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Unit ThreeI.Objectives•To listento orread somerelated materialsabout William Shakespeare.•Text Iof this unit is a form of narration,which isdesigned to help the students togain someknowledge ofnarrative writingsand to get sonicinformation aboutWilliam Shakespeare.The majorgrammar pointin thistext is the use of double negation.On completingthisunit,the studentsare expectedtogetsome information about Shakespeare,have afirm graspof theuseof doublenegation,and knowhow to use theimportant phrasesand expressionsin the text appropriately.II.Teaching Emphases:
1.The comprehension and appreciationof Text I;
2.New words and expressions:legacy,estate,genius,baptize,in a flash,influential,sufficiently,conviction,apprentice,set footon theroad to,presume,tempest,brilliant III.Teaching Procedures:7hours Lead-in
1.Movie Clip
2.Quotes
1.Movie ClipWatch themovie clipand answer the following questions.
1.Where wasRomeo Whydid hego thereRomeo wasin the garden ofJuliets home.He climbedinto thegarden becausehe wantedto meetJuliet.
2.What wouldhappen toRomeo ifhe wasfound in thegardenWhy Hewould bekilled becausehis and Juliets familiesare enemies.Discussion:What willyou doif youfall in love with the man/women whoseparents happento be the enemyof yourfamily This is anopen question.Script-But soft.What lightthrough yonderwindow breaksIt is the cast,and Juliet is the sun!Arise,fair sun,and killthe enviousmoon,who is already sickand palewith griefthat thou,her maid,ar farmore fairthan she.Be nother maid,since she is envious.Her vestallivery isbut sickand green,and nonebut fbolsdo wearit.Oh,cast itoff!It ismy lady,it ismy love.Oh thatshe knewshe were.-Ay,me.cottage whereAnne,his wife,lived beforetheir marriage,and then to sechis plays at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.To plotShakespeares life is to become involvedin akind ofdetective storywhere therearc plentyof cluesbu verylittle else.Nobody evenknows the exact date of hisbirlh,although the register of the Parish Church confirmsthat William Shakespeare was baptized there on April26th.
1564.Nor canit be proved that he went to theexcellent localgrammar school,although heprobably didas therewas nowhereelse fbrhim to go.At theage of18he marriedAnne Hathaway,a womaneight yearsolder thanhimself,and theyhad threechildren.Then in1585this youngmarried manapparently leftStratford and his family,for there is absolutelyno record of himfor sevenlong years.Exactly whathappened oWilliam Shakespeareduring thoseseven yearshas puzzledscholars ever since.There aredifferent theories,but of all theprobabilities the most likely one is that hetravelled abroad,spending agood dealof ime at sea.Shakespeare wrotewith great conviction aboutstorms andshipwrecks andeating thehard shipsbiscuits with aching teeth.What isquite certain isthat,during the time Shakespeare lived here,Stratford-upon-Avon wasvisited by a greatnumber of theatrical companies.It cannever beproved,but it seems quitepossible that the youngShakespeare sawsome of these performances,realized in a flashthat thiswas the life forhim andtalked one of the managers intogiving him a job.At leastnobody questionsthe fact that he can next be traced in1592in London,earning hisliving as a dramatistand generallygetting well known in the theatre.Whatever elsehad happenedduring the lost years,plays thatfollowed,such asRichard111and TheTcuning of the Shrew,were proof that the greatest literary career of all time had begun.Shakespeare soonbecame sutTicicntlywellknownfbr managers and other influential people to refer to him in writing.We knowthat as well asworking onold playshe rapidlymade a name for himself as an author of entirelynew onesand alsoperformed as an actor at court.During hisfifteen yearsas aworking man of hetheatre,Shakespeare wrotemore than thirty plays as well as marvellousverse.After his death onApril23rd,1616,Shakespeare left behind a mass ofquestions that experts have been trying to answer ever since.What was the source of Shakespearesamazingly detailed knowledge of so many different subjectsWho was the beautifulbut apparentlyheartless^dark lady,who seemedto havefirst inspiredhim and then causedhim a lot ofsadness Sofar wedo not know.There haveeven beenfoolish attemptsto provethat William Shakespeares plays were in fact written by someone else.When oneremembers that he lived in anage whenprinting wasstill veryexpensive andthat it was rarefbr anythingwritten obe thrownaway,it seemsastonishing hainothing remainsof thebusy writers own handwriting but the signature.Sooner orlater someonemay discovera bundle of lettersthat willanswer the questions that have puzzledso manypeople forso long.From anarticle in the magazineLook andLearn Wordsand phrases:I legacy:n.money or property hatsomeone receivesfrom someoneelse after his orher deathe.g.The twobrothers spliton inheritingthe legacy of theirparents.The poor man receiveda smalllegacy from his auntwhom he had nevermet before.2amount to:figures,sums,etc.equal atotal whenadded togethere.g.His debtsamount tofive thousanddollars.The totalsales of the companyamounted to3million dollarslast year.3literaiy:a.relating toliterature e.g.He is considered to be one of thetwentieth centurysliterary giants.Literary theoryin astrict senseis thesystematic studyof thenature ofliterature and of themethods for analyzing literature.4awe:n.a feeling of greatrespect andliking forsomeone or something e.g.He feltwonder mingledwith awea heGreat Wall.Today mostpeople stilltend to hold scientistsin awe.5amazing:a.very good,especially in an unexpectedway;surprisingly greate.g.Hes anamazing playerto watch.It was amazing that the boywas able to solvethe problemso quickly.6supposition:n.something thatone thinksis true,even houghil is not certain and cannotbeprovede.g.His versionof eventsis puresupposition.We mustntcondemn himon meresuppositions.7vague:a.unclear becausesomeone does not giveenough detailedinformation ordoesnotsay exactlywhat theymean e.g.He was told notto bevague onmatters ofprinciple.The governorgave onlya vagueoutline of his taxplan.8thriving:a.very successful,very livelyand profitablee.g.A thrivingcommunity ishighly connected,collaborative,caring andcompassionate,and responsiveto theneeds of its members.The investigationpaints apicture of a depravedyet thrivingenterprise.9reputation:n.the opinionthat people have about someone orsomething because of whathas happenedin thepast e.g.It isimpossible tocalculate Shakespearesreputation in his ownlifetime andshortly after.Your reputationmay very well beyour organizationsmost importantasset.10gaze:v.look atsomeone orsomething for a longtime,giving itall yourattention,often withoutrealizing youarc doingso e.g.You gazeinto myeyes,and Iknow the feelings aretrue.With all the ambientlight and the pollutionof moderncities,delightful momentswhen youcan lieand gazeat scarsare rare.11plot:v.make aschematic ortechnical drawingofthatshows howthings workor howthey arcconstructed e.g.A computeris used to plotthe movementsof everyonein thebuilding.He proposedto plota graphto showthe increasein salesfigures of the company.12clue:/.evidence that helps tosolve a problem,something hat helps to find the answer to aproblemor mysterye.g.The researchreveals that the hairon yourhead maygive aclue toyour health.His newdeclaration airedon TVgave littleclue ohis intentions.13conllrm:v.show thatsomething isdefinitely rue,especially byproviding moreproof;say thatsomething isdefinitely truee.g.The doctorneeds odo moretests toconfirm hisdiagnosis.Pm justcalling toconfirm yourappointment tomorrowat3:00p.m.14conviction:n.