ENG 207,
Shakespeare--Bishop Play
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207 Syllabus
History Plays
Comedies
Tragedies
ACT I
- scene i (the marketplace at
Ephesus): Egeon of Syracuse,
condemned to death by the Duke of Ephesus for "trespassing," tells
of his lost twin sons, their twin servants (also lost at sea), and
his lost wife
- scene ii (same place): The Syracusan Antipholus (S. Antipholus)
sends his servant S. Dromio on an errand--he then meets up with
the Ephesian Dromio (E. Dromio) who says "Come for dinner with
your wife at your house"; S. Antipholus whacks E. Dromio and sends
him packing
ACT II
- scene i (E. Antipholus's
house): E. Antipholus's wife
Adriana, chatting with her sister Luciana, learns from the whacked
E. Dromio that "Antipholus" refuses to come home for dinner
- scene ii (marketplace at
Ephesus): S. Antipholus meets
S. Dromio--they're both a bit confused by each others'
reports--and Adriana arrives to invite "Antipholus" to dinner
herself
ACT III
- scene i (in front of E. Antipholus's
house): E. Antipholus arrives
with friends for dinner, but S. Antipholus--unbeknownst to him--is
already there; when he can't gain entry, E. Antipholus heads for
his friend the courtezan's house
- scene ii (inside E. Antipholus's
house): S. Antipholus makes a
pass at Luciana, Adriana's sister; S. Dromio reports being beset
by a woman we know is E. Dromio's girlfriend; S. Antipholus takes
the chain Angelo meant to give to E. Antipholus
ACT IV
- scene i (the marketplace at
Ephesus): Angelo, needing
money, asks E. Antipholus to pay for the chain--when he refuses,
he's put in police custody where S. Dromio finds him
- scene ii (in front of E. Antipholus's
house): Luciana tells Adriana
of "Antipholus"'s proposition; S. Dromio tells of "Antipholus"'s
arrest
- scene iii (the marketplace at
Ephesus): S. Dromio meets the
free S. Antipholus, as does the Courtezan who wants either the
chain or her ring
- scene iv (same place): E. Antipholus, still in police custody,
pronounced mad by the gang; he leaves, but S. Antipholus shows
up
ACT V
- scene i (before a
priory): Angelo sees S.
Antipholus wearing the chain and they prepare to fight; when
others enter, the Syracusans dash into the priory for sanctuary;
the Duke enters with Egeon, and E. Antipholus enters too, but
things aren't squared until S. Antipholus re-emerges with the
Abbess, his mother; the Dromios have the last word
ACT I
- scene i (a London street): the Richard the play is named for (also
called Gloucester) learns that his brother King Edward is
imprisoning their brother George (also called Clarence); Richard
takes the opportunity to say nasty things about King Edward's wife
Queen Elizabeth and her powerful brother and sons from a previous
marriage
- scene ii (another London
street): Anne Neville mourns
the death of King Henry VI who was usurped by the current King
Edward; Henry VI's son Edward, Anne's "husband," had also been
killed, and by Richard (Gloucester); Richard (Gloucester) arrives
and tells Anne he killed Edward for love of Anne
- scene iii (the palace): Queen Elizabeth mentions the tenuous
position of her son were King Edward to die; Richard (Gloucester)
comes in ranting and raving about how his sick brother the king
should not be disturbed and insults everyone enough to assure the
king's being disturbed; old Queen Margaret, Henry VI widow,
anachronistically eavesdrops on the conversation and comments on
everyone's unscrupulousness; when she makes herself known,
everyone comments on her unscrupulousness; Richard (Gloucester)
meets with the two murderers he's hired to kill George
(Clarence)
- scene iv (the Tower of London where
George is imprisoned): George
(Clarence) is indeed murdered but not before he almost convinces
the murderers not to do it
ACT II
- scene i (the palace): King Edward attempts to make peace
between the factions, but soon learns of George's death; Richard
