Othello Intro Notes

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Shakespeare: Born in Stratford-on-Avon in 1564

Recieved education in many arts/ languages

Actor, who wrote 38 plays in various genres, and 4 lengthy poems (sonnets)

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Verse vs Prose:

Verse: rhymes/organized in lines with consistent syllables

Prose: Doesnt rhyme; ordinary language

Uses of Verse: used for high status characters; mostly in tradegic situations

Uses of Prose: Low status characters; mostly for comedic/ exclamatory purposes

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Meter: stressed/unstressed pattern of syllables

Foot: Group of syllables which forms one unit of the meter pattern

Iambic Pentameter: Most common use of metrical pattern in Shakespeare (10 syllables)

Blank Verse vs Free Verse:

Blank Verse: Unrhymed iambic pentameter

Free Verse: No reg Meter

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Sonnet: 14 lined poem, written in Iambic Pentameter

3 quatrains and 1 Couplet

rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg

Quatrain: Four- line verse; rhymed

Couplet: pair of rhyming verse lines

Aside: a remark from the character on stage... directed to the audience, not heard by other actors on stage

Monologue: speech by single character, uninterrupted

Soliloquy: speech by single character alone on stage