Renaissance Study Book
As if birthing civilization once wasn‟t enough.
My name is_______________________________. Don‟t take my studybook.
Your hands will never be clean again.
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Renaissance Background
p.236-7
Whose reign begins in 1485?
What replaced the military as the source of power in England?
Why is this time called the Renaissance?
Who was Martin Luther and what did he do?
Who were the four Tudor rulers?
Who were the two Stuart rulers?
Who was Cromwell and what did he do?
What happened after he died?
p.238-9
How did meals work in England?
What was the fashion of the time?
What was considered beautiful for women?
What did they do to brighten their teeth?
What two kinds of entertainment were popular?
What did the upper classes often do after supper?
What often happened during early games of football?
p.240-1
What kinds of advertisements were circulating throughout England?
What two things were published in English that let people explore Christianity on their
own?
What was a chapbook?
What two groups of poets existed and how were they different?
When did the first professional playhouse open up?
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Shakespeare Video
Section A
When was Shakespeare born?
What is the era called in which Shakespeare was writing?
How were actors seen in Shakespeare‟s time?
Where were Shakespeare‟s plays performed?
How was the Globe shaped?
How many floors did the Globe have?
What was the center area known as?
What were the people who stood there called?
What was the tower called?
When were performances held?
Who played female roles?
What is the Francis Bacon theory?
What happened in 1592 that affected Shakespeare?
Who became ruler in 1603?
Section B – Shakespeare‟s Use of Language
What is the difference between poetry and prose?
What is meter?
What is blank verse?
What is an iamb?
What does penta mean?
What is iambic pentameter?
Section C – Elizabethan Drama
Why were words more important in the Elizabethan Era than now?
What is always understood about characters in Shakespeare‟s plays?
How do you gain information about the characters?
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What is a characteristic of Medieval art?
Sonnet
p.244
Where does the word sonnet come from?
How many lines does a sonnet have?
What is a sonnet sequence?
What meter are sonnets generally written in?
What are the three kinds of sonnets?
What is an Italian sonnet sometimes called?
What is the Italian sonnet‟s rhyme scheme?
What is an English sonnet sometimes called?
What is the English sonnet‟s rhyme scheme?
What is different between a Spenserian sonnet and an English Sonnet?
Sonnet 130 p.288
What is different about the woman Shakespeare describes in this sonnet compared to
what you might expect in love poetry?
Sonnet 29 p.291
How does Shakespeare think when he‟s feeling down and out?
What reminds him of what is truly important in life?
Pastoral Poetry
p.279
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What is the pastoral tradition?
How realistic are pastoral poems?
What are they celebrating?
What do they reveal?
“The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”
What does the shepherd want from the woman?
Name three things he offers her.
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3.
“The Nymph‟s Reply to the Shepherd”
What is her ultimate answer?
Give three reasons why.
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2.
3.
The King James Bible (1611)
p.402
Where does the word Bible come from?
What version of the Bible did early English translators use?
What was the problem with the Bible when James became king?
What did he do to solve this problem?
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Introduction to the Language of Shakespeare
2nd person pronouns
Modern English Shakespeare‟s English
Nom Obj Poss Ref. Nom Obj Poss Ref
You You Your Yourself Thou Thee Thine Thyself
Practice – Translate the following sentences into Shakespeare‟s English:
1. You stink, but I love you. _________________________________
2. If you don‟t keep your stinking hands to yourself, I‟m going to make you regret
you were ever born.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Apostrophes
Shakespeare loved to substitute apostrophes for letters to try to imitate how people
actually speak. This is very common for authors from all time periods. For example, in
Of Mice and Men, George says, “An‟ I bet he‟s eatin‟ raw eggs and writin‟ to the patent
medicine houses.” This makes sense to you because you speak modern English.
Shakespeare is doing the same thing, but it‟s a little harder for us because his English is a
little different.
Practice – Spell out what Shakespeare is actually saying:
1. Give to th‟ edge o‟ th‟ sword (IV.i.150-1).___________________________________
2. Here I‟ll sit i‟ th‟ midst (III.iv.11). _________________________________________
3. The moment on „t; for „t must be done tonight. _______________________________
4. I‟ th‟ shipman‟s yard ( I.iii.17).____________________________________________
5. Th‟art kind. (I.iii.12)_______________________________
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Macbeth Characters
Macbeth -
Lady Macbeth -
Three Witches -
Banquo -
King Duncan -
Macduff -
Malcolm -
Hecate -
Fleance -
Lennox -
Ross -
The Murderers -
Porter -
Lady Macduff -
Donalbain -
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I.i
Who is present in this scene?
