Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
MACBETH Questions to introduce the play and listening
Macbeth Essential Questions
- Firstly, is ambition dangerous?
- Secondly, is fear a good motivator?
- Is weakness an innate part of humanity?
- What does it mean to be a strong leader?
- Are leaders born or made? How do you know?
- Does free will exist, or does each person have a destiny?
- Finally, what are the elements of a successful relationship?
Monday, December 16, 2024
MACBETH with questions
- What was the expression used by Shakespeare to refer to Macbeth?
- Where was the tragedy first performed?
- What does action-packed mean?
- This is a bloody tragedy. What are the themes it deals about?
- Who became king after Queen Elizabeth I?
- Which century is the tragedy set?
- What does rowdy audience mean?
- What does jeering mean?
- What's the first prophecy of the witches?
- Lady Macbeth is obsessed with......................
- What's done is done. What does it mean in Italian?
- What issues being relevant still today does it deal with?
Friday, October 18, 2024
The Elizabethan theatre
The ELIZABETHAN PLAYHOUSE was small
It was CIRCULAR or OCTAGONAL in SHAPE.It was built around a COURTYARD or PIT (PALCO), where the poorer spectators stood, exposed to the rain or the sun.
It had three tiers (rows) of galleries, where those who paid more could sit.
THE GROUNDLINGS
The ordinary people of London streets
They paid one penny to stand in the yard around the three open sides of the stage.
There was intimate communication between the audience and the actors on the stage.
People who paid two pennies(or five?) could sit in one of the galleries
THE STAGE
APRON STAGE
It was a long platform which jutted out into the pit and was surrounded by the spectators on three sides.At its back there was a curtain, which could be drawn, thus revealing a second stage.
INNER STAGE
It was generally used by the actors as a room where they could rest or change their costumes.
When necessary, the inner stage was also used to represent taverns, tombs....
UPPER STAGE
Over the inner stage and at the level of the second gallery, there was the upper stage, which could be used to represent the walls of a castle or of a town, or for scenes where an upper level was required
- It seems that all social classes went to the theatre
- Performances took place in the daylight
- There was no scenery
- The costumes were rich
- There were sound effects and music
- The language was rich in imagery and metaphors
- Women were not allowed to act. They were replaced by boy actors
- Both in speech and gesture, acting was more formal than modern acting
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
The Theory of Shakespeare's Italian origins
The theory of Shakespeare's Italian origins is a fascinating and unconventional hypothesis that suggests William Shakespeare may not have been an Englishman but of Italian descent or even an Italian himself. This theory challenges the traditional narrative surrounding the identity of the playwright and aims to explain certain elements of Shakespeare's work and life that some scholars find puzzling. Here are the key points of this theory:
1. Shakespeare's Knowledge of Italy
Proponents of this theory argue that Shakespeare's plays, particularly those set in Italy, show an unusually detailed knowledge of Italian culture, geography, and customs. Plays like Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, Othello, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona feature settings in Italy, and the playwright demonstrates an understanding of specific locations, including small details about Italian cities that are hard to attribute to someone who had never visited the country.
For example:
- In The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Shakespeare mentions the “Padua way,” referring to a specific road to Milan.
- The Merchant of Venice contains precise references to Venetian legal practices.
- Romeo and Juliet includes specific references to Verona's layout and customs.
This intimate knowledge has led some theorists to propose that Shakespeare either spent time in Italy or was Italian himself.
2. John Florio and Michelangelo Florio
One of the most prominent versions of this theory involves John Florio, a well-known Renaissance scholar of Italian descent, or his father, Michelangelo Florio, an Italian Protestant who fled religious persecution and settled in England. According to this theory, John Florio could have been the true author of Shakespeare's plays or at least significantly influenced them.
John Florio was an intellectual and linguist who published works on the Italian language and was deeply connected to the Elizabethan literary scene. His fluency in Italian and English and his wide-ranging contacts in the literary world have led some scholars to speculate that he may have contributed to or even authored Shakespeare’s plays, especially those with Italian settings.
Michelangelo Florio, John's father, was a Protestant preacher from Tuscany who lived in England and Switzerland. Some theorists argue that he could have influenced Shakespeare’s works or could have even been Shakespeare himself.
