Shakespeare, Canterbury Tales Flashcards
(13 cards)
Hamlet
Characters: Ophelia, Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes, Gertrude, Player King
Plot: You know it
Macbeth
Characters: King Duncan, Malcolm, Donaldbain, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Macduff, Seward, Banquo (Fleance’s dad), Fleance
Plot: Macbeth kills Duncan because of a prophecy, kills friend Banquo (whose son will inherit the throne)
The Tempest
Characters: Prospero, Miranda, Caliban, Sycorax, Antonio, Alonso, Ariel
Plot: Magician Prospero and daughter Miranda are stuck on an island because his brother Antonio (with Alonso, king of naples) disliked him. Helped by Gonzalo (dude) and Ariel (spirit). Caliban tried to rape Miranda, Prospero made him a slave. Caliban hangs with drunkards, Prospero makes Ferdinand and Miranda fall in love. Everyone gets off the island, magically
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Characters: Proteus, Valentine, Julia, Sylvia, Duke, Thurio (douchebag alternate lover of Sylvia)
Plot: Valentine is going from Verona to Milan, wants Proteus to come. Proteus in love with Julia, forced to go to Milan by his dad. There, Valentine is in love with Duke’s daughter, Silvia. Duke says no, Valentine confides in Proteus, Proteus betrays Valentine bc hes also in love with Silvia. Julia gets there, finds out, cross-dresses. Valentine exiled, fakes death, gets elected head of outlaws. All works out, somehow (rape threat from proteus aside)
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Characters: FALSTAFF, Page (Mr, Mrs, Anne), Doctor Caius, Master Slendor, Fenton
Plot: Falstaff, poor, arrives in Windsor, deicdes to court the older Mistresses Ford and Page. His servants Pistol and Nym, get fired, and they tell their husbands. Page, humorously, dont care, but Ford does. Mistress Page wants her daughter to marry Doctor Caius, the dad wants her to marry Master Slender, the daughter wants to marry Fenton. Mistresses, meanwhile, get Fallstaff to dress as Herne the Hunter
Measure for Measure
Problem Play
Plot: Vincentio, duke of Vienna, leaves city to Angelo. Claudio married Juliet, but didnt do everything right, so Angelo tries to punish them to death for fornication. Claudio’s sister Isabella pleads for his life, Angelo tries to rape her in exchange for freedom. They pull a bed trick, so Angelo’s bethrothed Mariana sleeps with Angelo, and a trick with some pirate’s head. The Duke makes Angelo marry Mariana, sentences him to “death.” The Duke then proposes to Isabella, which leads to an awkward silent acceptance. As a subplot, Claudio’s friend Lucio keeps insulting the Duke and Friar, and bc of this marries prostitute Kate Keepdown.
Characters: Claudio, Isabella, Duke, Angelo, Mariana, Lucio, Kate Keepdown
The Comedy of Errors
Plot: Twins separated when their dad, Egeon, tied them in a boat. Antipholus and Dromio (Servant of Syracuse and Ephese). Wacky shit happens, beatings,
Characters: Egoen, Anitpholus, Dromio, Abbess (Emilia of Babylon), Duke
Much Ado About Notthing
Characters: Benedick, Beatrice, Claudio, Hero, Don Pedro, Don John, Dogberry, Leonato (Hero’s Dad)
Love’s Labour Lost
Plot: Ferdinand, King of Navarre, with Berowne, Dumaine, and Longaville, promise to study for three years and not let women get in the way. They, of course, meet Ladies Rosaline, Maria, Katarine, and Princess. There’s also something about Don Adriano de Armado, who’s spanish, tries to woo Jaquenetta
A Midsummer’s Night Dream
Plot: Wedding of Theseus of Athens and Hippolyta (Amazon). Hermia’s dad, father, Egeus wanted her to marry Demetrius: she wants to marry Lysander. Oberon and Titania, fairies, are estranged. Helena loves Demetrius, but thats in vain.
The Merchant of Venice
Plot: Bassanio wants to marry Portia, but wastes his estate. He asks Antonio, who keeps bailing him out, to guarantee his loan. Shylock loans the money, but Antonio is culpable (for a pound of flesh). The three suitors go through the Gesta Romanorum thing. Boats crash, Shylock wants his money because his daughter eloped with a Christian (Lorenzo with Jessica). This backfires, Portia is good at lawyering.
As You Like It
“All the world’s a stage” “Too much of a good thing”
Plot: Frederick usurps dukedom and exiles Duke Senior, his brother. His niece, Rosalind, can stay because Frederick’s daughter Celia loves her. Orlando loves Rosalind, but is forced to leave due to his cousin Oliver. Rosalind and Celia flee to where the banished Duke Senior is. Shepherdesses Phebe and Silvius are in love, as Touchstone and Audrey are.
The Taming of the Shrew
Plot: 10 things I hate about You. The two other suitors overbid and waste a
Characters: Kate, Bianca, Baptista Minola (Dad), Petruchio (Heath Ledger), Lucentio (JGL), Gremio and Hortensio (other suitors).
