Introduction to Shakespeare’s Othello

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William Shakespeare

Born April 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon

Educated

Actor

Wrote 38 plays and 4 long poems

Shakespeare Vocab: Sonnet, Couplet, Tragedy, Soliloquy

Verse vs Prose

Verse: rhymes, consistent syllables, lines, meter. Used for high status characters, or tragedies

Prose: No meter, rhyme or organization. Used by low status characters, comedy.

Meter

the pattern of syllables, creating rhyme

Foot

A group of syllables, creates a complete metrical unit

Iambic Pentameter

five lines and ten syllables of unstressed and stressed syllables

Blank verse

Unrhymed

Free verse

No meter

Sonnet

14 line poem, couplet, rhyme

Aside

not heard remark by character

Monologue

extended speech