[uncountable]thefeelingof beingsure aboutsomething andhaving no doubts e.g.It was a reasonableexplanation,but hisvoice lackedconviction.He isin thefull convictionthat hewill bepromoted.15in a flash:without anydelay e.g.A smilehappens in aflash,but itsmemory canlast alifetime.In aflash heremembered everythingand aplan began to formin hismind.16trace:v.find someone orsomethingthat hasdisappeared bysearching for them carefullye.g.The motherhad nevergiven upher hopeof tracingher missingdaughter beforeshe finallyfound her.Police aretrying torace ayoung womanwho wasseen nearthe accident.17sufficiently:ad.to adegree which is asmuch asneeded for a particularpurpose e.g.The functionof thestomach is to digestfood sufficientlyto enableit topass into the intestine.His incomeis notsufficiently greatto supporthis wholefamily.18influential:a.having a lot ofinfluence and therefore changingthe waypeople thinkand behavee.g.All thesefacts areinfluential inreaching adecision by the government.Most ofus aremuch moreinfluential thanwe know.19make a name foroneself:achieve distinction,become prominentor wellknown e.g.He hasbecome the first Africanfootballer to make a name forhimself inEurope.Perhaps the best way to make aname for ourselvesin themusic industryis toget amusic degree.20marvellous:a.extremely good,enjoyable,impressive,etc.e.g.Lets allgive thema bighand for their marvellouscreations.It wouldbe reallymarvellous to see heragain.21verse:n.[uncountable!words arrangedin theform ofpoetry;[countable]a set of linesthat formsone part of asong,poem,orabook e.g.Latin verseremained completely incomprehensible to me.These Bibleverses aboutlove arefbr WlentinesDay,a weddingceremony,a romanticoccasion,or justfor sharingwith abeloved friend.22a mass of:a largeamount orquantity ofsomething e.g.We canevolve thetruth from amassofconfused evidence.Setting towork,I buriedmyself underamassof papers.23ever since:duration continuouslysince aspecified timeor event,from thentill nowe.g.He startedsmoking lastyear and has beencoughing ever since.Apparently theyhave notstopped cryingeversincethe earthquakehappened24detailed:a.containing orincluding alot ofinformation ordetails e.g.He toldus thata detailedlist of their publicationswas availableon request.The teacherprovided herstudents with a detailedanalysis of he learningsituation.25apparently:ad.from appearancesalone e.g.The gentleman was apparentlymuch surprisedat the news.My momhad askedme totake outthe trash,but apparentlysomeone hadalready doneit fbrme whenI gotthere.26inspire:v.encourage someoneby makingthem feelconfident andeager to do somethinge.g.A good play servesto educateand inspirethe people.We shouldassociate with the people who caninspire us.27attempt:n.an actof trying todosomething,especially somethingdifficult e.g.She passedher drivingtest at the firstattempt.The attemptwas madewithout result.28astonishing:a.so surprisingthat it is difficult to believee.g.It was astonishing toeveryone that the courthad madesuch adecision.She toldmealot of astonishing storieson ourway home.29a buddleof:a group of thingssuch aspapers,clothes,or sticksthat arefastened ortied togethere.g.He solda bundleof oldmagazines to the second-hand bookstore.Dad founda bundleof spellingmistakes inmy composition.Notes
1.Master William Shakespeare Masterin Shakespeares time was a respectfulform of address,roughly equivalentto themodem wordMister,and wasgenerally used for professionalmen andsubstantial citizens.
2.a comfortably off mana manwho hasenough moneyto livein comfort.Other expressionsformed withoff are:well offrich,badly offpoor.e-g.Lots of people inthis communityarc quitewell off.Owing toillness,Tom is now worseoff hanbefore.It is also possibleto use the comparativeform of the adjective.eg bebetter off—be inbetter circumstancesbe worseoff—be inworse circumstancesBut well-to-do,which isequal to“rich andwealthy,means thepossession ofmore thanenough moneyorproperty.
3.There isno countrywhere Shakespeares work is not readwith somethingvery likeawe because there is something fascinatingabout a man whose work was so much better than that of anyone else.1This is an exampleofdoublenegation.e.g.No onewho wastreated byDr.Wang was not movedby hisconscientious work.2a man whosework wasso muchbetter thanthat of anyone else a man whosework wasby farthe bestamong his contemporaries
4....almost every detail of his personal life issupposition rather than fact.Rather thanhere has the meaningof insteadof.e.g.Young peopleshould be an assetto societyrather thana menaceora curse.It wassuch alow doorwaythat Ihad to bend myhead to go into the roomrather thanwalk into the roomupright.
5.Roman times|BREUN|SOME ITALYGRtWt[TURKEY]CoithogE.ISjidiniil Carthage卯「us]Medic crro/u an【cw iEGYPT Romanoccupation of Britain beganin the first centuryafter Julius Caesars invasionofBritainin55B.C.,and itcontinued until the earlyfifth century.
6.even thoughmany of them would have the greatest of difficulty in understanding Shakespeares Elizabethan English.Shakespeare livedduring the reign of Queen Elizabeth I1558—
1603.The English language used in thatperiod is called Elizabethan English,which isclassified asearly modern English andwhich isdifferent frompresent-day English in manyrespects,such aspronunciation,spelling,grammar andvocabulary.That iswhy many of thetourists would have difficulty inunderstandingit.
7.it is well worth the journeyit is,to aconsiderable extent,worth the journey
8.theregisterof theParishChurchThe ParishChurch was the churchin theparish whereShakespeare was born.A parish教区is anarea in the care of apriest andserved byone mainchurch.Every caseof baptism,marriage,and deathof hemembers of a parishis recordedin theparish register.
9.the most likelyonethe onewhich is almost certain
10.the youngShakespeare...talked one of the managers intogiving him a jobthe youngShakespeare persuadedone of themanagersby talkingto him to givehima job e.g.They talkedJohn intotaking partin hespeech contest.The oppositeof talkinto istalk out of.c.g.Judy talkedher husbandout ofinvesting theirmoney instocks andshares.
11.Whatever elsehad happenedduring thelost years,plays thatfollowed,such asRichard HIand The Taming of the Shrew^were proofthat the greatest literarycareer of all time had begun.1thelostyears from the year1585to theyear15922the greatest literarycareer of all timehad begun Shakespearebegan hisgreat writingcareer,which wasunprecedented inhuman history.
12.at courtat QueenElizabeth Iscourt.Note thata rulerscourt is宫廷or朝廷,and acourt oflaw is法庭.
13.“dark ladythe mysteriousperson towhom Shakespeare addressed his sonnets
14.but excepte.g.Mr.Smith leftnothing to his childrenbut his manuscripts.None ofmy classmatescame to the AlumniMeeting butBob.
5.Comments on the TextThis textis another formofnarration.After the first paragraph,it isorganized in the usualchronological order.The writerclassifies William Shakespeares lifeinto chronologicalperiods,the divisionof which is based onatime order.One wayto begina narrativeiscousetheflashback technique,fbr example,a filmmay startwith the main characterdying ona battlefieldand thenrelates for110minutes how he changedfrom anordinary youngman into a staunchrevolutionary.This techniqueisto a certainextent usedin the text,which beginswith thesigning of the will and thenturns backto the beginning,the middle,and heend.Moreover,he writeruses thekey word—signature—in thebeginning paragraphand endsthe finalparagraph with the sameword signallingthe end.This techniqueiscalledthe cyclicreturn”.By usingthe twotechniques,the writertries toinform thereader about the life of Shakespearein the most effectiveway possible.The tone of thistext can be described as expressive”.Examples ofspecific wordsthat areused to achieve thetone:
1.The most interesting part of the will...
2.There issomething fascinatingabout aman...
3....that have been written about this amazing writer.
4....had made a thrivingbusiness out of its most famous citizen...
5.Exactly whathappened...during thoseseven yearshas puzzledscholars...
6....were proofthat the greatest literarycareer of all time...
7....more than thirty playsas well as marvellousverse...
8.What was the sourceof Shakespearesamazingly detailed knowledge...
9....it seemsastonishing lhatnothing remains...Examples ofsentence patternsthat arcused toachieve thetone:
1.There isno countrywhere Shakespeareswork is not readwith somethingvery likeawe becausethere issomething fascinatingabout aman whosework wasso muchbetter thanthat of anyone else.
