Shakespeare Atrium

Course Description:

Shakespeare: Chivalry in Shakespeare
The Eight Great Histories

This is an excellent course for high school students in English literature. It covers Shakespeare's life and times, focusing on his histories. Students will critique and analyze these literary works through reading, discussion, and a 'readers' theater' format. Students are also encouraged to attend a live performance of Shakespeare, and to watch at least two video productions of Shakespeare's plays. Students have weekly reading assignments as well as assigned parts to read in class. The tutor sets the scene with historical background and guides discussion of selected themes and topics. Each class begins with a "Finish This Line" game quiz. Some essays and memorization may be required. Ages 13 and up. To confirm course offerings please check the Course Schedule for the current year. For additional textbook information please visit the Oxford Bookstore. Two essays per/semester and some memorization may be required.

Introduction to Shakespeare: William Shakespeare (1564-1616), the Stratford merchant and Globe actor, traditionally has been identified as the greatest of all playwrights. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, the son of a local businessman. His father was a distinguished citizen who became an alderman and bailiff, but later suffered severe financial difficulties. It is assumed that Shakespeare attended the grammar school in Stratford where he would have received a good foundation in Latin and classic literature. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway. They had three children: a daughter, born in 1583; and twins, a boy and a girl, born in 1585. Little else is known of Shakespeare before 1592, when he appeared as a playwright in London. He may have been a member of a traveling theater group, and there is some evidence that he may have been a school teacher.

In 1594 Shakespeare became an actor and playwright for the Lord Chamberlain's Men, the most successful of several companies of actors in London at that time. Shakespeare not only acted with this company, but seems to have become a leading shareholder and the principal playwright. In 1599 the company, the Chamberlain's Men, built and occupied the best known of the Elizabethan theaters, the Globe. Shakespeare died and was buried in Stratford in 1616.

The Authorship Debate: Questions about the authorship of Shakespeare's work have been raised from time to time, beginning in the 1780s, more than 150 years after his death. Other Elizabethan authors such as Francis Bacon, Ben Jonson and Christopher Marlowe have been proposed as more likely candidates of these inspired plays than the legendary playwright from Stratford. Arguments against the Stratford Shakespeare have included the limitation of his training to a grammar school education and the omission of any reference in his will to his literary legacy. More recently attention has focused upon Edward de Vere (1550- 1604), the 17th Earl of Oxford, as the most likely of all possible candidates (Michael Satchell, "Hunting for good Will," U.S. News & World Report, July 24/July 31, 2000).

In de Vere's favor is the evidence that at the time of Shakespeare's death (1616), and twelve years after his own passing, de Vere was widely considered the greatest of the Elizabethan poets. Other arguments favoring de Vere include the following: (1) in 1593, the year of the first Shakepearean plays, de Vere stopped publishing in his real name (still eleven years before his death); (2) the family crest of de Vere depicts a lion shaking a spear, suggesting a natural pseudonym as "Spear shaker" or "Shake-spear;" (3) the plays contains much material which could have caused political fallout, especially for someone of de Vere's social standing, and he may also have wished to avoid association with the rowdy reputation of the public theatre which existed at that time. For a scholarly defense of the traditional view of Shakespeare see Irvin Leigh Matus, Shakespeare, In fact (New York: Continuum, 1994) as well as the other Shakespeare biographies listed below (i.e. by Bate, Burgess, Chute, etc.). Lest students abandon the traditional view too quickly it should be stated that there continue to be compelling arguments for the traditional view of Shakespeare, including dedications in early copies of Shakespeare's works to "thy Stratford moniment" and the "sweet swan of Avon." It should also be acknowledged that, as the editor of The Shakespeare Quarterly and others have pointed out, there is a considerable amount of elitism, snobbishness, and cultural bias in the refusal to allow "brilliance flowering in humble circumstances" and in the "underestimation of Elizabethan classical schooling." For more information favoring de Vere's authorship see the Shakespeare Oxford Society website at: http://www.shakespeare-oxford.com

