Before we can dive into the play itself, you need to understand who Shakespeare was, and why he wrote his plays. Please take notes on the following presentation and turn them in.
Who Was William Shakespeare?
William Shakespeare was (and still is) one of the best-known, most widely performed playwrights of all time. He lived in the late 1500’s, and we believe he wrote somewhere between 36-40 plays (Cooper-Rompato).
We don’t have a lot of records about Shakespeare, even his exact birth date is unknown (“Shakespeare’s Life”).
He married a woman named Anne Hathaway and it is believed they lived in Stratford, England (“Shakespeare’s Life”).
He died in 1616 on April 23, which is commonly believed to be his birthday (“Shakespeare’s Life”).
Shakespeare’s Plays
It is believed that Shakespeare wrote between 36-40 plays in his lifetime (Cooper-Rompato).
We also believe that he collaborated with several other people (“Shakespeare’s Life").
Shakespeare typically used verse to portray his ideas, but he also occasionally used prose (Cooper-Rompato)
Most upper-class characters speak in verse, while lower class characters speak in prose.
There is some blending of this, but it has a purpose.
Many of the plays were critiques on current society, but hidden in older stories.
Shakespeare’s plays are commonly divided into four “genres:”
Tragedy, Comedy, History, and Romance
Shakespearean Tragedy
Shakespeare’s tragedies are very similar to Greek myths and tragic plays. Here are some common characteristics of Shakespearean tragedy:
“Characters become isolated or there is social breakdown”
“Ends in death”
“There is a sense that events are inevitable or inescapable” (fate)
“There is usually a central figure who is noble but with a character flaw which leads them towards their eventual downfall” (Alliemacb)
Plays commonly considered tragedies are:
Macbeth
Hamlet
Romeo and Juliet
Titus Andronicus
Julius Caesar
Troilus and Cressida
Othello
Coriolanus
King Lear
Antony and Cleopatra
Timon of Athens
Cymbeline (Alliemacb)
Shakespearean Comedy
Comedy in Shakespeare may not actually be “funny” -- though most are humorous. These plays often deal with complex and serious subjects. Here are some aspects of Shakespearean comedy:
“A struggle of young lovers to overcome problems”--This problem is usually resolved with a wedding
“There is some element of separation and reunification”
“Mistaken identities, often involving disguise”--Often genders are switched
“A clever servant”
“Family tensions that are usually resolved in the end”
“Complex, interwoven plot-lines”
“Frequent use of puns and other styles of comedy” (Alliemacb)
These plays are commonly classified as comedy:
The Merchant of Venice
Twelfth Night
All's Well That Ends Well
The Tempest
Taming of the Shrew
The Winter's Tale
As You Like It
The Comedy of Errors
Love's Labour's Lost
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Measure for Measure
Much Ado About Nothing
Pericles
Prince of Tyre
The Two Noble Kinsmen (Alliemacb)
Shakespearean Histories
Here are some aspects of Shakespearean History:
These plays are based on actual events and typically refer to medieval England (Cooper-Rompato). Shakespeare’s histories are not always historically accurate (Alliemacb).
Shakespeare uses his history plays to critique and highlight current problems in government (such as Queen Elizabeth I’s unmarried and heirless status).
Plays commonly considered histories:
King John
Richard II
Henry IV (parts I and II)
Henry V
Henry VI (parts I, II and III)
Richard III
Henry VIII
Occasionally, the histories include Roman history plays as well, such as Julius Caesar (Alliemacb).
Shakespearean Romance
Unlike what the name suggests, Shakespeare’s romance plays are not necessarily love stories. This is a newer term used. Most of these plays were written later in Shakespeare’s life. Here are aspects of romance:
Plays classified as romance are a mixture of comedy and tragedy (Cooper-Rompato)
Tragic hero with a flaw
Happy ending--ending resulting in marriage.
An example of this genre is the play Pericles. The hero has lost his entire family except his daughter who is lost for some time. Pericles finds her in an unexpected place and they return to live in his kingdom.
Shakespeare’s Theatre
The most famous theatre we think of was called The Globe Theatre. This theatre was round. The audience (typically the poor) stood around the stage while the wealthy sat in covered, stadium-style seats (Cooper-Rompato)The Globe looked something like this:
It is also known that Shakespeare had another, more traditional theatre called “Blackfriars.”
This theatre was more like a traditional theatre; the more money you had, the closer you sat to the stage. The extremely wealthy also sat ON the stage.
Going to the theatre was relatively new in London during Shakespeare’s time, and paying for a performance before a show instead of after was new (Cooper-Rompato).
Why study Shakespeare and Othello?
Shakespeare talks about issues that are still a problem
Problems in leadership
Racism
Domestic Violence
Shakespeare’s language impacted ours today. He made up words that didn’t exist and many of those words are commonly used in our world.
Othello
Discusses racism and domestic violence. Both of these things are still problems that we haven’t solved, even if we acknowledge the tragedies that surround them.
Works Cited
Alliemacb. “The Main Characteristics of Shakespearean Plays: Comedy, Tragedy, History.” Owlcation, Owlcation, 10 May 2016, https://owlcation.com/humanities/Shakespeares-Plays-Comedy-Tragedy-History
Cooper-Rompato, Christine. “What Dr. Cooper-Rompato Wants You to Remember About Shakespeare: A Guide.” 7 July 2014, Logan, Utah State University.