REVIEWER

Second Term
3 CFIJ
I. KING ARTHUR
Le Morte D Arthur
Characters: King Arthur (wounded, weak), Sir Lucan, Sir
Bedivere
Settings: battlefield, small chapel, unnamed town,
seaside, lake
Plot:
King Arthurs trusted knights, Sir Lucan and Sir
Bedivere, fight to keep King Arthur alive.
The two knights decide to take Arthur to a small
town.
While going there, Sir Lucan dies of heart
attack.
Upon reaching the town, Arthur instructs
Bedivere to throw Excalibur to the nearby lake.
Bedivere takes Excalibur; however, awed by its
riches and power, Bedivere decides to keep it.
Bedivere returns to Arthur, and reports that he
threw Excalibur.
Arthur does not believe Bedivere, for the latter
claims to have not seen anything when he
threw the sword.
Arthur instructs Bedivere to throw it at the cost
of his life, and Bedivere fearfully obeys.
As Excalibur was thrown, a hand catches it,
shakes it thrice, and vanishes in the water with
the sword.
Arthur asks for one last favor: to take him to the
seaside where a boat is waiting for him.
Arthur journeys on the boat with ladies wearing
black cloaks, to Avalon.
(My dear students, kindly re-read the story for specific
details. You will need knowledge of the plot.)
II. RENAISSANCE LITERATURE
The Renaissance Spirit
Secularism separation of state and church; this
concept asserts the right to be free from church
teachings in issues concerning the State.
This movement effects the following:
More worldly/materialistic view of life
Exploration of ones potentials
Widening of skills and possibilities
Scientific growth
The Renaissance Man
Descriptions:
Cultivates his innate capabilities to the fullest
Is a multi-faceted individual
Strives to attain BALANCE in physical,
emotional, social, mental and spiritual aspects
A patron of the arts and sciences (includes
mathematics, physical education, etc.)
III. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Life: refer to your worksheet on William Shakespeare
Bio-data. Memorize the dates and names.
Works: 154 sonnets and 37 plays

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SHAKESPEAREAN PLAYS
Classifications: comedies, tragedies and histories
Comedy: has a happy ending, usually involving
marriages between the unmarried characters, and a
tone and style that is more light-hearted
List of comedies
All's Well That Ends Well
As You Like It
The Comedy of Errors
Love's Labour's Lost
Measure for Measure
The Merchant of Venice
The Merry Wives of Windsor
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Much Ado About Nothing
The Taming of the Shrew
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Two Noble Kinsmen
Twelfth Night
Tragedy: has a noble protagonist, who is flawed in
some way, placed in a stressful heightened situation
and ends with a fatal conclusion; focuses on the reverse
of fortune of the central characters which leads to ruin
and ultimately, death.
List of tragedies
Titus Andronicus
Romeo and Juliet
Julius Caesar (history)
Hamlet
Othello
King Lear
Macbeth
Timon of Athens (history)
Antony and Cleopatra (history)
Coriolanus
Cymbeline
History
List of histories
Edward III (not included in folio but often attributed
to Shakespeare)
Richard II
Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 2
Henry V
Henry VI, Part 1
Henry VI, Part 2
Henry VI, Part 3
Richard III
ENGLISH III SHAKESPEAREAN PLAYS (A MUST-READ!)
A. COMEDIES
1. MERCHANT OF VENICE
Setting: Venice, Italy
Major Characters:

