Shakespearean Language

Jillian Pergande October 31, 2016

In “Folger Edition: Reading Shakespeare’s Language”, the author explains how to read Shakespearean text for beginners. She details three main things to notice:  word play, sentence structure, and language. Shakespeare played with these in order to achieve certain emotional appeals and effects on the audience. Because of what she calls “static”, much of his meaning has been lost.  However, she does explain how to read his work with fluency. It takes a lot of effort but it can be done. Personally, I really enjoy Shakespeare’s language. I find it beautiful.

Questions: The Tragic Hero

1: What is the tragic hero’s purpose?

2: What are some examples?

The tragic hero is a protagonist that faces a certain downfall.  This relates back to our lesson hubris, which is something a tragic hero often posses. Icarus is an example. Though his intentions were noble, his hubris led him to a tragic end. The tragic hero is intended to teach a lesson through imposing the fear of meeting his same end into the reader. Often, the hero meets his end through fate or a cursing from the gods. However, they are usually the cause of their own deaths. They are result oriented and common in Greek literature. 

 Cites:

http://literarydevices.net/tragic-hero/

https://sites.google.com/site/nmeictproject/home/the-tragic-hero