Inhaltsfeld 2:
Shakespeare
Background information
William Shakespeare
- 1564-1616 in England
- One of the most important influences on English literature + poetry
- Wrote 37 plays + 154 sonnets
The Elizabethan world view
- England was ruled by Queen Elizabeth the 1st
- Pictured the world as „the great chain of being“
➔ Hierarchical order of the universe
(God>Angels>humans>animals (air, sea,
land)>plants>minerals)
➔ monarchs position given by God ⇾ rebellion =
sin against God
Microcosms influences Macrocosm
(human actions ⇾ what happens in the universe)
Shakespeare’s work
- the Elizabethan world view is presented and
reflected
- lot of spirituality (ghosts, witches, etc.)
The theatre in Shakespeare’s time
- 1599: “The Globe“ ⇾ Shakespeare became
Shareholder
- acting wasn’t considered a respectable
profession
- no women on stage, instead young boys
- main form of entertainment
Language in shakespeare’s work:
- common stylistic devices: anaphora, antithesis,
metaphor, parallelism, simile, repetition,
rhetorical question, personification, alliteration,
allusion, ellipsis
Shakespeare
Background information
William Shakespeare
- 1564-1616 in England
- One of the most important influences on English literature + poetry
- Wrote 37 plays + 154 sonnets
The Elizabethan world view
- England was ruled by Queen Elizabeth the 1st
- Pictured the world as „the great chain of being“
➔ Hierarchical order of the universe
(God>Angels>humans>animals (air, sea,
land)>plants>minerals)
➔ monarchs position given by God ⇾ rebellion =
sin against God
Microcosms influences Macrocosm
(human actions ⇾ what happens in the universe)
Shakespeare’s work
- the Elizabethan world view is presented and
reflected
- lot of spirituality (ghosts, witches, etc.)
The theatre in Shakespeare’s time
- 1599: “The Globe“ ⇾ Shakespeare became
Shareholder
- acting wasn’t considered a respectable
profession
- no women on stage, instead young boys
- main form of entertainment
Language in shakespeare’s work:
- common stylistic devices: anaphora, antithesis,
metaphor, parallelism, simile, repetition,
rhetorical question, personification, alliteration,
allusion, ellipsis