Shakespeare and Scripture: One of the strongest arguments for de Vere's authorship turns out to be an old Bible. In a recent Ph.D. dissertation at the U. of Massachusetts- Amherst (April 21, 2000), a student named Roger Stritmatter presented the results of eight years of study of de Vere's Bible. It turns out that over 25% of the highlighted passages in de Vere's heavily marked Geneva Bible appear in Shakespeare's works. The dissertation was so convincing that all five of his examiners accepted the candidate's conclusion as persuasive. Of even greater interest to Christian scholars is the fact that this Ph.D. thesis, as the Shakespeare Oxford Society says: "presents the analysis of the annotations in [de Vere's] 1570 Geneva Bible as being a window into the mind of Shakespeare and his writing [emphasis added]." Furthermore: "this becomes the first Ph.D. thesis ever accepted at any university which is based upon scholarly analyses of Shakespeare as someone other than the Stratford man" ("Current News," 7/20/00, Shakespeare Oxford Society, http://www.shakespeare-oxford.com). This development demonstrates a continuing recognition that the Bible served as Shakespeare's principal creative resource.

Introduction to the Plays of Shakespeare: Although Shakespeare composed some exquisite, enduring poetry (especially the Sonnets), he devoted himself primarily to the theater. His genius is evident both in the breadth and the depth of some three dozen plays, many of which are counted among the greatest works in English literature. These plays are often identified in four primary categories as tragedies, comedies, tragicomedies (or "romances") and histories. They are listed in the following outlines below. The plays in each category are arranged chronologically, according to the presumed dates of their composition (listed in parentheses).

Shakespeare's Redemptive Viewpoint: Shakespeare wrote from a God-centered, redemptive perspective. As Louise Cowan writes, "Shakespeare saw life as leading to a final end of reconciliation and love." It is this Biblically based optimism and foundation for hope which inspired Shakespeare's "comic" (happy ending) view of the world. In his comedies, Shakespeare depicted a world of love and joy, fllled with forgiveness, and leading to a happy end. The challenge or obstacle in the comedies is the threats to love and community which are resolved through redemptive tricks and deceits. In the tragedies, the challenge or obstacle is the pride of a tragic hero who suffers some downfall. The challenge of the hero is how to respond to the downfall. Will the hero submit his pride to truth and justice (and ultimately, to God), or will he remain fixed in a defiance which demands his own way. To quote Cowan again, will the hero "submit to a power higher than his own pride or continue with himself as the center of existence"? ("Othello and Macbeth choose self; Hamlet and Lear allow themselves to be remade.")

Shakespeare's Astute Observation of Character: Shakespeare was an outstanding observer of the weaknesses and strengths of human character. Many of his characters have become immortal in the sense that they 'capture' types of human personality and character which are universal. There is much profit to be gained from comparing and contrasting Shakespeare's characters with each other, and from learning the reasons for their strengths and weaknesses.

1. Shakespeare's View of Pride. For example, the essay might examine how excessive self-interest and ambition in a heroic figure can lead to tragic consequences for himself and others.

2. Shakespeare's View of Love. For example, the essay might examine the self-giving love of a main or supporting figure, leading to hope for others.

3. Shakespeare's Insights about Men and Women. For example, the essay might examine how women often appear frail in the plays, but prove to possess an inner an strength upon which men depend.

4. Shakespeare's Relevance Today. For example, the essay might examine Shakespeare's redemptive view of the world and of human relationships and how that viewpoint would help us today.

5. Shakespeare's View of Justice and Mercy. For example, the essay might examine how
Shakespeare described a moral universe in which evil leads to harmful consequences and needs to be judged, but in which there is a redemptive power in forgiveness and mercy leading to a greater good which the characters don't deserve or expect.

6. Shakespeare's Insights into Human Character. For example, the essay might attempt to explain why certain characters are appealing and/or repulsive, and why this is so. Or, the essay might examine how characters such as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth function like Adam and Eve, in giving into temptation, and causing a terrible "fall;" or how a character such as Hero, in "Much Ado About Nothing," functions as a kind of "Christ figure," experiencing a kind of "death and resurrection," and bringing a redemptive surprise and a happy ending.

7. Shakespeare's Biblical Allusions. An allusion is an indirect reference. Shakespeare's plays are filled with Biblical allusions, as in the obvious allusion to Matthew 7:1-2 in "Measure for Measure." Select a play which has some Biblical allusions which are of interest to you. Identify what the allusions are, and how Shakespeare uses them in the play to make his point(s).