What is the weather like?
What do they agree to do?
What kind of mood does this scene create for the play?
I.ii
What does King Duncan ask the captain?
What does the captain say about Macbeth and Banquo?
What does Ross tell the King?
What does the King decree?
How is Macbeth‟s character revealed in this scene?
How is Duncan‟s character revealed in this scene?
I.iii
What does Banquo ask the witches?
What do they say that surprises Macbeth?
What do they say to Banquo?
What news does Ross bring?
I.iv
Who does Duncan say is the heir to the throne?
What does Macbeth think when he hears this?
Why does Macbeth go home ahead of the royal party?
I.v
What does Lady Macbeth see as Macbeth‟s flaw?
What does she resolve to do?
I.vi
How does the King act when he arrives at Macbeth‟s castle?
I.vii
Give three reasons Macbeth doesn‟t want to kill Duncan.
What does Macbeth realize is the only reason to kill him?
What is Lady Macbeth‟s plan?
How does Macbeth respond to Lady Macbeth‟s plan?
What does Macbeth decide about killing Duncan?
II.i
What has Banquo been dreaming about?
What hallucination does Macbeth see?
Describe the hallucination in detail.
II.ii
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What does Lady Macbeth give as the reason she didn‟t kill the king herself?
What word was Macbeth not able to say with the guards?
What phrase did Macbeth think he heard as he killed the King?
II.iii
Why is the porter slow in answering the door?
What does Macduff discover when he goes in to see the king?
What does Macbeth do to the chamberlains who were found with the daggers?
Why does Macbeth say he did this?
How does Macduff respond to this information?
What does Lady Macbeth do in response to all the excitement?
Why do Malcolm and Donalbain decide to leave?
II.iv
What things does Ross discuss as strange?
What news is there about Macbeth?
Why are people suspicious about Malcolm and Donalbain?
III.i
Why does Macbeth fear Banquo?
How does Macbeth convince the men to murder Banquo?
Who else must be killed along with Banquo? Why?
III.ii
Why is Macbeth‟s mind “full of scorpions”?
How does Macbeth tell Lady Macbeth to act toward Banquo that evening?
III.iii
What is Banquo‟s last request?
III.iv
What news does Macbeth receive at the beginning of the scene?
What surprising thing does Macbeth see at his table?
Who else sees this thing?
What does Lady Macbeth offer as an excuse for Macbeth‟s behavior?
Whom does Macbeth decide to pay a visit?
III.v
Who is Hecate?
Why are the other witches in trouble?
III.vi
Who was blamed for Banquo‟s murder?
Where has Malcolm gone?
Why?
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IV.i
Describe the 1st three apparitions Macbeth sees.
What do the first three apparitions represent?
What is the last thing the witches let Macbeth see?
What news does Lennox bring?
How does Macbeth respond?
How does Macbeth feel after seeing the witches? Why?
IV.ii
How does Lady Macduff feel about her husband leaving?
What does she tell her son?
How does the son respond?
What happens to Lady Macduff and her son?
Why is this Macbeth‟s most brutal act?
IV.iii
Why does Malcolm not trust Macduff?
What does he do to test him?
What is King Edward‟s special gift?
What does Ross first tell Macduff?
How does Macduff respond to the real news?
Why suggestion does Malcolm make?
V.i
What strange habit does Lady Macbeth have?
What does Lady Macbeth see on her hands while she is sleepwalking?
V.ii
Describe the military situation.
V.iii
Why does Macbeth feel confident about his victory?
How is Macbeth dressed?
V.iv
What plan is described in this scene?
V.v
What happens to Lady Macbeth?
How does Macbeth respond?
V.vi
What begins?
V.vii
Why is Macbeth confident in battle?
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V.viii
Who is Macduff looking for and why?
Who enters the castle?
What do the Scottish nobles do when the battle really begins?
How does Macduff fulfill another prophecy?
What happens to Macbeth?
Who is made king?
What is the feeling at the end of the play?
Questions to Consider
What is the climax of the play?
Make a list of prophesies and describe how they are fulfilled.
What is a thane?
What are symbols of evil in the play?
What happens to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth‟s relationship after the murder?
Why does Macbeth reject suicide?
What is the theme of the play?
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