Shylock: A Jewish moneylender in Venice; schemes to

get revenge by ruthlessly demanding a pound of
Antonios flesh as penalty for Antonios defaulting on a
loan.
Portia: A wealthy heiress from Belmont. Portias beauty
is matched only by her intelligence.
Antonio: The merchant whose love for his friend
Bassanio prompts him to sign Shylocks contract and
almost lose his life.
Bassanio: A gentleman of Venice and a kinsman and
dear friend to Antonio; suitor (and later, husband) to
Portia
Gratiano: A friend of Bassanios who accompanies him
to Belmont; marries Nerissa
Jessica: Shylocks daughter; elopes with the young
Christian gentleman Lorenzo.
Lorenzo: A friend of Bassanio and Antonio; in love with
Jessica
Nerissa: Portias lady-in-waiting and confidante; marries
Gratiano
SHORT PLOT
Bassanio is an aristocratic but poor young man of
Venice. He has fallen in love with Portia, a beautiful
young lady of Belmont. Bassanio needs money to woo
the lady. He asks his friend Antonio, the merchant of
Venice, for a loan.
Antonio's money is tied-up in business ventures. He
borrows money from a Jewish moneylender named
Shylock. Antonio signs a bond agreeing to give Shylock a
pound of his flesh if the money is not repaid on a
certain date. Bassanio uses the money travel to
Belmont. He wins Portia's love.
Antonio cannot repay the borrowed money on time.
Shylock insists on the pound of flesh as stated in the
bond. The case goes to court. Portia disguises herself as
a lawyer. She says that Shylock's bond is cruel. His
insistence on the terms of the bond is just, but justice
must be softened with mercy. Shylock will not relent.
The court forces him to release Antonio.
2. A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM
Setting: Athens, Magical forest
Major Characters:
Theseus: The duke of Athens
Hippolyta: The queen of the Amazons, engaged to
marry Theseus.
Egeus: A respected nobleman in Theseuss court; father
of Hermia
Hermia: Egeuss daughter; in love with Lysander
Lysander: A young nobleman of Athens in love with
Hermia.
Demetrius: A young nobleman of Athens; once in love
with Helena, but now loves Hermia. He ends up with
Helena
Helena: A young woman of Athens in love with
Demetrius; best friend to Hermia
Robin Goodfellow (puck): a mischievous fairy who
delights in playing pranks on mortals
Oberon: The king of the fairies; is at odds with his wife
Titania: The beautiful queen of the fairies; fights with
her husband to keep the young Indian prince
Nick Bottom: actor in the woods with whom Titania
falls in love because of the love potion
SHORT PLOT
Egeus wants his daughter Hermia to marry Demetrius.
Hermia does not want to marry him. She loves another

man named Lysander. Hermia and Lysander decide to

run away. Demetrius follows them. Helena, Hermia's
best friend, is in love with Demetrius. She follows him.
All four become lost in the woods near Athens.
Meanwhile, Oberon and Titania are having an argument
because of a young Indian prince Titania brought with
her. Oberon decides to teach Titania a lesson. He puts a
love potion into her eyes while she is asleep. This potion
will make her fall in love with the first thing she sees
when she wakes.
Oberon finds Helena and Demetrius. He tells Puck to
give Demetrius some of the love potion so that he will
love Helena. Puck makes a mistake and puts the potion
in Lysander's eyes. When Lysander wakes up, he loves
Helena instead of his real sweetheart Hermia!
The workmen are practising a play in the woods for the
upcoming marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. Puck
plays a trick on Nick Bottom by giving him donkey ears.
The other actors run away, so Bottom goes to sleep. He
is sleeping near Titania. She wakes up and falls in love
with him.
Oberon realizes everything is all mixed up. He gives
some of the love potion to Demetrius. Now Demetrius
and Lysander both love Helena. Sad and confused, all
the lovers fall asleep. At last, Puck rights all the wrongs.
He makes Lysander love Hermia again, and makes
Demetrius love Helena. Everyone is happy.
The workmen perform their play after the wedding of
Theseus and Hippolyta. Oberon undid the potion and
makes peace with his wife. They are happy with each
other again. The fairies use their magic to bless all the
lovers.
3. THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
Setting: Padua, Italy
Major Characters:
Katherine: The shrew of the plays title, and the oldest
daughter of Baptista Minola and sister of Bianca;
extremely strong-willed.
Petruchio: Loud, boisterous, eccentric, and quickwitted, Petruchio comes to Padua to increase his
fortune by marrying rich
Baptista Minola: A wealthy citizen of Padua, and the
father of Katherine and Bianca
Bianca: The younger daughter of Baptista; soft-spoken,
sweet, and unassuming, as well as beautiful
Lucentio: A young nobleman from Pisa who comes to
Padua to study at the citys renowned university, but
who is immediately sidetracked when he falls in love
with Bianca at first sight.
Tranio: Lucentios servant, who accompanies Lucentio
from Pisa.
SHORT PLOT
Lucentio arrives in Padua. He hears that the merchant
Baptista has two daughters, but the younger, prettier
daughter, Bianca, cannot be married before her strongwilled sister, Katherina. On seeing Bianca Lucentio falls
in love with her and changes identities with his servant
Tranio. Bianca already has two suitors, but doesnt like
either. The elderly Gremio hires Lucentio, disguised as a
Latin tutor, to woo Bianca on his behalf, while Hortensio
disguises himself as a musician to get access to her.
Meanwhile Petruchio, a young adventurer from Verona,
arrives to visit his friend Hortensio. He learns about
Katherina and decides to woo her, aided by both
Gremio and Hortensio.