1. Pericles (1608)
2. Cymbeline (1609-10)
3. The Winter's Tale (1610-11)
4. The Tempest (1611-12) **

* Plays covered in Shakespeare 1
** Plays covered in Shakespeare 2
# Plays covered in Shakespeare 3
+ An illustrated edition of the complete Tales From Shakespeare, written originally by Charles and Mary Lamb for children in 1806, and revised in a contemporary html format by Terry A. Gray. Gray comments that these: "prose renderings for children...though originally intended for children
...are revered works in their own right and serve as wonderful introductions to the plays."

Internet Resources:

1. William Shakespeare and the Internet": daphne.palomar.edu/shakespeare
2. Shakespeare's Complete Works: www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/works.html
3. Barlett's Quotations: www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/Quotes/bartlett.html
4. Lamb's Tales From Shakespeare: http://daphne.palomar.edu/shakespeare/
5. Shakespeare Timeline: http://daphne.palomar.edu/shakespeare/
6. Shakespeare Genealogy: http://daphne.palomar.edu/shakespeare/
7. Online Biography Quiz: daphne.palomar.edu/shakespeare/quiz/bioquiz.htm
8. Shakespeare Glossary: www.gh.cs.su.oz.au/~matty/Shakespeare/glossary.html
9. Collected Works: www.gh.cs.su.oz.au/~matty/Shakespeare/Shakespeare.html
10. The Oxford Society Web Site: http://www.shakespeare-oxford.com/
11. Interactive Shakespeare Online: http://www.shakespeare.com/
12. Encyclopedia Britannica Online: http://www.eb.com
13. Shakespeare Concordance: http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/
14. Plot Summaries: http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/content/view/17/17/
15. Shakespeare Bibliography: http://www.shakespeare.handshake.de/faq5.html

Print Resources:

Bate, Jonathan. The Genius of Shakespeare (Oxford U. Press, 1998): "A new kind of biography" by an Oxford scholar which supports the traditional view of Shakespeare. According to Bate, Shakespeare's lack of a university education turned out to be his greatest strength. It is simply a cultural bias to deny that a mere grammer-school boy and butcher's son could prove to be as talented as the university wits of his day. 386pp.

Boyce, Charles. Shakespeare A to Z: The Essential Reference to His Plays, His Poems, His Life and Times, and More (Delta/Roundtable Press, 1990). This reference book has it all: short paragraphs which identify characters according to the plays in which they occur; longer paragraphs with the historical background behind all of the plays and characters; complete summaries of all the plays with lucid commentary. 728pp.

Boyce, Charles. The Wordsworth Dictionary of Shakespeare (Wordsworth Editions Ltd., 1996): This is a new publication of the same book, Shakespeare A to Z (see above). It is the same book and just as helpful, but please note that this version uses smaller pages with a smaller print font.

Burgess, Anthony. Shakespeare (Elephant Paperbacks, 1970): A biographical work which assumes traditional authorship and which aims: "to set down the main facts about the life and society from which [Shakespeare's] poems and plays arose," in the context of the Elizabethan age. Follows topical chapters on subjects such as "Home, School, Marriage, London, Globe," etc. Includes a good index. 238pp.

Charney, Maurice. All of Shakespeare (Columbia U. Press, 1993): This remarkable little volume contains summary essays and literary evaluations of the entire corpus of Shakespeare's work, including all of the plays and the poems. One chapter is dedicated to the Sonnets. Written by a professor from Rutgers U., the essays are very readable and full of helpful insights. Contains a substantial index. 424pp.

Chute, Marchette. Shakespeare of London (Dutton Co., 1949): Considered a classic biographical account of the traditional Shakespeare, his life and times, based upon the documentary record and expressing a vivid picture of the Elizabethan theatre and of the personalities involved. Includes a very substantial index. 372pp. Unfortunately this classic is out of print. Check your local library. Many copies are still in circulation

Clark, W.G. & W.A. Wright, eds. The Unabridged Shakespeare (Running Press, 1989)

Cowan, Louise & Os Guiness, eds. Invitation to the Classics (Baker, 1998): This is a gem of a resource, sub-titled: "A Guide to Books You've Always Wanted to Read." It includes fresh material by credentialed, Christian scholars, providing introductions and summaries, study questions and discussions of the relevance, for dozens of the literary classics, including a chapter on Shakespeare's Hamlet, King Lear, Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Tempest by Louise Cowan, former chairman of the English Dept., and dean of the Graduate School at the U. of Dallas. 384pp.