2.Nobody evenknows theexact dateof his birth...Nor canit beproved that he wentto theexcellent localgrammar school...
3.It cannever beproved,but itseems...Examples ofsentences usingsuperlatives toachieve thetone:
1....out of its most famous citizen...
2....wouldhave the greatest ofdifficulty...
3....but ofalltheprobabilities the mostlikelyone isthat hetravelled abroad...
4.were proofthat thegreatestliterarytYz/r^rof alltime...The abovewords initalics andemphatic sentencepatterns arelikely toarouse thefeelings ofreaders.They arealso usedto developthe centralidea—it is astonishing that nothing remainsof thegreatest and themost famous and the busiestwriters ownhandwriting but his signature.Furthermore,this narrativehas noplot in the usualsense of the wordbut appropriatetemporal reference points arcusedtoenable the readers totrace theflow ofevents.Examples of the temporalreferencepointsthat areusedin the text:
1....William Shakespeare was baptisedthereonApril26th,
1564.
2.At theage of18,he married...
3.Then in1585,this youngmarried man...
4.Exactly whathappened toWilliam Shakespeareduring thoseseven yearshas puzzled...
5....he cannext betraced in1592in London...
6.During hisfifteen yearsas aworking man...
7.After hisdeath onApril23rd,1616,Shakespeare...
6.Exercises A.Give anexact referenceto provethat eachof the following statementsis wrong.
1.Anne Hathawaygot Shakespearesreal estate.A person\whole propertycan becategorized intotwo kinds:real estateand personalestate.The formerrefers toland andbuildings and the latterrefers tomoney and other kindsof property.Shakespeare left his second best bed and furnitureto his wife and the greaterpart of his estateto Susanna Hall.
2.For Anne Hathaway and his married daughter themostinteresting part of the will was his signature becausewithout it,the willwould nothave beenvalid.Shakespeare was a popularplaywright in his dayand anauthorof high standing.There wasnothing unusualin his will,but his signature in the willand othersignatures wereall wehave leftof hishandwriting,so lohistorians it is themost importantand interestingpart of the will,it wasnot soto his wife anddaughter inthis sense.
3.Every detail of Shakespeares life isfact as well assupposition.Many of his activitiesare vague tous,and he leftbehinda greatmany questionsthatexpertshave beentrying to answereversince:theexactdateof his birth,the realsourceof his amazinglydetailedknowledgeofsomanydifferentsubjects,his whereaboutsduring theseven years after departurefrom Stratfordin1585,the identityof thebeautiful“dark lady”and themystery about hismanuscripts.We canwell say that almost everydetail of his personal life is basedon supposition.
4.Shakespeare isconsidered lohave beenbom in Roman times.Roman times,refers to thetimebeginning from the firstcentury upto thefifth century.In the text thewriter isstating thatmany details of Shakespearespersonallifeare sovaguetous that itseemsas ifhe had been born inRoman times.
5.People in every countryread Shakespeareswork withfear.Shakespearewas one ofhe literary geniuses ofall times.His numeroustragedies andcomedies as wellasverses havewon himworldwide fame.He isrespected forhis amazinglydetailedknowledgeof differentsubjects.People all over the world readhis workwith greatadmiration andprofound respect,not fear.
6.ShakespearesElizabethan English is not verydifficulttopeoplewhounderstand modernEnglish.Thisisnot so.Elizabethan Englishbelongs to the periodof earlymodernEnglishwhich isquite differentfrom contemporaryEnglish andso it is difficultto understand.
7.It is a wasteof timefor touriststogo to Shakespeares birthplace.Since Shakespeares plays havewon himgreat fameand sincehe was a literarygenius rarein history,and heenjoyed such a fine reputation,it cannotbe considereda wasteof timetomakethejourney to Stratfordto seehis birthplaceandhis plays at theRoyalShakespeareTheatrebecause thesehave becomethings of historic interest.
8.It isnot surprisingthat Shakespeare left usnothing but hissignature.Shakespeare has been acknowledgedto bea greatfigure of the EnglishRenaissance andone of thegreatest writers the world over.Shakespeareleftus37playsaswellasverse.During hisfifteen yearsas aworking man of the theatre,he wrotemore hanthirty plays.But expertshave beenpuzzled about the whereaboutsof themanuscripts.The onlyactual exampleofhis writing isthesignature on his willand some othersignatures.Explain the following inyour ownwords.
1....the income from the estate probably amounted to about£200a year......in allprobability mostlikely,the moneyhe madefrom his estate reachedabout£200a year...
2.There isno countrywhere Shakespeareswork isnot readwith somethingvery likeawe becausethere issomething fascinatingabout aman...People allover the world readShakespearesworkwithafeelingofprofound respect and wondermentbecausethere issomethingdeeply attractiveabout aperson...
3....almost everydetailofhis personallife issupposition rather than fact....what we can sayabout almostcvciything todo with his personallifeisbased notso muchon factsasonguesswork.
4....but hisactivities,like those of nearlyevery playwrightofhisday,are sovague that he could have beenborn inRoman times....we are so uncertainabouthisactivities thatwe mightaswellsaythat he wasborn when the Romansoccupied Britaina longtime ago.
5....had made a thrivingbusiness out ofitsmostfamouscitizen fora longtime....because ofitsmostfamouscitizen,Stratford-upon-Avon hasmadealot of money fora longlime.
6....he hassuch afine reputationthat it is wellworth thejourney justto beable......he enjoyssuch highprestige that it is worthwhile tomake ajourney to Stratford-upon-Avon justto beable...
7....he cannextbetracedin1592in London......after thatwe knowhe wasin London in
1592.
