ENG220H1 Lecture Notes - Body Politic, Odysseus, Peter Quince
Document Summary
Historicizing: view of the world at a particular time, fills in generational gaps. Theatrical and literary genres: system of classification, audience expectations. Most of his plays were adapted from known stories. Also comments on his performance as an actor. Great writers take nature as the content of their work. Nature is the poet"s matter, yet he cannot give nature all: nature is being formed and molded by shakespeare"s work, changing the way we view the natural. Swan of avon: associated with shakespeare, graceful, associated with evil. Tremendous afterlife of shakespeare"s works through publication even after his death. Son of a working man, skilled in a trade, member of the community. Likely he went to a very good grammar school in stratford. Many people visited stratford in the 1570"s and put on plays; shakespeare"s exposure to plays. 1572: law was passed, outlawing the performance of plays by actors unless they had aristocratic frontage; under the wing of nobleness.
