British Literature - Dill Final

disdain

to look upon or treat with contempt or scorn; reject

valor

bravery; boldness or courage in the face of danger

undaunted

resolute; not discouraged

mettle

mental and emotional strength and courage; spirit

prowess

exceptional bravery or skill, especially in battle

impede

to slow down by placing obstacles in front of something; to delay

palpable

capable of being touched; tangible

pathological

caused by disease; marked by an unhealthy compulsion

affliction

a distressed or a painful state

pernicious

meaning to cause harm or ruin; wicked

infirmity

physicial weakness or ailment; lack of strength

sacriligious

violating or disrespectful of anything held sacred

tyrant

a cruel and an unjust ruler

usurp

to seize power by force without legal right

treason

the crime of acting to overthrow a government or to kill its head

regicide

the killing of a king

recompense

repayment

beguile

to mislead; to delude, to decieve

knell

the sound of a bell tolling slowly, such as at a funeral

redress

to set right what is wrong; to remedy

subterfuge

a trick; a stratagem

paradox

a statement that seems to contradict itself but expresses a possible truth

thrall

a slave

repentance

deep sorrow or contrition for wrongful acts

chastise

to punish

rancor

bitter resentment

nonpareil

having no equal; peerless

intemperance

a lack of moderation or restraint

Purgative

Cleansing

Perturbation

The state of being greatly disturbed or distresssed

Epicure

A person with refined and cultivated tastes

Arbitrate

To reconcile; to settle the differences between

Pristine

Having its original purity, unspoiled

What was Shakespeare called?

The Bard

When was Shakespeare baptized?

April 26, 1564 (3 days after he was born)

Where was Shakespeare born?

English town, Stratford-upon-Avon

When was Shakespeare born?

April 23, 1564 (3 days before he was baptized)

When did Shakespeare die?

April 23, 1616

When did Shakespeare get married?

November 1582

Who did Shakespeare marry?

26 year old Anne Hathaway when he was 18

When was Shakespeare’s first daughter born?

Susanna was born May 1583

When were Shakespeare’s twins born?

Hamnet and Judith were born February 1585

What age did Hamnet die?

11

What did Shakespeare join?

Lord Chamberlain’s Men, an acting company

How many plays did Shakespeare write?

36, histories, tragedies, and comedies

How many sonnets did Shakespeare write?

154

Sonnet

14 line stanza form consisting of iambic pentameter lines

The Globe

Most famous theater, opened in 1599, burned down, rebuilt near water

Quarto

Small inexpensive book used for leisure books like plays, paper was folded 4 times

Folio

First collected works of Shakespeare were in this format, printer folded each sheet only once, save for Bible editions

What period of England’s history did Shakespeare live through?

English Renaissance

Elizabethan Era

Queen Elizabeth I 1558-1603

Jacobean Era

James I 1603-1625

Galileo

Used telescope to confirm Copernicus’ theory

Copernicus

Theory in which sun and NOT the earth stood at center and planets revolved around it

Universal Hierarchy

People believed that all of creation was organized hierarchically, gods —> angels —> men —> women —> animals —> plants —> rocks

Elements and humors

Believed to have determined the personality and temperament of people

Blood

Light hearted

Yellow bile

Irritable

Phlegm

Dull/boring

Black bile

Sad/depressed

Reformation

Reject authority of pope and Italian churchmen, also occurred during Renaissance, caused by strong feelings of patriotism and national identity, resentment of financial burdens imposed by Vatican

What happened to Catherine of Aragon?

First wife of Henry VIII, he wanted to divorce her so he declared himself head of the English Church

Posterity

Future generations; all the descendants of an individual

Predominant

Important; influential; powerful

Sundry

Various or diverse

Jovial

With a hearty, joyous humor

Parricide

The act of killing one’s father, mother, or other close relative

What is the plot structure of a tragedy?

Exposition, Exciting/Inciting Force, Rising Action, Climax/Turning Point, Falling Action, Moment of Final Suspense, Catastrophe

Exposition

The introductory section of a play in which time, place, characters, and situation are presented

Exciting/Inciting Force

Something happens that gets the action moving, usually in the first act

Rising Action

Series of events leading up to the climax; usually covers more than one act

Climax or Turning Point

The highest point of action in the play, change in the protagonist who seems now to be following a downward path

Falling Action

Series of events following the climax; the conflict is the essence of the play; most events go against the protagonist

Moment of Final Suspense

Near the end of the play, it begins to look as if things will go the way of the protagonist after all

Catastrophe

The complete downfall of the protagonist, either through death or some other devastating experience

Why are historical periods so inexact, and why are they generally unknown as periods or eras to the people who live during them?

They are created later by historians to describe general trends rather than precise beginnings and ends

What statement best characterizes the intellectual environment of the Renaissance?

As people became interested in the writing of ancient Greece and Rome, they became more inquisitive and creative

Which best describes the intellectual movement known as humanism?

Combined the wisdom of the classics with that of the Bible, emphasized the ideals of wisdom and virtue

Why did the invention of printing with movable type have a significant impact?

The wide availability of reading material allowed ideas to spread quickly

How did the monk Martin Luther contribute to the beginning of the Reformation?

He developed a personal form of Christianity which was not based on interpretation

Why were so many people in England dissatisfied with the Church of England in the mid-1500s?

They felt that the Church was insufficiently reformed and was merely a copy of Catholicism

In what way could King Henry VIII of England be considered a “Renaissance man”?

He was literary, musical, athletic, and scholarly

England’s independence from Catholic countries of the Mediterranean was ensured by

The English Royal Navy’s defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588

The end of the English Renaissance was characterized by

Increasing interest in secular, rather than religious, values

The Catholic Church was very powerful in 14-century Italy. Why would most modern people in the US object to such power?

The Church’s political power would interfere with US citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of religion

Blank verse

Unrhymed iambic pentameter

Macbeth

Worries about the consequences of his actions, is fearful of divine punishment because he cannot say amen, suspects that Banquo knows Macbeth’s crimes

Lady Macbeth

Doubts Macbeth’s determination to kill the King, is frightened that the bloody daggers will reveal who killed the king

King Duncan

Praises Macbeth and expresses a desire to visit Inverness

The Captain

Tells the King about Macbeth’s and Banquo’s bravery in battle

Banquo

Accompanies Macbeth in his encounter with the witches, is terrified about the dreams he might have if he sleeps, suspects that Macbeth killed Duncan

Donalbain

Is afraid of daggers in men’s smiles and of being killed

Lennox

Is terrified by “strange screams of death” and other disturbances heard in the night, are suspicious about all events and hope for aid from England vs Macbeth

The nobles

Are suspicious because of Macbeth’s behavior at the banquet

Hecate

Is suspicious because the witches have not provided information

Prate

To babble

Lamenting

Mourning

Repose

Tranquility

Lechery

Out of control sexual desire…