8.Shakespeare soonbecame sufficientlywell-known formanagers and otherinfluentialpeopletoreferto himinwriting.Soon Shakespearebecame sofamous thatmanagersand other powerfulpeople oftenmentioned himin theirwritings.Text IIWilliam ShakespeareMost peoplehave heardof Shakespeare and probablyknow somethingof theplays that he wrote.However,not everybodyknows muchabout the lifeofthis remarkableman.except perhapshathe wasbornin themarket town of Stratford-upon-Avon andthat hemarried awoman calledAnneHathaway.We knownothing ofhis schoollife.We do notknow,for example,how longit lasted,but wepresume that he attended the localgrammar school,where theprincipal subjecttaught wasLatin.Nothing certain is known of whathe didbetween thetime heleft schoolandhisdeparture forLondon.According toa locallegend,he wasbeaten andeven putin prisonfor stealingrabbits anddeer from the estateofaneighbouring landowner,Sir Thomas Lucy.It issaid thatbecause ofthis he was breedto runaway from his nativeplace.A differentlegend sayshathe was apprenticedtoaStratford butcher,but didnot like the lifeand for this reasondecided toleave Stratford.Whatever causedhimtoleave thetown ofhisbirth,the worldcan begrateful that he didso.What iscertainisthatheset footon theroad to fame when heanivedin London.It issaid thatat firsthe waswithout moneyor friendshere,but thathe earneda littleby takingcareof the horsesof thegentlemen whoattendedtheplaysatthe theatre.In time,as hebecame afamiliar figuretothe actors inthe theatre,they stoppedand spoketohim.They foundhis conversationso brilliantthat finallyhe wasinvited ojoin theircompany.Earlier than1592there isno mentionof Shakespeareeither as actor oras playwright,and thename of the theatrehe workedinisnot known.However,by thisdate hehad becomeone ofhe threeleading membersofacompany ofactors calledthe Lord Chamberlains Men.This company-She speaks.Speak again,bright angel.-Romeo,oh Romeo,wherefore artthou RomeoDeny thyfather andrefuse thy name,or ifthou wiltnot,be butsworn mylove,and Illno longerbeaCapulet.-Shall Ihear more,or shallI speaka his-Tis butthy namethat ismy enemy.Thou artthyself,though nota Montague.Whats MontagueIl isnot hand,nor foot,nor arm,nor face,nor any other partbelonging toaman.Oh,please besome othername!Whats inanameThat which we calla roseby anyother wordwould smellas sweet.So Romeowould,were henot Romeocalled,retain thatdear perfectionwhich heowes withouthat title.Romeo,doff Ihyname;and forthyname,whichisno part of thee,take allmyself.-1take lheea hyword.-Art thounot Romeo,and aMontague-Neither,fair maid,if eitherthee dislike.-How earnestthou hither,tell me,and whereforeThe gardenwalls arehigh andhard toclimb,and the place death,considering whothou art.-With loveslight wingsdid Ioerperch thesewalls,fbr stonylimits cannothold loveout,and whatlove cando,that dareslove attempt.Therefore thykinsmen arcno stoptome!-If theydo seethee,they willmurder thee.-1have nightscloak tohide mefrom theireyes,but thoulove me,let themfind mehere.My lifewere betterended by their hatethan deathprorogued,wanting ofthy love.From themovie Romeo and Juliet,
19962.Quotes Read the followingproverbs andtell your classmates whichone isyour favorite.State yourreasons.A greatpoem isa fountainforever overflowingwiththewaters ofwisdom anddelight.—P.B.Shelley Goodpainting islike goodcooking;it can be tasted,but notexplained.—Maurice devia minek Literatureisakind ofintellectual lightwhich,likethelight of thesun,may sometimesenable ustoseewhat wedonotlike.—Samiise JohnsonThe poetsvoice neednot merelybe therecordofman,it can be one of theprops,the pillarstohelphim endureand prevail.—William FaulknerA trulygreat bookshould beread inyouth,again inmaturity andonce morein oldage,asafine buildingshould beseen bymorning light,at noon and bymoonlight.—Robertson Davieswas under the protectionof theLord Chamberlain,a powerfulnobleman and an officialatthe Queens Court.The companytravelled about the country,giving performancesin differenttowns,and alsoperformed playsat Court.From whalwe knowofhislater life,it isclear that Shakespeares connectionwiththetheatre madehimawealthy man,since his plays attractedlarge audiencesand heshared inthe profits.Towards theend of the sixteenth century hebought alarge propertyin Stratford.It isnot certainwhen hewent backthere to live butitwasprobably around
1603.He isnot recordedas havingacted inany playafter thatdate,though hecontinued writing.No lessthan elevenofhisplays wereproduced during the nextten years.These includehegreattragedies Othello,Macbeth andKing Lear.His lastwork wasThe Tempest,but hemay haveshared inthe writingofthehistorical playKing Henry Vlfl.Even afterhis retirementhe frequentlyvisited London.Since theroad betweenStratford andLondon passedthrough Oxford,he wouldrest thereatthehome ofhis friendJohn Davenant,who hada deeprespectandaffection for the playwright.Shakespeare diedin
1616.Some yearsearlier hechose agravestone,under which hewas tobeburied.He hada curseengraved onthis stonewhich threatenedto bringmisfortune onanyone whomight removehis bodyfromhisgrave.1seems strangethatheshould have had thisfear.He musthave knownhow greatlyhewasrespected,even inhis lifetime,for thegenius thathe showedinhisplays andpoems.It seemsimpossible that his remainscouldhave been disturbedafterhisdeath.Notes
1.hewasbeaten...for stealingrabbits anddeer fromthe estateofaneighbouring landowner,Sir ThomasLucy Accordingtoanauthoritative source,the storythat SirThomasLucyprosecuted theyoung William Shakespeare forstealing deerfromhisestate gainedcurrency onlylong afterShakespeares death.
2.set footon theroad tofame begantolivethe lifeofa playwright thatled himtofame
3.LordChamberlainthe head oftheRoyal householdin England.The Lord Chamberlains Men,oneofhe twoprincipal theatricalcompanies ofthe lateElizabethan era,were thefavourite courtentertainers.
4.theQueensCourt QueenElizabeth lscourt
5.He hadacurseengraved onthis stone...Shakespeare hada righttoagrave inthe Chancelof HolyTrinity Churchin Stratford-upon-Avon.It wasthe customthentobury thedead thereonly fora shorttime and then remove their bonesto anotherplace.This mayexplain whyShakespeare protectedhis lastresting placewith theseverses:Good friend,for Jesuss sakeforbear Todig thedust enclosedhere:Blest bethemanthat spare these stones,And curstbe hethat movesmy bones.
6.remains deadbody OralWork
1.Role-Play
2.Interaction Activities
1.Role-Play Theatreand CinemaSituation:John andTom arcgood friends.Tom has got two tickets forthe filmHamlet,while Johnhasgottwoticketsfortheplay Twelfth Night.The ticketsare forthe samenight.Each istryingtopersuade theother togo withhim.Sample rolecards:Tom:You preferfilms toplays.In youropinion,the cinemahas hugeresources atits disposal.Time andplace areno problem.The audiencecan becarried rapidlyfrom onecountry toanother andcan beshown a great varietyof scenes,while justsitting comfortablyin chairs.Moreover,the audiencecanbeshown thingsin detail:a pairof eyes,an unrulymob,etc.You thinkthat thetheatre hasmore limitations.On the stage,itisnot possibleto presentrapid changesof scene,nor canthe audiencesee finedetails.John:In youropinion,nothing canbe comparedwiththeawe andthe senseof hushedexpectation whichis feltbyatheatre audienceasthecurtain isslowly raised.In atheatre,theactorhas immediatecontact with his audience—hecanmovethe audience likea greatorator.Each performancehe givesis uniqueand itis thisthat makesthetheatreso superiortothecinema.The lackof scenerybecomes unimportant.The actorson thescreen,on theother hand,are alwaysremote,andalittle unreal.The audienceonly seesshadows flickeringonawhite screen.Expressions thatmight be usedforpersuading:Thats allverywell,but...Thats quitereasonable,but...You dontseem torealize that...I seewhat youmean,but...Thats true,but if...
2.Interaction ActivitiesThe BestPlay/Film IHave SeenPair upwith yourpartner.Tell him/her aboutthebest play/film youhave seen.Your partnermay askyou whatitisabout andwhy youlike itso much.You canconcentrate on the followingitem:Main idea oftheplay/film:Plot:Intricate yetconvincing,showing thestruggle betweenthe goodand heevil,indicating thatgood willfinally defeatevil.Acting:Superb.No exaggerationon thepartofthe actorsand actresses.Music:Fantastic,especially themusic depictingthe changingscenery onthe riverin spring,characterized byits gentleand freeflowing quality.Costumes:Brilliant,true tothe socialand historicalbackground.Then youask yourpartner his/her opinionofhebestplay/fihn he/she hasseen.One ofyou willtell the whole classwhy theother callsa certainplay/film thebest onehe/she hasseen.Guided Writing
1.Precis Writing
2.Paragraph Writing
1.Precis WritingA.Working ingroups oftwo orthree,choose thetopic sentencefrom amongthe following:1Thousands of books have been writtenon William Shakespeare,but verylittle isknown ofhis personallife.2Shakespeares signaturesare theonly handwritingheleftbehind him.3When wewant to write abiography of Shakespeare,wecanfind plentyof cluesbut noneof themprove anything.Key Themost suitabletopic sentence is1:Thousands of books have been writtenon WilliamShakespeare,but verylittle isknown ofhis personallife.B.Read somedetailsofthe textin StudentsBook P
40.Decide which ofthedetails arenecessary forthe precis.Key
1.The selectionisanarrative arrangedmore orless inchronological orderinterspersed withthe writerspersonal opinions.
