<p>1</p><p>Name ______</p><p>Mr. Cecala</p><p>Eng. 10</p><p>Shakespeare- Intro. Handout</p><p>KEY</p><p>Directions: Answer the following questions while reading pages 536-541 in your text.</p><p>1. Why is Shakespeare “regarded as the greatest writer in the English language”?</p><p> Richness of language</p><p> He understood human concerns </p><p> Wrote about relevant topics [timeless] </p><p>2. List and explain THREE facts about Shakespeare.</p><p> Born during Renaissance</p><p> Married Anne Hathaway</p><p> Wrote 37 plays</p><p> Wrote 154 sonnets</p><p> Lord Chamberlain’s Men </p><p>3. What historical period did Shakespeare live? Briefly explain this period.</p><p> Elizabethan Period or Renaissance </p><p> Time of rebirth/exploration (in arts, classics, ect.) </p><p>4. Briefly describe Shakespeare’s theater. </p><p> Thatch roof</p><p> Open in the center (for sunlight) 2</p><p> Smaller circular theater</p><p> Orchestra pit for groundkeepers</p><p> 3 Levels; higher up = more money/power </p><p> o theater was small so they could still see well, but opposite from today </p><p>5. Who were the Groundlings? Explain.</p><p> Poor people who paid 1 cent to see the plays</p><p> Stood down by the stage</p><p> Uneducated & poor </p><p>6. Looking at the picture on page 540, what do the letters B, H and M represent?</p><p> B = the yard or orchestra pit </p><p> H = stage</p><p> M = Entrance doors for actors </p><p> **had a place for everything </p><p>7. Complete the following sentences: </p><p>A performance of Julius Caesar …included realistic sound effects for thunder and battle noises </p><p>The actor playing Caesar…would have a pig’s bladder filled with blood </p><p>8. Explain conventions and give an example of one. </p><p> Convention = accepted practices </p><p> Accepted agreement between artist and audience 3</p><p>9. Identify two similarities and two differences between the Greek theater and the Elizabethan theater.</p><p> Similarities</p><p> o Performances during day for light </p><p> o Women not allowed to act</p><p> o Plays in poetic form </p><p> Differences</p><p> o More special effects & elaborate scenary (E)</p><p> o Indoor theater (E)</p><p> o Hole in roof (E)</p><p> o No Chorus (E)</p><p> o Had 3 actors (G)</p><p> o No violence (G) </p><p>10. What is an “anachronism” and give two examples Shakespeare used?</p><p> Anachronism = something mentioned in a play that does not fit the time period </p>