Otázka: William Shakespeare
Jazyk: Angličtina
Přidal(a): patka130
I would like to speak about William Shakespeare. At first I would like to tell you something his life. The second part will be about his works. The third part about Romeo and Juliet.
His life:
William Shakespeare was born on 23rd April, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He’s the one of most famous Britain’s writers and important dramatics. In 18 years old he married 8 years older Ann Hathaway from nearby village, she was already pregnant. They had daughter Susan, then twins Hamnet and Judith (Hamnet died in 11 years > tragedy Hamlet). He bought the Globe Theatre with other members of King’s Men group of actors. During a period of 20 years he wrote 37 plays and beautiful sonnets. His most famous plays are tragedies Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, comedies The Midsummer Night’s Dream etc. He died on 23rd April, 1616, after birthday celebration at the age of 52
Works
- Tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Macbeth
- Comedies: The Merchant of Venice, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Taming of the Shrew, As you like it, Comedy of Errors, Measure for Measure, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Historical plays(most about kings of England): Richard II., Richard III., Henry IV., Henry V., Henry VI., Henry VIII., Julius Caesar, Anthony and Cleopatra
Romeo and Juliet
This famous tragedy is about the unhappy love and death of Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. They were the only children of two powerful clans of Verona. These Houses of Montague and of Capulet hated each other. Romeo fell in love with Juliet when he was 16 and she was 14. They got married in secret because their families not only hated but fought one another too and their parents did not allow them to become husband and wife in any case. In a quarrel, a few days after wedding, Romeo unfortunately killed one of Juliet’s cousins Tybalt. Prince of Verona sent Romeo to the exile outside Verona. Juliet’s parents didn’t know about secret wedding of their daughter and that’s why they wished her to marry a rich nobleman called Paris. To escape this, Juliet took a drug which made her fallen into such a deep sleep that people thought her to be dead. In the same time Romeo wanted to come secretly to Verona and take Juliet away with him. But he found his loved beauty in her deep sleep and he believed Juliet to be dead. That’s why he poisoned himself. When Juliet awoke and saw her husband’s dead body, she killed herself too. Over the death children their parents made peace but too late for their children.
Hamlet
Is based on the Danish legend. Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, murdered Hamlet’s father, the king of Denmark. By marrying Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude, he succeeds the throne. The ghost of death king appears to Hamlet and asks for revenge. Hamlet, typical Renaissance hero, is not able to kill without having a clear proof of guilt. In order to find some proof of guilt against Claudius, he pretends madness. He tests the story of the murder with a theatrical performance and carefully watches Claudius. Thinking that Claudius is hidden behind the curtain in Getrude’s room, he kills Polonius, Ophelia’s father. Laertes, Ophelia’s brother and Polonius’s son comes to revenge Ophelia and Polonius. Claudius provokes Laertes to challenge Hamlet to a fencing match. The last scene of the play is most dramatic. In case Hamlet wins the match, Claudius prepares a glass of poisoned wine for him. He also poisons Laertes’s sword. During the dual, both Laertes and Hamlet are wounded by the poisoned wine; Hamlet does not hesitate anymore and also stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword. After death of Hamlet, Gertrude, Laertes and Claudius, King Fortinbras comes to lead the country in justice and wisdom.