2.Having alreadygone throughthe passage,thestudentought to have graspedwhat thewriter wastryingtoget across.Throughout theyears,peoplehaveknown verylittle aboutthe lifeof Shakespeare.When writingthe precis,concentrate onwhat isknown andwhat issurmised.Skip theother details.C.The referenceversion:Thousands ofbooks have been writtenon WilliamShakespeare,but verylittle isknownofhis personallife.The onlyhandwriting leftby Shakespearewhichwehave nowisanumber ofhis signatures,oneofwhichison hiswill dated25March,
1616.Il seemsthathedied amanofconsiderable means.His birthplace,Stratford-upon-Avon,has alsomadeathriving livingout ofhim thoughtourists understandlittle ofhis workand knoweven lessofhislife.While thereShakespeare mighthavehadsome experiencewith somevisiting theatricalcompanies oreven gotajobwith them.For whateverreason,he disappearedcompletelyin1585and didnot reappearuntil sevenyears laterwhenheemerged inLondon asan actorand playwright.Over thenext15years hecontributed morethan30plays totheworldaswellas marvelousverse.Where didhe getsuch awealth ofknowledge onsuch awide rangeof subjectsWho wasthe darklady Mthat madehim sosad Wherehad hismanuscripts goneto Maybe some daywe willuncover abundleofhis letterswhich willshed lighton theseandotherquestions.
2.Paragraph Writing—Narration inChronological OrderReadthenarrative aboutthelifeof ChristopherMarlowe onStudenfs Bookpp40—
1.Analyze theorganization ofthe passage.Reference:The openingsentenceisgood because it givesvery definiteinformation aboutthe dateof birthandthefamily backgroundof ChristopherMarlowe,a contemporaryof Shakespeare.This sentenceleads toa briefstory ofagreatEnglish dramatist.The supportingdetails thatfollow givethe barestskeleton ofthelifeand contributionsof ChristopherMarlowe.Comprehensive ExercisesExercise IFrom Workbook
1.Spelling
2.Dictation
3.Listening Comprehension
4.Translation
5.Sentence RewritingExercise IIExercise IIIExercise I
1.Spelling I.playwright
2.influential
3.awe
4.historians
5.supposition
6.Shakespeare
7.conviction
8.thriving
9.reputation
10.baptize
11.shipwreck
12.signature
2.Dictation The Globe Theatreisaplayhouse builtjust outsideLondonin
1599.It isthemostfamous theatrein history:on itsstage Shakespearesgreatest playswere firstperformed.Big enoughtoholdabout2,500people,the Globehad threelevels ofgalleries surroundingan unroofedyard.Extending fromone sideoftheyard tothe centrewas anopen stage.From thestage floorrose twoposts tosupport anoverhanging canopyknown asthe heavens.TheGlobewas builtinLondonby theBurbage brothersin
1599.At the same time,wishing tobind theLordChamberlainscompany closelytothenew playhouse,they planneda novelpartnership in which thebrothers dividedownership ofthe Globeamong themselvesand fiveoftheactors in he company,oneofwhom wasShakespeare.After1609,whenthecompany openeda secondtheatre,the Globebecame lessimportant.On June29,1613,during aperformance of Shakespeares KingHenry theEighth,fire destroyedthe Globe.It wasrebuilt withina yearbut wasdestroyed againbythePuritans in
1644.
3.Listening ComprehensionCharacters:Lucentio,Tranio,Baptista,Katharina,Biana,Gremio,Hortensio,Petruchio,Vincentio A.Multiple choicequestions.
1.Luccntio wentto Padua to________.A.find awife B.go ona tripC.visit BaptistaD.study
2.Which ofthe followingwasnotsuggested inthe textA.Katharina was wealthy and beautiful.B.Katharina wasshrewd.C.Katharina wasshaip-tongued.D.Katharina wasbad-tcmpcrcd.
3.Who hadnever beenin love with BiancaA.Luccntio B.Pctruchio C.Gremio D.Hortensio
4.Baptista insistedthat___________.A.Katharina shouldget marriedbefore Bianca.B.Bianca shouldget marriedbefore Katharina.C.Bianca andKatharina shouldget marriedatthe same time.D.Katharina shouldnever getmarried.
5.Luccntio disguised himself as__________.A.a servantB.a merchantC.a tutorD.Tranio
6.Which ofthe followingisnotsuggested inthetextPelruchios courtshipto Baptistaselder daughteris__________.A.an unusualone B.a secretone C.a battle of witsD.a battleof wordsand wills
7.Luccntio hadhis weddingin__________.A.his country home B.Baptistashouse C.the churchD.Hortensios house
8.On hearingthe storyabout Lucentioswedding,Baptista was____________.A.indifferent B.surprised C.glad D.angry B.Answer thefollowingquestion.How didPetruchio tamehiswifebefore andafter the wedding Beforethe wedding,Pelruchios courtshipwas a battleof wits,words,and wills.He wasdetermined tomake Katharinaobey himineveryway.For his wedding,Petruchio wore old and tom clothesand arrivedlate.And duringthe weddingceremony heacted likea madman,stamping andswearing.Petruchio thendragged Katharineaway fromthe wedding feast and took her to his countryhome.There hegave her no food and didnot lether sleep.Moreover,he pretendedthatnothing was good enough for her.In theend Katherinahad toagree thatthe moonwasthesun andthat anold man wasawoman,and shebecame willinglysubmissive toall Petruchioswishes.Script:The Taming ofthe Shrew Lucentio and Tran io,his servant,had journeyedto Paduaso thatLucentio couldstudy in that ancientcity.On theirarrival inthe cityLucentio andTran iocame acrossBaptista andhis daughters,Katharina andBianca.These threewere accompaniedby Gremioand Hortensio,young gentlemenboth inlove withgentle Bianca.But Baptistawould notpermit hisyounger daughterto marryuntil someoneshould takeKatharina offhis hands.Although Katharinawaswealthyandbeautiful,she wassuch ashrew thatno manwouldhaveher.Baptista,not knowinghow tocontrol hissharp-tongued daughter,announced thatGremio orHortensio mustfind ahusband for Katharina beforeeither couldcourt Bianca.He askedthem alsotofindtutors forthe twogirls,that theymight beskilled inmusic and poetry.Not beingseen byBaptista andhis daughters,LucentioandTran iowitnessed ihisscene.At firstsight Lucentioalso fell inlovewith Bianca and determined to haveherforhimself.His firstact was to changeclothes withTranio,so thatthe servantappeared tobethemaster.Lucentio thendisguisedhimself asatutor inorder tocourt Biancawithout her fathers knowledge.About the same timePetruchio cameto Padua.He wasa richand noblemanof Verona.He hadcome toPaduatovisit hisfriend Hortensioandtofind forhimselfa rich wife.Hortensio toldPetruchio ofhis lovefor Biancaandofher fathersorders thatshe couldnot marryuntil ahusband hadbeen foundforKatharina.Patruchio wasquite interestedinthestories toldabout bad-tempered Katharina,particularly theaccount ofher greatwealth,and heexpressed adesire tomeet her.Petruchio easilygot Baptistaspermission tomarry hisdaughter Katharina,fbr thepoormanwas only too gladto havehis olderdaughter offhis hands.Pctruchios courtshipwasastrange oneindeed,abattleofwits,words,and wills.Petruchio wasdeterminedtobend Katharinato hiswill,but Katharinalooked downupon himand scoldedhim witha sharptongue.Nevertheless shemust obeyherfatherswish andmarry him,andthewedding daywas set.As partofthe taming process,Petruchio arrivedlate forhiswedding,and whenhe didappear heworeoldand tornclothes.Even duringtheweddingceremony Petruchioacted likea madman,stamping andswearing.Immediately afterwardhe draggedKatharina awayfromtheweddingfeastandtookherto hiscountryhome,there tocontinue hisscheme tobreak herto hiswill.He gavehernofoodandno limefor sleep,while alwayspretending thatnothingwasgoodenoughforher.In fact,he almostkilled herwith kindness.Before hewas through,Katharina agreed(hat(he moonwasthesun,that anold manwasawoman.Meanwhile BiancafellinlovewithLucentio,whom shethought tobe hertutor andthey secretlymarried.Returning fromthe churchwithhisbride,Lucentio revealedthewholeplot toBaptista andthe others.At firstBaptista was angry atthe wayin whichhehadbeen tricked,but Vincentio,Lucentios father,spoke soothinglyand sooncooled hisrage.Hortensio,inthemeantime,had marriedarichwidow.To celebratethese weddings,Lucentio gavea feastfor allthe couplesandthefathers.After theladies hadretired,the threenewly marriedmen bettedone hundredpounds each(hathisown wifewould mostquickly obeyhis commands.Lucentio sentfirst forBianca,but shesent wordshe wouldnot come.Then Hortensiosent forhiswife,but shetoo refusedto obeyhis orders.Petruchio thenordered Katharinato appear,and shecame instantlyas shewas told.At hisrequest shealso forcedBiancaandHortcnsios wifetogo to theirhusbands.Baptista wasso delightedwithhisdaughters gentlenessand willingsubmission thathe addedanother twentythousand crownsto herdowry.Pctruchios workhadbeenwell done.He hadtamed theshrew fbrever.