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Baptista is enthusiastic about Petruchios suit because

the feisty Katherina is a burden to him and is continually
quarrelling with her sister and with him. Petruchio will
not be put off as he woos Kate and he fixes their
wedding day. At the church, where Kate unwillingly
awaits him, Petruchio arrives in an absurd outfit and
after the ceremony he leaves for Verona immediately,
with his new wife. On reaching there Kate is mistreated
by Petruchio and his servants, and is denied food and
sleep. To teach her to obey him Petruchio does not
allow her new clothes or a hat. Eventually, worn down
by her husbands relentless eccentricity, Kate submits
and accepts all his eccentricities. They set off to visit her
father in Padua.
On the journey the couple meet Vincentio. The three
reach Padua where Hortensio, rejected by Bianca, has
married a widow and Baptista has been tricked into
believing a passing stranger is Tranios rich father. While
Vincentio attempts to unravel the complexities of the
situation his son Lucentio returns from a secret wedding
with Bianca.
Nevertheless, Baptista holds a wedding feast for both
his daughters. As the men relax after their meal
Petruchio devises a competition to prove whose wife is
the most obedient. Bianca and the widow fail to come
to their husbands when called while Kate lectures the
women on the duties of a wife.

Hamlet to England to have Hamlet killed, but their ship

is attacked by pirates who take Hamlet prisoner but
then return him to Denmark. Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are taken to England where they die.
Ophelia, Polonius' daughter, goes mad after knowing
that Hamlet killed her father. Then she falls into a river
and drowns. Hamlet returns just as her funeral is
happening. Laertes, her brother, decides to kill Hamlet
in revenge. He challenges Hamlet to a sword fight, and
puts poison on his own sword. Claudius makes some
poisoned wine for Hamlet to drink in case that does not
work.
At first Hamlet wins the sword fight, and in the
meantime his mother drinks the poisoned wine without
knowing, and dies. On the other hand Laertes falsely
pierces Hamlet with a poisoned blade, but then Hamlet
stabs Laertes with the same sword. Laertes tells Hamlet
about the plot and then dies. Hamlet kills Claudius with
the poisoned sword. Horatio, Hamlet's friend, tells
everyone about the murder of the old king. Hamlet tells
everyone that the Norwegian prince, Fortinbras, should
be king, and then dies from the poison. When
Fortinbras arrives, Horatio recounts the tale and
Fortinbras orders Hamlet's body borne off in honour.

2. MACBETH
Setting: Scotland
Major Characters:
Macbeth: A Scottish general and the thane of Glamis,
Cawdor, and later King of Scotland through dirty means
Lady Macbeth: Macbeths wife; deeply ambitious The
Three Witches: plot mischief against Macbeth using
prophecies.
Banquo: The brave, noble general whose children,
according to the witches' prophecy, will inherit the
Scottish throne
King Duncan: The good king of Scotland whom Macbeth
murders
Macduff: A Scottish nobleman who has always been
doubtful of Macbeths rise to power
Malcolm: The son of Duncan; crowned prince of
Scotland

B. TRAGEDIES
1. HAMLET
Setting: Elsinore, Denmark
Major Characters:
Hamlet: The prince of Denmark; melancholy, bitter, and
cynical, full of hatred for his uncle and disgust at his
mother for marrying him.
Claudius: The king of Denmark, Hamlets uncle; villain of
the play; killed by Hamlet and the poison
Gertrude: The queen of Denmark, Hamlets mother,
recently married to Claudius; dies due to the poison
Polonius: The Lord Chamberlain of Claudiuss court, and
the father of Laertes and Ophelia; killed by Hamlet
Horatio: Hamlets close friend; loyal and helpful to
Hamlet throughout the play. After Hamlets death,
Horatio remains alive to tell Hamlets story.
Ophelia: Poloniuss daughter, a beautiful young woman
with whom Hamlet has been in love; sweet and
innocent young girl; commits suicide
Laertes: Poloniuss son and Ophelias brother; kills
Hamlet
The Ghost: King Hamlet, father of Hamlet
SHORT PLOT
Hamlet is the son of the King of Denmark. When
Hamlet's father dies, his uncle Claudius becomes king
and marries Hamlet's mother (Gertrude). Hamlet's
father appears as a ghost and tells Hamlet that he was
murdered by Claudius. Hamlet is not sure that the ghost
is really his father. He gets some travelling actors to
perform a play which shows the murder of a king in the
same way Hamlet's father said he was killed. When
Claudius reacts badly to seeing this, Hamlet believes he
is guilty.
Hamlet tells his mother that he knows about the
murder. While there he kills Polonius, who is the king's
advisor, because he thinks he is Claudius. Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern were Hamlet's childhood friends.
Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with

