Shakespeare: The Most Celebrated Writer in World Literature
Born in April in Stratford-on-Avon, he went to London which was experiencing a great theatrical boom. He became an actor, author, and co-entrepreneur. He joined the company of Lord Chamberlain (which shortly after became a royal company), performed before the queen, and met the public favor. He settled in the Globe theater, premiered Hamlet, Macbeth, sonnets, The Tempest as a farewell play, died on April 23, 1616 (Cervantes). He was an English playwright, poet, and actor. Shakespeare is considered the most important writer in the English language and one of the most celebrated in world literature. Shakespeare’s works have been translated into all major languages, and his plays continue to be performed throughout the world. In addition, many quotations and neologisms from his plays have become part of everyday usage, both in English and in other languages. //steward, uncle, twin / brother / twin brother, servant, friend/// a. 3 b. 5 c. 2 d. 6 e. 1 f. 4 Claudio, Hero//, Hero, Leonato//Leonato, Beatrice//Borachio, Don John, Hero// Benedick//Don Pedro
It confuses them: Orsino thinks that Viola is his servant, Cesario, a man; Olivia thinks she is Cesario, a young man with whom she falls in love; Antonio thinks she is Sebastian, whom he saved and to whom he gave his wallet; Sir Andrew and Sir Toby think she is Cesario, a suitor to Olivia; Olivia initially thinks Sebastian is Cesario and marries him; Orsino, realizing his love for Viola, marries her. shows the daily problems of characters belonging to any social class and it is not usually lacking in humor.
Viola, Sebastian’s twin sister. She calls herself Cesario when she disguises herself as a man.
Viola is a young woman of noble birth from Messalina and the main protagonist of the play. She spends the entire play, after the shipwreck scene, disguised as a young man “Cesario”. Olivia, a countess, Olivia’s father and brother have recently passed away, so she is the mistress of their large house and all that an unencumbered countess can command. At the beginning of the play, she is in mourning for her brother and has no interest in courtship by Orsino. Themes Everything that a comedy of entanglement could possibly provide is brought together in this play.4 Many characters in Twelfth Night, such as Viola and Feste, assume disguises. Shakespeare uses this device to raise questions about human identity and classifications such as sex and class as fixed entities, or whether they can be altered by a simple change of clothes. Much of the play’s humor stems from the fact that in Elizabethan theater, female characters were played by young boys. The themes of death, eroticism, and identity appear.
Elizabethan Theatre: Shakespeare, like many other Elizabethan playwrights, didn’t invent new plots.
He took his inspiration from existing stories, popular pamphlets, or historical accounts. Shakespeare wrote for a variety of people – aristocrats, sailors, and soldiers on leave, apprentices, wits, wealthy ladies, students, etc. He had to provide action and violence for some, moral subtlety for others, deep thoughts, and witty remarks for the more scholarly, and comic situations for all. His plays usually combined several plots, covered great expanses of time and space, and mixed royalty with common characters and even criminals. He combined music, dance, and spectacle with plenty of violence, battles, and blood. At this time, plays were presented during the warmer months in circular, open-air theaters. The stage was a platform that extended into the pit (a standing-room area for the lower-class spectators). Some of the spectators would actually sit on the stage during the performance. The scenery was minimal, consisting of little more than a few props. No attempt was made to dress the actors in period costumes except in plays that took place in ancient Rome, for which they wore togas. The spoken word was the true protagonist of Shakespeare’s dramas.
Another interesting fact about Elizabethan theater is that because it was considered immoral for women to become actresses, all the female roles were played by adolescent boys. It was a specialized style of performing that required a great amount of dedication and study. Many of these boys became stars in their own right. Shakespeare’s plays usually lasted between three and four hours. The audience would bring food and would eat and drink during the performances. It was not uncommon for members of the audience to leave the theater during the performance and re-enter a short time later.
I think the best episode is when Benedick is being trapped into falling in love with Beatrice. It is funny and also shows that people can change and allow themselves to express their
true feelings. My favorite character is Beatrice because she is very witty and has clever responses to whatever Benedick says. I dislike Don John because he is bitter and does not wish others to be happy.
Sebastian thinks that Viola drowned in the shipwreck. Maria planned to write a letter which would
appear to have been written by Olivia. Malvolio would find the letter, from which it would appear that Olivia is in love with him. It would tell him to do things and act in ways that would make a fool of him and annoy Olivia. Malvolio showed his love by acting in a superior way, showing authority, wearing, yellow stockings, and bright colors, and smiling
constantly when he was with Olivia
Throughout Elizabeth’s reign, her monarchical duties were her primary concern. Their importance was greater than any personal considerations, including marriage. Parliament repeatedly requested that Elizabeth marry in order to guarantee an heir to the throne. Her answer was always the same. She
intended to live and die a virgin and thus, she became known as the Virgin Queen Elizabeth’s popularity decreased towards the end of her reign. Her advisors during this period were considerably less capable than her earlier ones. This led to weaker and less popular policies.
Themes The plot of Much Ado About Nothing is based upon deliberate deceptions (engaños), some malevolent and others benign. The duping of Claudio and Don Pedro results in Hero’s disgrace, while the ruse of her death prepares the way for her redemption. Beatrice and Benedick are fooled into thinking that each loves the other, and they actually do fall in love as a result. Leonato “publish” that Hero has died in order to punish Claudio for his mistake. The aborted wedding ceremony, in which Claudio rejects Hero, accusing her of infidelity Much Ado About Nothing shows that deceit is not inherently evil, but something that can be used as a means to good or bad ends.