(Gloucester) again impugns Queen Elizabeth
- scene ii (the palace): the "old" Duchess of York, Richard
(Gloucester)'s mother, listens to George (Clarence)'s two children
(her grandchildren) as they intuit their father's death and as the
boy mentions how great Uncle Richard (Gloucester) is (the "old"
Duchess knows better); Queen Elizabeth enters with her brother
(Rivers) and her son (from a previous marriage) Dorset and
announces King Edward's death; Gloucester enters and quietly
arranges to keep Queen Elizabeth and her kin away from her son by
King Edward (another Edward, Prince of Wales) who's about to
become king now that dad is dead
- scene iii (a London street): three citizens discuss the fate of an
England with a too-young king prey to powerful ambitious factions,
notably the Queen's kin and Gloucester's supporters
- scene iv (the palace): Queen Elizabeth, with the dead King
Edward's son the (young) Duke of York, learns that her brother and
son have been imprisoned at Richard (Gloucester)'s instigation;
she then takes the young Duke of York to sanctuary in a
church
ACT III
- scene i (street in
London): the newly-arrived
Prince of Wales (Edward) learns from Richard (Gloucester) of his
uncle and half-brother's imprisonment, then of his mother and
brother in sanctuary; his brother then arrives, and the two of
them go to the Tower (Gloucester's suggestion) to await the Prince
of Wales's coronation; when alone, Richard (Gloucester) and
Buckingham plot Richard (Gloucester)'s usurpation of the
throne
- scene ii (Lord Hastings's
house): Hastings hears Lord
Stanley's prophetic dream and also that the Queen's brother and
son will be executed; he thinks himself safe and heads to the
Tower, but we learn from Buckingham what Richard (Gloucester) has
in store for Hastings
- scene iii (Pomfret castle): the execution of the Queen's brother and
son
- scene iv (the Tower): the council of nobles, assembled to
decide the king's coronation date, finds that Richard (Gloucester)
wants the throne and will stop at nothing, including executing his
"friend" Hastings, to achieve it
- scene v (outside the
Tower): the Mayor of London
condones Hastings's execution; Richard (Gloucester) tells
Buckingham what to tell the London officials in order for Richard
(Gloucester) to gain the throne
- scene vi (a London street): the scrivener muses as he copies the
order for Hastings's execution after Hastings is dead
- scene vii (Richard (Gloucester)'s
house in London): Buckingham
reports that Richard (Gloucester)'s strategy hasn't quite worked,
so Richard (Gloucester) ups the ante by staging a performance to
exemplify his humility and piety: he pretends he doesn't want to
be king and he walks between two prelates; finally, he accepts
being king
ACT IV
- scene i (in front of the
Tower): Queen Elizabeth, her
son Dorset, Richard's wife Anne, and Richard's mother the Duchess
of York try to see the Prince of Wales and his brother in the
Tower; they are rebuffed, and they all fear the worst
- scene ii (the palace): King Richard asks Buckingham to kill the
Prince of Wales and his brother in the Tower; Buckingham refuses,
and Richard gets a fellow named Tyrrel to consent to do it;
Richard also plans to get rid of his wife Anne and marry his niece
since he fears the Duke of Richmond will do so and thus gain
legitimate claim to the crown; Buckingham learns that Richard is
angry with him
- scene iii (the palace): Tyrrel tells Richard the princes are
dead; Richard learns of and fears Richmond's growing power
- scene iv (in front of the
palace): old Queen Margaret,
Queen Elizabeth, and "old" Duchess of York (Richard's mother)
lament their fates; the Duchess and Queen Elizabeth accost and
curse Richard; he then tells Queen Elizabeth that he wants to
marry her daughter (yes, she's his niece); Richard then learns of
the armies forming to defeat him
- scene v (Lord Stanley's
house): Stanley is constrained
to fight on Richard's side because Richard holds his son prisoner,
