Sources of Shakespears s drama :

The Main Characteristics of

Shakespearean Plays: Comedy,
Tragedy, History
The Plays of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is considered to be the greatest writer in English Literature.
He composed over 150 sonnets and wrote some of the most famous plays in the English
language. His plays are generally categorised as Comedies, Tragedies and Histories. There is
some debate about which category some of the plays should be included in as there are often
crossovers between the genres. So, which plays did he write and what are the features of the
different genre?

Shakespeare's Comedy
Comedy is not necessarily what a modern audience would expect comedy to be. Whilst there
may be some funny moments, a Shakespearean comedy may involve some very dramatic
storylines. Usually what defines a Shakespearean play as a comedy is that it has a happy ending,
often involving a marriage. The main characteristics in Shakespeare's Comedies are:

A struggle of young lovers to overcome problems, often the result of the interference of
their elders

There is some element of separation and reunification

Mistaken identities, often involving disguise

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

The Shakespearean plays which are usually classed as Comedy are:

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 Labours 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 and The Two Noble
Kinsmen.

Shakespearean Tragedy
Tragedies may involve comedic moments, but tend towards more serious, dramatic plots with an
ending that involves the death of main characters. The main features of a Shakespearean Tragedy
are that:

Characters become isolated or there is social breakdown

Ends in death

There is a sense that events are inevitable or inescapable

There is usually a central figure who is noble but with a character flaw which leads them
towards their eventual downfall

The plays which are generally classed as Shakespearean Tragedy are: Macbeth, Hamlet, Romeo
and Juliet, Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, Troilus and Cressida, Othello, Coriolanus, King Lear,
Antony and Cleopatra, Timon of Athens and Cymbeline (this is debated, with some scholars
classifying it as a Comedy)

Shakespeare's Histories
Shakespeare's Histories focus on English monarchs. They usually play upon Elizebethan
propaganda, showing the dangers of civil war and glorifying the queen's Tudor ancestors. The
depictions of monarchs including Richard III (an enemy of the Tudors) and Henry V (one of the
great Tudor monarchs) have been influential in creating a perception of these kings which has

persisted throughout the centuries. Many historians point to inaccuracies in the depictions, but
the plays have been very powerful in presenting a particular image which it is hard for many
people to see past.
The Histories are: King John, Richard II, Henry IV (parts I and II), Henry V, Henry VI (parts I, II
and III), Richard III and Henry VIII.
The plays, Coriolanus, Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra are classified both as Tragedies
and as Roman Histories.

How To Understand Shakespeare

The Works of Shakespeare
The legacy of William Shakespeare has endured for over four centuries and his works remain
popular both within the educational system and amongst the general public. His sonnets and
plays, which fall into the categories of comedy, tragedy or history contain themes which are still
relevant today and his works have inspired generations of authors, playwrights and film-makers.

However, there is a certain trepidation with which many people approach his works. When
teaching students about Shakespeare, I try to remove the anxieties about studying his texts so that
everyone can enjoy work which was created, after all, to entertain.

Shakespeare's Language
The greatest stumbling block for many people when it comes to understanding Shakespeare is
the language. A lot of people perceive it as an entirely different language it isnt. Over 90% of
the words that were used in Shakespeares works are still in use today. Its interesting to note, in
fact, that many words and phrases we use today originated with Shakespeare. Have you ever said
that someone would eat you out of house and home? Well, that particular phrase (actually He
hath eaten me out of house and home) came from Henry IV, Part II (Act II, Scene I).
There are, of course, many words in Shakespeare that a modern reader will not recognise
instantly. Language is a living, breathing entity and over 400 years there have been significant
changes in the way we write and speak English. Getting to grips with the archaic language is one
of the keys to success in understanding Shakespeare. There are many useful educational sites on
the Internet that will help you to do this. It is possible to find modern versions of the plays and
sonnets, but these may give only a superficial interpretation of the words and you are better
advised to use glossaries instead and to determine the meaning of the text for yourself. If you
look at the context of a word, you may be able to work out what it means for yourself.
The more you read the works of Shakespeare, the more familiar you will become with the words.
Another great way to get an understanding of the language is to go to see the plays at the theater
or to watch DVDs of performances. A good actor can really make the language come to life and
help you to understand the meaning.

