English language and Medieval literature & Romeo and Juliet Havo 4 literature wk 43 & 44

English language & literature
Understanding:

  • Development of the English language
  • Medieval literature vs Renaissance literature (Shakespeare's plays)
  • Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare)
  • Dramatic irony (literary device)
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Slide 1: Slide
EngelsMiddelbare schoolvmbo lwoo, vwoLeerjaar 4

This lesson contains 21 slides, with text slides and 5 videos.

time-iconLesson duration is: 50 min

Items in this lesson

English language & literature
Understanding:

  • Development of the English language
  • Medieval literature vs Renaissance literature (Shakespeare's plays)
  • Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare)
  • Dramatic irony (literary device)

Slide 1 - Slide

English history & language
  • 43 AD -> Romans invaded England (Latin words)

  • 450 -1066 -> Anglo-Saxon -  German/Dutch/Danish tribes invade 
       England  and mix with the Celts (Celtic and German/Danish words)

  • 633 AD/7th century -> England converts to Christianity (Latin used to copy the Bible)

  • 793 AD -> Vikings invade England at Lindisfarne (Danish words)

  • 1066 -> Battle of Hastings, Vikings from Normandy conquer England (French words!)

  • 1476 -> William Caxton first printer in England -> start of standardizing English

Latin (scholarly language/Bible)  / Celtic (old English) & German / Danish  (Vikings) / French (Normans)



Slide 2 - Slide

Medieval society - 500-1500 A.D.


  • The Church is  the most important part of medieval society & dominates life 

  • The only Religion is Christianity. 

  • All medieval people believed in God, Heaven, and Hell: The Roman Catholic Church is the path 
to Heaven

  • The Catholic Church = dominant -> wealthy & Latin (scholarly language)
-> money through tithes,  a tax of one tenth of a person's yearly earnings or goods given to the Church

Slide 3 - Slide

A few literary genres 500-1500 AD
  • Oral poetry: 
      Christian themes; only clergy literate; centered on great heroic figures

  • Germanic Heroic Poetry: 
-> performed orally, later written down by scholars/clergymen 
-> Ancient code of honor that obliges warriors to avenge their slain lords or die beside them
-> Aristocratic heroism and kinship values 

  • Elegy (a funeral song; a poem lamenting the dead)
  • Allegory (extended methaphor )
  • Satire (criticizing society's flaws)

  • Medieval Romance: 
->  knights attempting to win the love of women of much higher class, by showing morality, nobility, and bravery (King Arthur)



Slide 4 - Slide

Literary genres 500-1500 AD
  • Drama (1000-1500) - very religious themes in plays, all-male cast

  • Morality play (1400 - 1500) 
-> Taught lessons about morality and human nature
-> Used allegorical characters to portray the struggle that a person goes through to achieve salvation 
-> Forces of good and evil


  • Religious Prose



Slide 5 - Slide

English Renaissance - 1500-1670
Middle ages 
-> absolute power of God & Catholic Church / Greek & Roman stories forbidden 
-> Literature focuses on the power of God, good and evil



Renaissance 
-> Rebirth - renewed interest in classical stories/ancient Greece & humanism (human being is essentially good)
-> English playwrights and poets use Italian stories and poetry as inspiration
-> rise of merchant class
-> Shakespeare creates more human characters in his plays & is the first to  bring them to theatres

Slide 6 - Slide

Middle Ages


Renaissance

Slide 7 - Slide

Shakespeare's Plays (38 in total)

Portray recognisable people in situations that we can all relate to:
love, marriage, death, mourning, guilt, the need to make difficult choices, separation, 
reunion and reconciliation (= themes) 

The play's characters act in situations with great humanity, tolerance, and wisdom. 

They help us to understand what it is to be human, and to cope with the problems of being so. 

Slide 8 - Slide

Literary device: Dramatic irony

The audience knows something 
the character in the story/play doesn't know


Slide 9 - Slide

Slide 10 - Slide

Slide 11 - Slide

Slide 12 - Slide

Slide 13 - Video

Plot Romeo & Juliet
Plot (video 5 min./slide)
Read 2nd Act (Balcony Scene) 
Read 5th Act (Romeo buys poison thinking Juliet is dead = dramatic irony)


Video clips:
Romeo spots Juliet at masked ball
Balcony scene 
Death scene

Slide 14 - Slide

Slide 15 - Video

Slide 16 - Link

Slide 17 - Video

Slide 18 - Video

Slide 19 - Video

Star Cross'd

Short British film of a modern Romeo & Juliet
At the Beach
4 min.

Slide 20 - Slide

Slide 21 - Link