but he lets it be known that he won't fight very hard
ACT V
- scene i (a field at
Salisbury): Buckingham is led
off to execution and laments his foul deeds
- scene ii (Tamworth): Richmond and company get ready to fight
Richard
- scene iii (Bosworth field, site of
Richard's eventual defeat):
Richard sounds confident in numbers, Richmond makes logical
preparations, they both sleep and are visited by the spirits of a
previous Prince Edward, Henry VI, George (Clarence), the two
murdered princes,Hastings and Buckingham; they address their
respective armies, and Richard learns of Stanley's treason
- scene iv (same place): Richard's last stand
- scene v (same place): Richard is dead, Richmond will become
Henry VII and heal the War of the Roses
PROLOGUE: describes the "two hours'
traffic of our stage"
ACT I
- scene i (a public square in
Verona): Capulet hangers-on
meet with Montague hangers-on and fight; townspeople try to stop
the melee as it increases once Mr. and Mrs. Capulet and Mr. and
Mrs. Montague arrive; the Prince stops the fighting, tells the old
guys that more fighting will forfeit their lives, then sets up
separate conferences with them; Lady Montague hears from Benvolio
what her son Romeo is up to; Romeo enters and declares his love
for Rosalind
- scene ii (street in
Verona): Mr. Capulet deals
with Paris's request to marry Juliet and arranges a big party;
Rome and Benvolio meet up with Capulet's servant, discover the
party plans, and plan to attend (though uninvited)
- scene iii (Capulet house): Lady Capulet tells Juliet of Paris's
intentions and of tonight's party
- scene iv (in front of Capulet's
house): Mercutio makes fun od
Romeo's love-longing for Rosalind
- scene v (Capulet house): Romeo falls for Juliet and vice versa;
Tybbalt sees and knows Romeo but Mr. Capulet prevents him from
making a scene
ACT II
chorus: remarks on Romeo and Juliet's
affection
- scene i (Capulet's
orchard): Romeo hides in the
orchard, and Benvolio and Mercutio leave when they can't find
him
- scene ii (the famous balcony
scene--in Capulet's orchard):
Romeo learns while hidden that Juliet loves him too; they swear
love and also that they'll meet next day
- scene iii (Friar Lawrence's
cell): We meet Friar Lawrence
studying his herbs, and Romeo teels him of his love for
Juliet
- scene iv (street in
Verona): Romeo meets up with
Mercutio and Benvolio, and Juliet's Nurse brings news of Juliet's
desire to see Romeo, to which Romeo responds with plans for their
secret wedding
- scene v (Capulet's
orchard): the Nurse finally
gives Juliet the news about Romeo's plans
- scene vi (Friar Lawrence's
cell): Friar Lawrence
secretly, and with the best intentions, marries Romeo and
Juliet
ACT III
- scene i (Verona public
square): Tybalt, having sent a
challenge to Romeo (see II, iv, 6-11), meets Mercutio, Benvolio,
and Romeo in the street, secretly wounds Mercutio, then dies at
Romeo's hand; the Prince outlaws Romeo
- scene ii (Capulet's house): Juliet learns of Tybalt's death, but
asks the nurse to bring husband Romeo to her anyway
- scene iii (Friar Lawrence's
cell): Romeo enters, the Nurse
enters, Friar Lawrence stops Romeo from suicide and counsels him
to consummate his marriage, then to flee and allow legal/political
maneuverings to effect his return
- scene iv (Capulet's house): Mr. Capulet arranges for Paris to marry
Juliet
- scene v (Capulet's
orchard): Romeo leaves, and
Mrs. Capulet tells Juliet of her immediate marriage to Paris;
Juliet is none too pleased
ACT IV
- scene i (Friar Lawrence's
cell): Paris tells the friar
of the wedding plans, Juliet enters and, after Paris leaves, Friar
Lawrence hatches a plot
- scene ii (Capulet's house): Juliet tells dad she'll marry
Paris
- scene iii (same): Juliet takes the sleeping potion
- scene iv (same): Mr. Capulet, up all night, continues
wedding preparations
- scene v (same): the nurse goes to awaken Juliet and
finds her "dead"