3. Italian Language and Influence
Shakespeare's use of certain Italian words, phrases, and customs is also cited as evidence for his possible Italian origins or connection. Italian was the lingua franca of the Renaissance, and Shakespeare's works show evidence of Italian influences in terms of plot devices, poetic forms, and Renaissance humanist themes.
For example:
- Shakespeare frequently employed Italianate forms of poetry and drama, such as the sonnet, which originated in Italy.
- He was familiar with Italian novellas, many of which were used as the basis for his plays (Romeo and Juliet was based on an Italian story).
4. Shakespeare’s Mysterious Biography
The gaps in Shakespeare’s biography fuel this theory. There are relatively few records of Shakespeare’s life, especially between the late 1580s and early 1590s, the so-called "lost years." Some proponents suggest that Shakespeare could have traveled to Italy during this period and gained the intimate knowledge that appears in his works.
5. Skeptical Reception and the Shakespeare Authorship Debate
The Italian origins theory is closely related to broader debates about the authorship of Shakespeare's plays. Skeptics of Shakespeare's authorship, known as "anti-Stratfordians," have proposed various alternative candidates, including Edward de Vere, Francis Bacon, and Christopher Marlowe. The Italian origins theory is another variant of this broader skepticism, which questions how a man from a small town in England with a modest education could have produced such a vast and sophisticated body of work.
However, mainstream scholars overwhelmingly reject this theory, pointing out that there is no definitive evidence to support it. They argue that Shakespeare’s knowledge of Italy could have come from books, conversations, or travelogues, which were widely available in England during his time. Additionally, the historical records concerning Shakespeare’s life—though not comprehensive—generally support his English origins.
6. The Conspiracy Theories
Some theorists take the idea further, suggesting that Shakespeare's English identity may have been an intentional cover for an Italian author, possibly due to political or religious reasons. This theory typically draws on the secrecy surrounding certain aspects of Renaissance society, especially for figures who might have been Protestant refugees like the Florio family.
Conclusion
While the theory of Shakespeare's Italian origins is an intriguing proposition that attempts to explain some of the mysteries surrounding his life and works, it remains highly speculative and lacks strong documentary evidence. The vast majority of scholars continue to accept the traditional narrative that William Shakespeare, born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, is the true author of the plays attributed to him. Nevertheless, this theory adds an interesting layer to the ongoing fascination with Shakespeare's life and the origins of his extraordinary literary legacy.
Saturday, November 18, 2023
ROMEO AND JULIET
STUDENTS CREATE A STORY using the following words, before getting to know the real story of the play ROMEO and JULIET by SHAKESPEARE
😠FEUD
😊MAKE PEACE
😡ENEMY
💓FALL IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
😉SUGGEST
😢ASK FOR SOMEONE HELP
💗TO BE INVOLVED
💕EXCHANGE LOVE VOWS
😐OVERHEAR
💖MARRY SECRETLY
🍷DRINK
👫MEET
👀LEAP OVER
😧KILL
😧STAB
😟COMMIT SUICIDE
😫FAIL TO REACH
😩DEAD
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
William Shakespeare's life -bbc listening activity
BBC listening about-william-shakespeare
Questions
- When was he born?
- Where was he born?
- Was his family particularly rich?
- How old was he when he got married?
- How many children did he have?
- Why did he go to London?
- Who was with him in London?
- What was the name of the son he lost?
- Did he write just plays?
- Did he make up new phrases?
- What's the name of the theatre he owned?
- Were special effects used in the theatre at his hime?
- Where did he buy a fantastic, huge house?
- Was Blackfriars a theatre?
- When did he stop writing?
Monday, November 21, 2022
Sunday, December 19, 2021
Monday, December 16, 2019
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
The masque
Pilgrims
Holy Pilgrims
Saints
Sin
Prayer
Holy Shrine
Faith
Devotion
What kind of love do they convey?
What ideas do they suggest?
Purity of their love
Special relationship
Undercurrents of danger
Seious tone
Italy- centre of the Catholic church
Religious imagery fits with the social and historical context
A kind of love associated with purity and passion of the divine
High quality of their love. It's not just physical attraction
PHYSICAL LOVE
Blushing
lips
tender kiss
You do wrong your hand
Tender kiss
Give me my sin again
You kiss by the book
Romeo and Juliet are moved spiritually, as well as physically, their love is pure, passionate, spiritual, but it is also chaotic, destructive, bringing death to friends, family and to themselves.