, or to at bad actors. Julius Caesar Quick Facts 60 B.C.- First (Crassus, Pompey, Caesar) Caesar crosses March 15, 44 B.C.- Caesar Called the 43 B.C.- Second Triumvirate (Antony, Lepidus, Octavian) Background of Caesar (the play) Opens in when Rome had made conquests that allowed it to have an empire in N. Africa, Britain, Persia, and.

3 Julius Caesar The city of Rome itself collapsing despite conquests o Military endeavors more ambitious and generals stronger while senators weaker and factionalized o Sharp class divisions o Majority of population not interested in maintaining Caesar emerged as most likely to succeed o Remarkable o Popular among lower classes at home Caesar was known for his: o Ability o o Ambition o o Extremely valuable and extremely dangerous to the state Caesar caused conflict o and attempts to curb his power failed o Group of assassinated him, causing civil war New regime o Caesar s friend Mark Antony and his heir,, defeated the conspirators o Octavius was installed as emperor, and senate reduced to ceremonial role Caesar s assassination and death affected Rome and its territories for Story is both personal and Differing views Assassination as act of heroism, expediency, or villainy celebrate, excuse, or denounce its perpetrators? Differing views Michelangelo, Milton idealize Brutus as selfless defender of Dante sends Brutus and Cassius into the Shakespeare's main source in writing the play was Thomas North's English translation of Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans. So why did Shakespeare feel that Renaissance England would respond to Julius Caesar? Shakespeare saw Caesar and Roman civilization not just as one that precedes the future, but as one that sets the pattern for future civilizations. Shakespeare's England faced concerns of a country about to. The Play--- In 1599 the play would have served as a timely reminder of the enormous upheaval that would follow an attempt to seize power through. Is there a single figure upon whom the label of can fall? (one who seizes without right.) JC's current relevance: Themes in Julius Caesar have an equal relevance for politics now, years later. In the rivalry between intimates, Cassius and Brutus, the somewhat shady of the central characters, and the concerns about Caesar's, there are undoubted parallels with societies today. It is this issue of leadership and, in particular, the question of when effective leadership becomes a, that has most relevance.

4 Consider the role of President, Prime Ministers, Senates, etc. But the play is also about more ageless issues, such as the effect of power. "People are rightly nervous about placing trust in politicians," says Rylance. "I believe that the vast majority of politicians are genuinely trying to do some good. But there is always the danger, when in a position of power, that means and ends can become blurred." (Who is Rylance?) What kind of plays? During Shakespeare s career, fashions and tastes in drama changed. He wrote mostly comedies and history plays during the Elizabethan period Tragedies and tragicomedies during the reign of King James Tragedies (Aristotles definition of tragedy) Ends in the death of one or more of the main characters. Most of his tragedies involve historical individuals and events Shakespeare s most famous and popular plays Romeo and Juliet; Macbeth; Hamlet; Othello; King Lear; Julius Caesar Tragic Hero Often a man of, such as a king or prince Creates, or is put into, a which he must try to resolve. A combination of bad luck ( ) and bad decisions lead to his death. Often a relatively figure. His show his feelings and motives, and show the audience how easy it would be to make similar mistakes. Doom and Destiny Many people believed in fate, or destiny, and in the power of the stars to foretell the future. Shakespeare uses the idea of fate or destiny to add and anticipation to the tragedies Uses a as a way of holding the audience s interest, because everyone wants to see if it will be fulfilled. Tragic Endings Tragedies give a very bleak view of the world. At the end, the hero, and usually several other characters, are dead, and the survivors are left to start again without them. Although most tragic heroes are partly to blame for their own fates, death can be a very high price to pay for what may have seemed initially like a small failing. In most tragedies, there is also a feeling that may have come out of the terrible suffering. At the end of Romeo and Juliet, because the families fighting has partly caused the tragedy, they finally resolve to end their feud. The Roman Tragedies Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra and Coriolanus: deal with The hero is a state leader who has a responsibility to the people. Tragedy results when he fails to meet. These plays are not just about politics. They are full of personal emotions, dramatic power struggles, and brilliant writing, including some of the most famous writing in Shakespeare s plays. Two Overarching Themes shows how hard it is to be a political leader. The hero has power, but has a weakness which makes him vulnerable to being attacked or overthrown people often have to make difficult choices between their emotions and their responsibilities

5 Key Themes of Shakespeare s tragedies Honor Ambition Envy Power Look for Rhetoric Julius Caesar Language of Shakespeare Early Modern English (NOT Middle English, like Chaucer) Lack of standardized and references to current events of his time make it difficult Poetry of the and plays: (lines of five metrical feet, each one an iamb) (unrhymed Iambic Pentameter) Lower Classes speech, or that of characters in emotional extremis, is in prose Cast of Major Characters Julius Caesar Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) Marcus Brutus Cassius Casca - Trebonius Member of the conspiracy against Caesar Decius Brutus Conspirator who uses flattery to get Caesar to the Senate House Calpurnia - invests great authority in omens and portents. Portia - ; the daughter of a noble Roman who took sides against Caesar. Flavius - A tribune (an official elected the people to protect their rights). Murellus -a tribune-condemns the plebeians for their fickleness in cheering Caesar (they once cheered for Caesar s enemy Pompey. Cicero - A Roman senator renowned for his oratorical skill.