ACT V
- scene i (a street in Mantua, where
Romeo has arrived for exile):
Romeo's servant Balthazar brings Romeo word of Juliet's death;
Romeo finds some poison
- scene ii (Friar Lawrence's
cell): Friar Lawrence learns
that his message to Romeo has been delayed because of the
plague
- scene iii (the Capulet
tomb): Romeo ends up killing
Paris, and then himself; Friar Lawrence arrives and fails to save
Juliet; the Prince arrives and all discover the big mess; Capulet
and Montague are reconciled
ACT I
- scene i (the palace of
Theseus): Egeus brings his
daughter Hermia to court to complain of her refusal to marry dad's
choice, Demetrius, because of her love for Lysander; Theseus warns
Hermia that she must do as dad says or she'll either die or live a
nun; Helena arrives, and we learn of her unrequited love for
Demetrius and of Hermia and Lysander's plan to run away
- scene ii (Quince's house): the "hempen homespuns" arrange to
practice their play of Pyramus and Thisbe in the woods that
evening
ACT II
- scene i (the woods): Titania and Oberon explain their
quarrel; Demetrius enters with Helena in pursuit and Oberon
devises a plan to trick Titania and to help Helena gain
Demetrius
- scene ii (the woods): Puck puts the love-juice Oberon meant
for Demetrius on the sleeping Lysander's eyes: when Lysander
awakes and first sees Helena (who's chasing Demetrius), he
conceives a total love for her; she's a bit surprised, and soon
Hermia is too
ACT III
- scene i (the woods): the hempen homespuns arrive to practice
their play and Puck transforms Bottom; Titania awakes and falls in
love with the ass-headed Bottom
- scene ii (the woods): Puck
reports to Oberon his success, but then Hermia enters with
Demetrius chasing her (Oberon had earlier seen Helena chasing
Demetrius); Oberon and Puck try to set things right, so that when
Helena enters pursued by Lysander, Demetrius wakes up and also
conceives a great love for Helena; Hermia enters and is none too
pleased; Oberon and Puck then devise a plan to fix things up
through Puck throwing his voice
ACT IV
- scene i (the wood): Oberon disenchants Titania; Theseus and
company arrive with Egeus and, lo and behold, Lysander and Hermia
are in love, and Demetrius and Helena are too; Bottom also wakes
up belatedly
- scene ii (Quince's house):
Bottom, un-"transported," arrives and the "rude mechanicals"
prepare for their play
ACT V
- scene i (Theseus's palace): the hempen homespuns perform a
hilarious Pyramus and Thisbe, Titania and Oberon bless the lovers,
and Puck closes the play
ACT I
- scene i (Windsor castle): King Richard II asks his uncle John of
Gaunt if John of Gaunt's son Henry (Hereford, also called
Bullingbrook, Richard's cousin and later to become King Henry IV
by deposing Richard II) insists on pursuing his accusations
against Thomas Mowbray, whom Henry accuses of murdering Richard
and Henry's uncle Gloucester (yes, it's the same name as Richard
III's: it's a hereditary Dukedom acquired by the royal family):
Mowbray had been in charge of Calais where the exiled Gloucester
met his doom
- scene ii (John of Gaunt's
castle--Gaunt is also referred to as Lancaster, as in House of
Lancaster, the White Rose in the War of the Roses): Gloucester's widow asks John of Gaunt,
her brother-in-law, to avenge Gloucester's death; Gaunt answers
that "God's is the quarrel" (line 37), and it's not up to Gaunt to
avenge the murder
- scene iii (the tournament grounds at
Coventry): just as the combat
is about to start, Richard stops it by throwing down his glove,
and then banishes both Mowbray and Henry
- scene iv (London palace): Richard's buddy Aumerle, son of the Duke
of York, describes Henry's departure to banishment; it's evident
that Richard does not like Henry, and is none too disturbed by
news of John of Gaunt's taking sick
ACT II
- scene i (Ely house): Gaunt on his deathbed advises Richard to
be a more prudent monarch--Richard is not impressed, and when