For a woman to lose her honor by having sexual relations before marriage meant that she would lose all social
standing, a disaster from which she could never recover.
For men, on the other hand, honor depended on male friendship alliances and was more military in nature
war frequently symbolize verbal arguments and confrontations. At the beginning of the play, Leonato
relates to the other characters that there is a “merry war” between Beatrice and Benedick.
MOTIFS Counterfeiting (falsificación) The idea of counterfeiting, in the sense of presenting a false face to the world, appears frequently throughout the play. For example when Leonato, Claudio, and Don Pedro pretend that Beatrice is head over heels in love with Benedick so that the eavesdropping Benedick will overhear it and believe it.
Simbols a) The Taming of Wild Animals The play is peppered with metaphors involving the taming of wild animals. In the case of the courtship between Beatrice and Benedick,
the symbol of a tamed (domado/ domesticado) savage animal represents the social that want to marriage war frequently symbolize verbal arguments and confrontations. At the beginning of the play, Leonato relates to the other characters that there is a “merry war” between Beatrice and Benedick.
THEMES Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy, and romantic love is the play’s main focus. Characters claim to suffer painfully from being in love, Antonio is in a more difficult situation, as social norms do not allow or the gratification of his apparently sexual attraction to Sebastian. Gender is one of the most obvious and much-discussed topics in the play. Twelfth
Olivia falls in love with Orsino but cannot tell him because he thinks she is a man, Olivia is in love with a woman, even if she thinks he is a man,
and Orsino often remarks on Cesario’s beauty, suggesting that he is attracted to Viola even before her male disguise is removed.
MOTIFS a) Madness Shakespeare often links love and madness.
The characters make him go mad. For example Toby and Maria trick Malvolio into believing that Olivia loves him, Malvolio behaves so strangely that he is considered insane and is locked in a dark room. Malvolio knows he is sane and accuses everyone around him of being Meanwhile, when Antonio meets Viola (disguised as Cesario), he mistakes her for Sebastian, and Sebastian, and his angry insistence that she recognize him leads people to assume he is insane.
B) Costumes Many characters in Twelfth Night disguise themselves, starting with Viola, who dons male attire and makes others believe she is a man.
Malvolio, who puts on crossed garters and yellow stockings in the hope of winning Olivia, and Feste, who makes everyone believe he is a man.
of conquering Olivia, and Feste, who disguises himself as a priest-Sir Topas-when he talks to Malvolio after the butler has been locked in a dark room.
dark room.
C) Mistaken identity Instances of mistaken identity are related to the prevalence of disguises in the play, as Viola’s male clothing causes her to be mistaken for her brother, Sebastian. Sebastian is mistaken for Cesario Antonio mistakes Viola for Sebastian.
3. SYMBOLS
A) Changes of Clothing Changes in gender—Viola puts on male clothes to be taken for a male Feste impersonates Sir Topas, he puts on a nobleman’s garb. The clothes have a power that transcends their physical function.
B) Olivia’s Gifts When Olivia wants to let Cesario know that she loves him, she sends him a ring by way of Malvolio. Later, when she mistakes. The jewel serves as a token of her love.
The themes of tragedy tended to be historical rather than mythical, and history was used to comment on issues of the day. Comedies were often pastoral and included magical elements. Music, dance, and spectacle were incorporated; violence, battles, and blood were shown. They had left aside Aristotle’s poetics.
The plays were performed during the warmer months in circular theaters and outdoors. In 1594 the two most important companies of the period were formed: the “Lord Admiral’s” and the “Lord Chamberlain’s”. Shakespeare joined the latter. The “Lord Chamberlain” company was formed as a cooperative of actors, each with an equal share of the property.
Elizabeth I encouraged the formation of acting companies when she ascended the throne. The most important acting company was: Lord Chamberlain’s men, which Shakespeare joined when he had arrived to London as actor and playwright. This company acted in The Theatre, the theater that was built by James Burbage. Then, they decided to build their own theater: that it was called The Globe. They used the timbers from the dismantled Theatre to build the Globe on Bankside. After Elizabeth’s death, Lord Chamberlain’s men became the King’s men as James I took over the company. The audience had to stand during the show because these were the cheapest places. Therefore, all kinds of audience came: aristocrats, sailors, soldiers, noblemen, ordinary people, students, so the theater had to please different tastes
– the galleries (protected from the elements) held 2/3000 people; they were for richer people. The richest members
– Characters in the plays included royalty, noblemen, common characters, criminals, and ghosts. These roles had to educate and be a role model for the society. They had to promote good behavior, warm against sins, and also cheer up and entertain.
There was very little equipment, but they relied on the imagination of the audience, who were encouraged to enter ‘the world of fantasy’.
The stage consisted of a platform that occupied part of the equivalent of today’s stalls, then a standing area for the lower classes. The set was minimal, consisting of a few props or panels. Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I, the theater became dark and sinister, and the comedy took on an acid and cynical mood.
The title refers to the celebration of Twelfth Night- with cross-dressing, playing practical jokes, and performing antics
(payasadas, travesuras)) to temporarily disrupt the social order.