Heightened Language
Something you must remember with Shakespeare is that he uses a great deal of heightened
language. This is a formal, complex way of using words. A common misconception is that
Shakespeares writing reflects the way that people in Elizabethan England actually spoke. While
this is true of some of Shakespeares more naturalistic writing, much of the embellished language

would not have been used in everyday conversation. Imagine trying to talk to someone using
only rhyming couplets it would be exhausting!
The heightened language used in the plays and sonnets serves several different purposes. It can
draw the attention of an audience to certain key elements of the play and allow them to get a
sense of the emotions of the characters. It can also be used in the place of elaborate scenery or
special effects. Remember, Elizabethan theater was very basic and it was important to create
images through clever use of words. There are many literary techniques used by Shakespeare,
but here are five examples that are commonly used:
1. Alliteration this is where a series of words which start with the same consonant sound is
used e.g. murthering ministers; Loves Labours Lost
2. Antithesis two contrasting ideas that are played off each other e.g. Not that I loved Caesar
less, but that I loved Rome more Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene II
3. Metaphor a figure of speech that describes something by saying that it is another in order to
make a comparison e.g. it is the east and Juliet is the sun Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene II
4. Onomatopoeia - where the word sounds like the thing it is referring to e.g. buzz, squeal,
squeak, hiss, thud.
5. Oxymoron a figure of speech which contains seemingly contradictory words e.g. parting is
such sweet sorrow Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene II

Form
You also need to understand the form of Shakespeares writing. At times, he writes in prose,
which is all writing that is not verse. It is often used in Shakespeare by low status characters or in
intimate conversation. Prose is also used at points in a play where madness is being portrayed
e.g. at the end of Macbeth when Lady Macbeth is driven mad with guilt, her speech is in
rambling prose.

Shakespeare also uses poetic verse which rhymes. Often a scene ends with a two lines which
rhyme a rhyming couplet. An example of rhyming verse from A Midsummer Nights Dream
(Act I, Scene I) would be when Helena says:
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is winged cupid blind.
The form which seems to have people scratching their heads the most is iambic
pentameter. This is a type of blank verse which does not rhyme. Iambic pentameter consists of
lines containing 10 syllables which have an alternating stress pattern that is actually fairly close
to the rhythm of natural speech.
An example of this is:
If MU-sic BE the FOOD of LOVE play ON.
The vocal stress falls on the syllables which are capitalized.
Much of Shakespeares verse is written in Iambic Pentameter and an easy way to think about its
rhythm is to imagine the beating of a heart:
de-DUM de-DUM de-DUM de-DUM de-DUM

Speeches in Shakespeare
Three of the major types of speech that can be found in Shakespeares plays are prologue,
monologue and soliloquy. A prologue introduces the play or an act within the play. Usually a
prologue tells the audience what to expect a bit like spoilers let a modern audience know what
an episode of a TV program will be about. These set the scene and were intended to capture the
attention of the audience.
Monologues are extended speeches by a single character which may be part of a conversation
with one or more of the other characters.

Soliloquies are extended speeches where a character is speaking by themselves and not directly
to another character. A soliloquy often reveals the characters innermost thoughts, their desires
and fears. At times, the character will seem to want to share something with their audience or
reader and at others, it may seem as though they are speaking only to themselves.

Themes and Characters in Shakespearean Plays

It is important to understand the themes in a Shakespearean play or sonnet as this will help you
to follow the text more closely. You can get an overview of what a play or poem by reading study
notes or reviews. This will help you to know what to look for in the text.
Understanding the personality traits of the characters will, likewise, help you to get to grips with
the content of the plays as you will begin to see where a particular aspect of that character is
being communicated in the language used. Again, reviews and study notes on the plays will help
you with this.

The Queen in Hamlet

Advice On Understanding Shakespeare
1.

Expose yourself to a variety of Shakespeares works to become more familiar with the
language

2.

Read aloud if possible the words were intended to be spoken

3.

Do some research if you dont understand a word, look it up.

4.

Consider the context does understanding one part of a speech help you to understand
the rest?

5.

Watch Shakespeares works in performance. Good actors will bring the language to life
and make it easier to follow

6.

Put aside your fears and enjoy the texts.

Shakespeares work has endured for more than four centuries for a reason. The plays contain
interesting themes and great explorations of characters. Get to know his texts and dont beat

yourself up about not understanding parts of them. Everyone finds something about Shakespeare
challenging and overcoming initial difficulties in understanding the texts is part of the fun.

The Art and Literature of

Shakespeare's Time
Throughout the Elizabethan Era literature was extremely important and popular!

During Shakespeare's lifetime, theatre and the literary arts became very
popular with the help of Queen Elizabeth! Elizabeth was fond of acting and
theatre, so with her permission, professional theatres were built. Many of
England's greatest playwrights were alive during this time, like Christopher
Marlow, Ben Jonson, Shakespeare and more. Shakespeare also helped
sonnets (poems) to become popular, but theatre was the main attraction
during his life. The theatres were built with an opening on the top, so
performances were in the afternoon and not at night because it would be too
dark. The opening also made it so that if it rained the actors and some of the
audience would get wet. Theatres also had no stage crew, so the actors had
to set the stage. In Shakespeare's plays, the audience was interactive. They
could eat, drink, boo, cheer and even throw objects at the actors. The actors
were all boys though, because women were not allowed as actors during this
time, so young boys played the roles of girls in the plays. Plays were
organized by acting companies, who had about 6 plays a week to stay in
business, which, in turn, left almost no time for rehearsals.