4.Translation A.Translate thefollowing sentencesfrom Chineseinto English.
1.凡是听到她不幸遭遇的人无不深表同情No onewho hasheard abouther misfortunewill notfeel deepsympathy forher.(这句话为“双重否定”,用“no one...not”来表示,深表同情”可以用44feel deepsympathy for...表示)
2.他提出这个问题是出于好奇心,而非出于求知欲He askedthequestionoutofmere curiosityratherthanoutofany genuinedesire forknowledge.(这里的是……,而非……”句型,可以用“ratherthan来表示,求知欲可以用“desire forknowledge v表示)
3.这位年轻学者专心致志地开发新型的电脑翻译软件,他深信在不久的将来自己会成名This youngscholar devotedall hisattention tothe developmentofanew typeof computertranslation softwareinthefull convictionthathewould makeanameforhimselfinthenear future.(这里的专心致志可以用devote allones attention to”表示,成名可以用makeanameforoneself表示)
4.别把它当作一回事,我刚才所说的并非指你Dont take it seriously.What Ivejust saidisnotmeant fbryou.(“当作一回事可以用“takeitseriously表示)
5.这扇门这么低,那个高个子进屋时无法挺直身子,只能低头猫腰进入It wassuch alow doorwaythatthetall manhad tobend his head ratherthan keepupright whenentering theroom.(这句话可以用“such...that”结构表示,“低头猫腰”可以用“bend oneshead”来表示)
6.我们的班长两个星期前突发高烧,此后一直卧床不起Our monitorwas suddenlydown witha highfever twoweeks agoandhas been keepingto hisbed sincethen.(突发高烧口J以用be suddenlydown witha highfever来表示,“卧床不起”可以用“keep tonesbed”表示,“此后”可以用“eversince”表示)
7.令人难以置信的是他在两年内竟然把这些普通的女孩子训练成了世界一流的长跑运动员Its unbelievablethathemade world-class longdistance runnersoutof these ordinarygirls withintwo years.(“令人难以置信”可以用aitis unbelievablethat句型,“竟然”不需要特别翻译,因为itisunbelievable M的表达己经有这个意思了)
8.他们竭力说服她放弃诉讼,但都无济于事They triedtheir best to talkher intogiving upthe lawsuit,but invain.(“竭力做某事,但无济于事可以用utry one^besttodo sth.,but invain°来表达)
9.那些过着富裕生活的农民从未想过要迁居到大都市去生活Il neveroccurred tothose comfortablyoff farmersthat theywould movetoametropolitan city.(某人从未想过”可以用“it neveroccurred tosb.thal”的句型来表示°)
10.他在餐厅享用美味的晚餐时,听到车子的警报声,猛然间他想起自己停在外面马路上的车子未上锁While enjoyinghis deliciousdinner ina restaurant,he heardthe caralarm andrealized inaflashthathelefthiscar outsidein(he streetunlocked.(这句话中的“猛然间”可以用“inaflash”来表示)B.Translate thefollowing intoEnglish.我们屋子里到处是些谁都不想看一看的东西,而旦也没有人知道今后它们是否还会有用车房里有一辆没有轮子的旧自行车阁楼上有足够的东西可以开一家小百货商店Our houseis fullof thingswhich noone careseven tolook at,nor doesanyone knowif theywill everbeusedagain.There isthe oldbicycle withoutwheels inthe garage,andtheattic hasenough waresforasmall departmentstore.那儿有几篮子孩子的玩具,有几只装满旧衣服的大箱子,有一面破镜子,一只破茶壶,许多捆旧报纸,一只没有指针的钟,还有许许多多东西,全都积满了灰尘可以说没有哪个人家有这么多无用的东西There arebaskets fullof childrenstoys,big casesof usedclothes;there isa brokenmirror,a crackedteapot,bundles ofold newspapers,a clockwithout hands,and manymore otherthings,all gatheringdust.As amatter offact,there isno otherhouse wherethere isso muchuseless stuff.我儿次同我妻子谈,劝她把所有不再需要的东西扔掉,但她不同意,并自信地争辩说这些东西值好大一笔钱昵!I havetried severaltimes totalk mywife intothrowing awayeverything that isnolonger needed,but eachtime shedisagrees,arguing withgreatconvictionthat theywill amounttoalarge sumof money.现在我们屋子里的垃圾多得简直只能全家搬出去,以便留出更多的地方去堆垃圾Now thereisso much junkin ourhouse thatperhaps thefamily hadbetter moveoutsoastomake roomfor morejunk.
5.Sentence RewritingRewrite eachofthefollowing sentences.A.using such...that.Example:Shakespeare hasso finea reputationthat itis wellworth thejourney toStratford-upon-Avon justforavisit.Shakespeare hassuch afine reputationlhai itis wellworth thejourneytoStratford-upon-Avon justfor visit.
1.As Shakespeare isa very famous writer,thousands ofbooks havebeen writtenabout him.Shakespeare issuch afamouswriterthat thousands ofbookshavebeen writtenabouthim.
2.He reallywasagenius,somuchso thathe couldwrite morethanthirtymarvellous playsduring hisfifteen yearsasadramatist.He wassuch agenius thathe couldwrite morethanthirtymarvellous playsduring hisfifteen yearsasadramatist.
3.Romeo andJuliet isso excellentaplaythat ithas runfor tenmonths.Romeo andJulietissuch anexcellent playthati(has runfor tenmonths.
4.It wasreally awonderful performanceso itwon stormyapplause fromthe audiencetime andagain.It wassuch awonderful performancethat itwon stormyapplause fromtheaudiencetime andagain.
5.It issuch agood playastobe worthseeing twice.It issuch agoodplaythatitisworthseeing twice.
6.The oldmanwasin sucha hurryastoforget toput hissignature on hiswill.The oldmanwasin sucha hurrythatheforgot toput hissignatureonhiswill.B.using aclause inapposition toa noun.Example:Shakespeares earlyplays,such asRichard111and TheTamingofthe Shrew,proved thatthegreat careerofalltimehadbegun.Shakespeares earlyplays,such asRichard IIIand Thelaming oftheShrew,were proofthatthegreatcareerofalltimehadbegun.
1.Most peoplebelieve that Shakespeare himselfwrote allhisplays.Most peoplehold hebelief that Shakespeare himselfwrote allhisplays.
2.That Shakespearewas baptizedon26th April,1564isa factthathasbeenproved.The factthatShakespearewasbaptizedon26th April,1564hasbeenproved.
3.It isafactthatShakespearedied on23rd April,1616and nobodydoubts i.Nobody doubtsthe factthatShakespearedied on23rd April,
1616.
