A GLANCE AT ENGLISH LITERATURE

THE BOOK I HAVE ENJOYED MOST

AUTHORWILLIAM

SHAKESPEARE

26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616(3 May 1616)

(Stratford-upon-Avon Warwickshire,

England)

SHAKESPEARE’S LIFE• Son of John Shakespeare and Mary Aden.

• He was the third child of eight and the eldest surviving son.

• In 1582 at the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway who was 26. He had a daughter Susanna and twins named Hamnet and Judith. But Hamnet died at the age of 11.

• He left Stratford for London to advance his literary career and soon become an actor, writer, and finally, co-owner of the theatre company called Lord Chamberlain's Men

SHAKESPEARE’S LIFE

• At the end of his life, Shakespeare returned to Stratford-upon-Avon to retire. He died in 1616.

SHAKESPEARE THE WRITER• He used to perform at the court of Queen

Elisabeth I and, later, in King James I.

• It was considered by the Elizabethans to be more important to write poetry than to write plays. So he wrote poetry during the years of the plague.

• He wrote 154 sonnets and about 2 plays a year, a total of 37 plays.

• His first play performed at the Globe Theater was Julius Caesar.

• In a way, their lack of education was an advantage, because their culture is not cast on the common pattern of your time. “Not of an age, but for all time.” (Ben Jonson)

POETRY AND PLAYS

Hamlet

Macbeth

Romeo y Julieta

BOOK TITLE

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

• This book was published in 1600 and was likely written in 1598.

• It was set in Messina, a port on the island of Sicily, which is next to the toe of Italy.

• Sicily was ruled by Aragon at the time the play was set. The action of the play takes place mainly at the home and on the grounds of Leonato's Estate.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Messina

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

• PLOT: Much Ado About Nothing conflates

two separate stories into one plot: the baiting of Benedick and Beatrice into a declaration of love and the deception of Claudio into mistakenly thinking that Hero is dishonest.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

• CHARACTERS• Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, and is also close to the soldiers

who have been fighting under him— Benedick and Claudio.

• Benedick, A soldier of Don Pedro. He’s very witty, always making jokes and puns. He falls in love with Beatrice.

• Claudio, A young soldier ofDon Pedro. Claudio falls in love with Hero upon his return to Messina, friend to Benedick.

• Leonato, governor of Messina; father of Hero and the uncle of Beatrice.

• Hero, Leonato's daughter. Hero is lovely, gentle, and kind. She falls in love with Claudio when he falls for her, but when Don John slanders her and Claudio rashly takes revenge, she suffers terribly.

• Beatrice, niece of Leonato. Beatrice is “a pleasant-spirited lady”with a very sharp tongue. She is generous and loving, but, like Benedick, continually mocks other people with elaborately tooled jokes and puns.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

• CHARACTERS

• Don John, "the Bastard Prince," brother of Don Pedro. He creates a dark scheme to ruin the happiness of Hero and Claudio. He is the villain of the play; his evil actions are motivated by his envy of his brother’s social authority

• Margaret, waiting-gentlewoman attendant on Hero.

• Ursula, waiting-gentlewoman attendant on Hero.

• Dogberry, the constable in charge of Messina's night watch.

• Verges, the Headborough, Dogberry’s partner

• Borachio and Conrade, followers of Don John.

• Antonio, an old man, brother of Leonato.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

• FILM: 1993 2013

SHAKESPEARE’S QUOTES

To be or not to be? That is the

question!

To my own self be true

Then thou canst not be false to any man

And it must follow as the night and the day.

Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

Hell is empty and all the devils are here.

VIDEO

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMkuUADWW2A