WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
APRIL 23, 1564-APRIL 23, 1616
Shakespeare’s Monarchs
JACOBEAN
James I
b.1566
r. 1603-1625Human Computer Interaction
ELIZABETHAN
Elizabeth Tudor
b.1533
r. 1558-1603
The Rise of English Nationhood
The Tudor Myth: reassure Queen
Elizabeth’s subjects
The English Language and England as a World Power
The Rise of English Nationhood
The Globe theater
| When, in disgrace with Fortune and men’s eyes, | A |
| I all alone beweep my outcast state, | B |
| And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, | A |
| And look upon myself and curse my fate, | B |
| Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, | C |
| Featured like him, like him with friends possessed, | D |
| Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope, | C |
| With what I most enjoy contented least: | D |
| Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, | E |
| Haply I think on thee, and then my state | F |
| (Like to the lark at break of day arising | E |
| From sullen earth) sings hymns at heavens’ gate; | F |
| For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings | G |
| That then I scorn to change my state with kings. | G |
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Rhyme Scheme: writen in red leters next to the poem. Each leter corresponds to
the last word of that line. For example: leters “A” correspond to the words “eyes” and
“cries”; leters “B” correspond to “state” and “fate” and so forth. Every sonnet will
follow this rhyme scheme.
When, in disgrace with Fortune and men’s eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
QUATRAIN 1
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least:
QUATRAIN 2
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state
(Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth) sings hymns at heavens’ gate;
QUATRAIN 3
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
COUPLET
Each sonnet will follow the same patern:
1) 14 lines in length
2) Rhyme scheme
3) Iambic pentameter: which means—10 syllables per line
The English Sonnet
Shakespeare wrote 154 (!) of them. The English Sonnet is also
known as the Shakespearean Sonnet (not because he created
them but because he wrote the most number of them).