4.Some peoplehave suspectedthat WilliamShakespeares playswere infact writtenby someoneelse but thereisno evidenceforthis.The suspicionthat WilliamShakespeare splayswereinfactwrittenbysomeoneelserests onno evidence.
5.You wentto sleep inthe middle ofthe marvellous play;this factshows that you shouldgotobed earlierevery day.The factthatyouwenttosleepinthemiddleofthemarvellousplayshows thatyou shouldgotobed earlierevery day.Exercise IIName someof Shakespeares works andput eachof theminto theright columnaccording to its genre.Without librarieswhat havewe Wchave nopast andno future.—Kay BradburySpeech wasgiven toman toexpress histhought.—Moliere Poetrycomes nearerto vitaltruth thanhistory.—Plato Apoet isamanwho putsup aladder toa starand climbsit whileplaying aviolin.—E.de GoncourtListening Inand SpeakingOut
1.Notes
2.Listening
3.Speaking Practice
1.Notes
1.Titus Andronicus—a tragedyby WilliamShakespeare.It isoften seenas Shakespearesattempt toemulate theviolent andbloody revengeplays ofhiscontemporaries,which wereextremely popularwith audiencesthroughout thesixteenth century.
2.epic—a poem,book orfilm whichis longand containsalotof action,usually dealingwithahistorical subject史诗
3.myth—an ancientstory orsetofstories,esp.explaining ina literaryway theearly historyofagroupofpeople orabout naturalevents orfacts#十舌
4.sublime——extremely good,beautiful orenjoyable
5.Aristotle—ancient Greekphilosopher andscientist,oneofthegreatestinielleclual figuresof Westernhistory.He wasthe authorofaphilosophical andscientific systemthat becamethe frameworkfor bothChristian Scholasticismand medievalIslamic philosophy.
6.purgatory—an extremelyunpleasant experiencewhich causessuffering
7.halo—a ringof lightaround theheadofa holyperson ina religiousdrawing orpainting
8.Renaissance一literally rebirth,the periodin Europeancivilization immediatelyfollowing theMiddle Agesand conventionallyheld tohavebeencharacterized bya surgeof interestin Classicallearning andvalues
9.engulf—surround andcover completely
10.J.VV.Goethe—Johann Wolfgangvon Goethe1749—1832,wasaGerman writer,pictorial artist,biologist,and theoreticalphysicist.He isconsidered thesupreme geniusof modernGerman literature.
11.overweening—finl,disapproving verygreat,or showingtoo muchconfidence inoneself
2.Listening Listentotherecording andanswerthefollowing questions.Comedy HistoryTragedy PoetryAlls WellThat EndsWell HenryIV.part1Antony andCleopatra TheSonnets AsYou LikeIt HenryIV,part2Coriolanus ALovers ComplaintThe Comedyof ErrorsHenryVHamlet TheRape ofLucrccc CymbelineHenry VI,part1JuliusCaesarVenus andAdcnis LovesLabours LostHenrj VI.part2King LearFuneral Elegyby W.S.Measure forMeasure HenryVI.part3Macbeth TheMerry Wivesof WindsorHenry VIIIOthello TheMerchant ofVenice KingJohn RomeoandJulietA MidsummerNights DreamRichard IITimon ofAthens Richard III TitusAndronicus MuchAdo AboutNothing Pericles,Prince oflyre TamingoftheShrew TheTempest Troilusand CressidaTwelfthNightTwo Gentlemenof VeronaWinters TalcExercises IIIComplete thefollowing dialogue.A:Almost400yearsafterhisdeath,the worksof Shakespeareshow littlesign oflosing theirpopularity.Love himor hatehim,Shakespeare isstill widelyread andinspiring passionand firingdebate inthenewcentury.B:Why isthe caseA:The answeris simple:Shakespeares timewas similarinawaytoours.B:Wha【do youmean A:In heElizabethan Age,many ofthe basicissues peoplewere confrontedwith werethesameas today.Surprisingly littlehas changed inthat way andShakespeare wroteaboutthethemes thatconcerned people400years agoand stilltoday.For instance,we stillhave warsbetween countriesand families-thesameas atShakespearestime.B:You haveget apoint there.A:Actually,nothing haschangedinthatway.Nowadays mayhave electricity,different music,and clothes一butthecharacter ofthe peoplehasnt changed.There arcthe goodandthebad,lovers andfighters,the oldandtheyoung ones.And thisis probablythe mainreason whyShakespeares writingsstill attractthe crowdsnowadays.B:I see,and【hal wellexplains whyeverybody isstill inierestcdin lheihings hewrcie.A:But atthesametime someyoung peoplewonder whetherthey shouldcontinue tostudy Shakespearesworks.B:Wh、do theyihink soA:I dontknow.Maybesomeyoung people,especially individualswho havebeen assignedthe worksofShakespeare as schoolassignments,have wonderedabout whetheror notShakespeare isstill relevant.B:What do you thinkIs Shakespearestill relevanttoday A:In myopinion,the enduringpopularity ofShakespeare isa testimonyto hisrelevance.Whats more,he hasmade majorcontributions notonlytothe English language,but tothe wayinwhichpeople thinkand behave.Shakespeare hasquite literallyshaped societyin manyways,making Shakespearerelevant inaveryreal way.B:I agreewith you.From apurely linguisticstandpoint,Shakespeareisdcfiniicly relevant.A:Yes,he introducedthousandsofwordsandphrases tothe Englishlanguage,along withnew conceptsand grammaticalstructures.B:Therefore,nowadays youngDeoDle shouldslill siudyShakesDeares works.Not onlyisheasaperson apartof our history,buthisworks isaswell.
1.When didShakespeare begintowrite tragedies Hebegantowritetragediesfromthebeginning ofhis career.
2.When wereShakespeares mostadmired tragediescreated Theywere written inaseven-year periodbetween1601and
1608.
3.Can youname Shakespeares four major tragedies Yes,Shakespearesfourmajor tragediesare Hamlet,Othello,King Learand Macbeth.
4.What makes Shakespearea giant in drama WhatmakesShakespeareagiantin dramaisnothow heinherited fromthe Greek tragedy buthow hefurther developedit.
5.Who arcthe heroesof Shakespeares tragedy Theyarethemen withhigh socialstatus,kings,princes andgenerals.Script ShakespearesTragedy Shakespearewrote tragediesfromthebeginning ofhis career.One ofhis earliestplays wasthe Romantragedy TitusAndronicus,whichhefollowed afew yearslater withRomeoandJuliet.However,his mostadmired tragedies were writteninaseven-year periodbetween1601and
1608.These includehis fourmajortragediesHamlet,Othello,King Learand Macbeth.As oneofthemost remarkableplaywrights intheworld,WilliamShakespearewas greatlyinfluenced byBritish traditionalliterature andculture,which partlyoriginated fromancient Greekand Romanculture.He gotinspiration fromthe Europeanlegends andhistorical stories.And theepics,myths ofancient Greeceand Roman,the worshipof heroesinthetragedy andeven thesublime aestheticstyle ftinctionedas significantelements whichaffected Shakespearesdramatic creation.In Aristotlestheory,a tragedyaims atpurgatory througharousing pity and fear.Pity isaroused byunmerited misfortuneofpeoplelike ourselves.As forShakespeare,itisnodoubtthathesuccessfully arousedthereaders*pityandfear throughthe miserablelives ofthe charactersinhistragedies andhe presented“pily andfear,totheextreme limit.However,what makesShakespeareagreat giantin dramaisnothow heinherited fromthe Greek tragedy buthowhefurther developedit.The Greektragedy createsa seriesof godsand mankindwho havelofty idealsof self-sacrifice formankind andjustice,but atlast theyarc overwhelmedbythe irresistible fate.These heroes,shining withthe haloof god,are outofourreach.Shakespeare shiftedthe heroesfrom godstothemen withhigh socialstatus,kings,princes andgenerals.These menarc noble,aristocratic,but liveinhereal life.Although differentfrom ordinarypeople,lheir ideasand actionscanbeunderstood andaccepted moreeasily.This maybe regardedasthereflection ofRenaissance.In Greektragedy,fate isthe centralcauseoftragedy.The heroesfail todefeat thepowerful fateand areengulfed byit.J.W.Goethe pointedout thatthe ancienttragedieswerebasedonthe inevitablefate.However,Shakespeares tragedycanbedescribedasstories ofexceptional sufferingand calamity,leading tothe deathofadominant figureofhighsocial standing.Every heroor heroinein Shakespearestragedy hasan imperfectcharacter whichhis orher fallfrom honorand happinessis dueto.Once theweakness takesthe dominantplace,it showstheirresistibleand destructivepower,underthecontrol ofwhich thehero ispulled downfrom highstatus andheisdestined tofail.For example,the excessivepride ofFaustus,the overweeningambition ofMacbeth,andtheuncontrolled jealousyof Othelloall attestthat fateis determinedby character.In thissense,Greektragedyisthetragedy offate,whereas Shakespearesisthetragedy offlawed character.