Epstein, Norrie. The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard (Penguin USA, 1994_: Another handy and economical resource which is recommended for High School and College students.

Fox, Levi. The Shakespeare Handbook (G.K. Hall & Co., 1987): A compendium of scholarly essays on topics such as "The Elizabethan World,: "Shakespeare's Life," "Elizabethan & Jacobean Theater," and "Shakespeare on Film." Assumes traditional authorship. 264 pp.

Greenblatt, Stephen, gen. ed. The Norton Shakespeare: Based on the Oxford Edition (Norton & Co., 1997): Contains the modern-spelling Oxford Shakespeare with supplementary introductions, textual notes, and brief bibliographies, as well as a combination of marginal glosses and footnotes explaining and clarifying archaic words and concepts; 3,420 pp.

Honan, Park. Shakespeare : A Life (Oxford U. Press, 1998)

Laroque, Francois, et al. The Age of Shakespeare (Abrams, 1993)

Lamb, G. F. Dictionary of Shakespeare Quotations (Wordsworth Editions, 1998): The relevance of this resource is reflected in the fact that Shakespeare is the most widely quoted author in the English language. This classic selection lists 2,160 quotations (250pp.) by subject and topic headings.

Leithart, Peter. Brightest of Heaven of Invention (Canon Press, 1996): This is a first-rate Christian commentary on six of Shakespeare's most popular plays: Hamlet; Macbeth; The Taming of the Shrew; Much Ado About Nothing; Julius Caesar; Henry V. No index, but many helpful review and study questions. 286pp.

Matus, Irvin Leigh. Shakespeare, In fact (Continuum, 1994): A well-researched and documented investigation of the historical sources associated with Shakespeare's works and the questions about authentic authorship. Provides a strong and winsome defense of traditional Shakespearean authorship);

Macrone, Michael. Brush Up Your Shakespeare! (NY: Harper & Row, 1990): "An Infectious Tour Through the Most Famous and Quotable Words and Phrases from the Bard;" well over one hundred of Shakespeare's most famous phrases and explained and interpreted in the context of the plays in which they occur; a fascinating, illuminating and very rewarding study by a prof. from U.C.--Berkeley 235 pp.

Rowse, A. L. William Shakespeare (Harper & Row, 1963): A fresh biographical study which ssumes traditional authorship and includes reference to Shakespeare's dependence upon the Bible as a primary source: "Of all Shakespeare's 'sources' the Bible and the Prayer Book come first and are most important. Altogether there are definite allusions to forty-two books of the Bible... It is impossible to exaggerate the importance, then, of this grounding in childhood: for the adult [Shakespeare] the Bible and the Prayer Book formed the deepest, most constant and continuing influence and inspiration" (pp. 41, 47)

Schoenbaum, Samuel. William Shakespeare: A Compact Documentary Life (NY: Oxford U. Press; Rev. ed., 1987): A very well documented and highly respected treatment which sifts between facts and suppositions; the chapter entitled "Faith and Knowledge" reveals how rich and deep Shakespeare's education would have been at the King's New School at Stratford-upon-Avon. He also points out that Shakespeare would likely have attended the morning and evening services at Holy Trinity Church and have heard: "Over the year the whole of the New Testament--Revelation accepted--read three times" (pp. 56-57) 384 pp.

Scott, Mark W. Shakespeare for Students (Gale Research Inc., 1972): Includes a chronology and critical interpretations of As You Like It; Hamlet; Julius Caesar; Macbeth; The Merchant of Venice; A Midsummer Night's Dream; Othello; Romeo and Juliet. Each play includes overviews as well as topical and character studies, explanatory annotations and sources for further study. 529 pp.

Finally, students are encouraged to investigate the introductions and literary notes in older encyclopedias (with 'signed' articles) as well as older and contemporary critical editions of Shakespeare's works.