1.

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7.

SHORT PLOT (from http://getrevising.co.uk/revisionnotes/macbeth_plot_summary_including_macbeth_in_

10_easy)
Macbeth and his friend Banquo, who are returning from
battle, meet the witches. They tell Macbeth he will be
King.
Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth about the events and she
persuades him to kill the King, Duncan.
Macbeth kills the King, blames it on the guards and is
made King of Scotland after King Duncan's sons flee to
England and Ireland.
Macbeth orders the death of Banquo and Banquo's son
Fleance, as he is scared that Banquo will realise the
truth.
Banquo is killed but Fleance escapes. Macbeth starts to
panic, and at dinner with the Lords one night, imagines
he sees the ghost of Banquo.
Macbeth returns to the witches. They tell him that he
should beware of Macduff, that he will not be killed
until Birnam woods moves to Dunsinane castle and that
he cannot be killed by a man born of a woman.
Macbeth feels better especially after ordering the death
of Macduff's wife and children (Macduff has gone to

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England), but his wife Lady Macbeth appears to be

losing her mind.
8. Malcolm, son of the old King of Scotland, and Macduff
plan to attack the castle. Meanwhile, in the castle
Macbeth says he will carry on fighting and Lady
Macbeth jumps to her death.
9. Malcolm and Macduff's army attack the castle, cutting
down branches and hiding behind them to camouflage
themselves. Macduff finds Macbeth. Macbeth thinks he
can not be killed as Macduff must have been born from
a woman. However, Macduff says his mother was dead
as he was born, and kills Macbeth. Malcolm becomes
King.

STUDY WELL FOR THE EXAMS.

GOD BLESS!
HAVE A HAPPY CHRISTMAS WITH YOUR LOVED ONES!

3. JULIUS CAESAR
Setting: Rome, Italy
Major Characters:
Julius Caesar: A great Roman general who has recently
returned to Rome after a military victory; killed by his
trusted senators
Brutus:
A high-ranking, well-regarded Roman nobleman who
participates in a conspiracy to assassinate Caesar.
Antony: A loyal friend of Caesars
Cassius: resents the fact that the Roman populace has
come to revere Caesar almost as a god; plots the
murder of Caesar
Octavius: Caesars adopted son and appointed
successor
Casca: the first to stab Caesar.
Calphurnia: Caesars wife
SHORT PLOT
Julius Caesar has returned to Rome triumphant from
the war against Pompey. The Roman republic is
prepared to heap him with new honours, causing
concern and dismay among some senators who fear
that too much power is held by one man. Caius Cassius
plots a conspiracy to murder Caesar, enlisting the
support of the well-respected Marcus Brutus. Brutus
has misgivings but is persuaded that Caesar's death is
necessary for the good of the republic. However, he
rejects Cassius' proposal that Mark Antony, close friend
of Caesar, should also be killed. Brutus, Cassius and
their co-conspirators stab Caesar to death at the senate
house on the Ides of March. At Caesar's funeral Brutus
addresses the people and successfully explains the
conspirators' motives. However, Mark Antony speaks
next and turns the mob against the conspirators, who
are forced to flee from Rome. Mark Antony and
Caesar's nephew, Octavius, take command of Rome and
lead an army against the conspirators. Brutus and
Cassius are defeated at Philippi where they kill
themselves rather than be captured.
IV. SONNETS
Little song
Lyric poem
Shakespearean Sonnet
14 lines
Iambic pentameter (refer to your notes)
Rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg
V. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Review the concept of women, marriage and money in
the 18th century.
FOR SECTIONS C, F, I, J ONLY
MS. ABARISO