3.Speaking PracticeI.Give anoral presentationonthesummary ofthe mainpoints ofthe listeningpassage.For yourreference Thekey points:-Shakespeare andhiswritingof tragedies-influence toShakespeares writing-what makesShakespeareagreat giantindrama-difference between Greektragedy and Shakespearestragedy
2.Discuss andcomment onthe effectivenessof eachothers oralpresentation.
3.Work inpairs andtake turnsto askand giveanswers aboutthefollowingtopics:a.Do youknow anythingabouttheorigin oftragedy andits developmentb.What isyour understandingofthemain differencebetweenGreektragedyandShakespearestragedyc.Can youname andintroduce toyourclassmatesoneortwo playsofShakespearewhich youlike bestText
1.Text I1Pre-Reading Questions2General Reading3Background4Text5Comments onthe Text6Exercises
2.Text IITextI
1.Pre-Reading QuestionsThink aboutthefollowingquestions beforeyou readthetext.
1.How isShakespeare relatedtoStratfordIs Stratfordtheplacewhere hewrote mostofhisplays Shakespearewas bomin Stratford-upon-Avon.
2.Is thetext aboutShakespeareslifeand careerIf so,what doyou expecttobetold Yes,but nothingseems tobe certainaboutthedramatists lifeand career.
3.Is thetext aboutShakespeares personalityIf so,what kindof persondoyouexpect Shakespearetohavebeen
4.Is thetext aboutShakespearesworksIf so,whichofShakespearesplayswould youlike tosec commentedonandanalyzed Thisis anopen question.
2.General ReadingGo overthetextrapidly andpick outthe wordsorthesentence ineach paragraphwhich bestsums upthemainideaofthe paragraph.Para.1—the lastsentence Para.2—thefirstsentence Para.3—thefirstsentence Para.4一travelled abroadPara.5—the lastsentence Para.6一thefirstsentence Para.7一Nothing remainsofthewritersownhandwritingbuthissignature.
3.Background
1.WilliamShakespeareWilliamShakespeare26April,1564baptised—23April,1616wasanEnglish poet and playwright,widely regardedasthegreatestwriterinthe Englishlanguageandthe worlds pre-eminent dramatist.He isoften calledEnglands nationalpoetandthe Bardof Avon.His survivingworks,including somecollaborations,consist ofabout38plays,154sonnets,two longnarrative poems,and severalother poems.His playshavebeentranslated intoevery majorliving languageand areperformed moreoften thanthoseofanyotherplaywright.
2.Stratford-upon-Avon It isamarket townand civilparish insouth Warwickshire,England.It liesontheRiver Avon,22miles35km southeastof Birminghamand8miles13km southwestof Warwick.It isthe largestand mostpopulous townoftheDistrict ofStratford-on-Avon,which usesthe termontoindicate thatit coversa muchlarger areathan thetown itself.The townisa popular touristdestination owingtoitsstatus asbirthplace ofthe playwrightandpoetWilliamShakespeare.
3.Elizabethan EnglishElizabethanEnglishrefers totheEnglishused duringthereign ofQueenElizabethI1558—
1603.It belongsto EarlyModern Englishsometimes abbreviatedto EModE,thestageoftheEnglishlanguageused fromthebeginningoftheTudor perioduntiltheEnglish Interregnumand Restoration,or fromthe transitionfrom MiddleEnglishinthe late15th centurytothetransition toModem Englishduringthemid tolate17thcentury.
4.grammar schoolA grammarschool isoneofseveral differenttypes ofschool inthe historyof educationintheUnited Kingdomandsomeother English-speaking countries,originally aschool teachingclassical languagesbut morerecently anacademically-oriented secondaryschool.The originalpurpose ofmediaeval grammarschools wasthe teachingof Latin.Over timethe curriculumwas broadened,first toinclude AncientGreek,and laterEnglish andother Europeanlanguages,natural sciences,mathematics,history,geography,andothersubjects.In thelate Victorianera grammarschools werereorganized toprovide secondaryeducation throughoutEngland andWales;Scotland haddeveloped adifferent system.Grammar schoolsofthesetypes werealso establishedin Britishterritories overseas,where theyhave evolvedin differentways.
5.Richard Hl5,.RO跻均尽A ZOEWAN AMA KERBRIAN PROTHEROEoyp ANDANNETTE CROSBIEW RichardIII isa historyplay by WilliamShakespeare,believed tohavebeenwritteninapproximately
1591.It depictsthe Machiavellianrise topower andsubsequent shortreignofRichardIIIof England.
6.The TurningoftheShrew SHIRLEYHENDERSON lamingoftheShrewSHAKESPEARE RETOLDX romanticconuAy cxfJorin^UM complexitiesof MaletuidfciMitlc reWfhgTheTamingoftheShrew isa comedybyWilliamShakespeare,believed tohavebeenwritten between1590and
1591.The mainplot depictshe courtshipof Petruchio,a gentlemanofVerona,and Katherina,the headstrong,obdurate shrew.Initially,Katherina isan unwillingparticipant inthe relationship,but Petruchiotempers herwith variouspsychological torments—thetaming—until shebecomes acompliant andobedient bride.
4.Text AMan fromStratford—WilliamShakespeareOn March25th,1616,fifty-two-year-old MasterWilliamShakespearesigned hiswill leavingthe famouslegacyofhis“secondbestbedandfurniture^tohiswife andthe greaterpartofhisestatetohismarrieddaughter.SusannaHall.It wasthewillofacomfortablyoffman,fortheincomefromtheestateprobablyamountedtoabout£200a year,which wasalotofmoneyover threehundred andsixty yearsago.For historians,themostinterestingpartofthewillwasthat signature,becauseitandothersignatures arcall wchave leftofthehandwriting oftheworldsliterarygenius.There isno countrywhere Shakespeareswork isnot readwith somethingvery likeawe becausethereissomething fascinatingabout amanwhoseworkwassomuchbetterthanthatofanyoneelse.Yet inspite ofthe thousandsofbooksthathavebeenwrittenabout thisamazing writer,almosteverydetailofhispersonallifeissupposition ratherthan fact.Historically speaking,Shakespearelivedonly yesterdaybuthisactivities,like thoseof nearlyevery playwrightofhisday,aresovague thathe couldhavebeenborninRomantimes.Shakespearesbirthplace,the littletownofStratford-upon-Avon,in Warwickshire,had madea hrivingbusiness outofitsmostfamouscitizen fora longtime.Itisapopularplace fortourists fromallovertheworld,even thoughmanyofthem wouldhavethegreatestofdifficultyinunderstanding ShakespearesElizabethanEnglish.However,he hassuchafinereputationthatitiswellworththejourney justtobeabletolook atthe swansthat swimonhisriver,and gazeatthe。