Gaunt dies Richard seizes Gaunt's possessions; Gaunt's brother and
Richard's uncle York (yes, another familiar name) decries the
illegality of the move; Richard does not repent but puts York in
charge of England while Richard goes off to fight a war in
Ireland; Northumberland, Ross, and Willoughby conspire to alert
and support Henry
- scene ii (Windsor castle): Richard's wife the queen learns of
Henry's landing at Ravenspurgh while Richard is in Ireland; many
are reported to be joining Henry; York appears torn and powerless,
and also learns of the Duchess of Gloucester's death
- scene iii (Henry's route from
Ravenspurgh across England):
we meet Henry's big supporters, Northumberland and his son, and
also hear Henry tell York he's come only to claim his father's
possessions by right of inheritance
- scene iv (a military camp in
Wales): more of Richard's
supporters desert him, citing portents of doom
ACT III
- scene i (Bristol castle: Henry has
traversed England): Henry
sentences Richard's friends Bushy and Green to death
- scene ii (Welsh coast): Richard returns from Ireland and hears
continually worse news
- scene iii (Flint castle, still in
Wales): Henry confronts
Richard at the castle and they all agree to travel to
London
- scene iv (Duke of York's
house): the Queen hears the
gardeners talking metaphorically of Richard's deposition
ACT IV
- scene i (Westminster, the seat of
government): Henry presides
over various lords accusing each other of treason and false
swearing; through York, Richard sends word he'll step down in
favor of Henry, and only Bishop Carlisle objects--Northumberland
arrests him for it; Richard gives up his crown
ACT V
- scene i (a London street on the way
to the infamous tower):
Richard bids goodbye to his queen, and then learns he's to go far
away to Pomfret castle; Richard predicts (correctly)
Northumberland's future
- scene ii (Duke of York's
house): the Duke learns of
Aumerle's (his son) plan to murder Henry and runs to Henry, with
Aumerle and the Duchess, who's on Aumerle's side, following
- scene iii (Windsor castle): King Henry is first confronted by
Aumerle, then York, then the Duchess of York; Henry forgives
Aumerle but not the other conspirators
- scene iv (Windsor castle): Exton takes King Henry's hint and
decides to kill Richard
- scene v (Pomfret castle, where
Richard is a prisoner):
Richard is killed after speaking most eloquently and valiantly
defending himself
- scene vi (Windsor castle): Henry learns of Richard's death and does
not execute Exton, but plans his own trip to the Holy Land
ACT I
- scene i (Leonato's house in
Messina): Leonato (governor of
Messina and father of Hero) and his brother Antonio (father of
Beatrice) greet Prince Don Pedro and company, including Benedick
and Claudio (who falls for Hero); Don Pedro will woo Hero for
Claudio [note Benedick's speech, lines 238-46]
- scene ii (inside Leonato's
house): Antonio tells his
brother Leonato that Antonio's servant has overheard Claudio
express his love for Hero
- scene iii (another part of Leonato's
house): Don John, bastard
brother of Don Pedro, hears of Claudio's love, and plans with his
buddies Conrade and Borachio to make trouble [see line 13]
ACT II
- scene i (after supper masked ball at
Leonato's house): witty
repartee between Beatrice and Benedick; Claudio fooled by Don John
into thinking Don Pedro wants Hero for himself; Don Pedro clears
up the confusion and ill-feeling, then decides to match Beatrice
and Benedick [see lines 27-80]
- scene ii (same place): Borachio hatches the plot of using his
friend and Hero's servant, Margaret, to deceive Claudio into
thinking Hero unfaithful (not that it seems to take much with this
boy!)
- scene iii (Leonato's garden): Don
Pedro and company fool the "hidden" Benedick into thinking
Beatrice "dote[s]" (96) on him
ACT III
- scene i (Leonato's
garden): Beatrice overhears
Hero and company say "That Benedick loves Beatrice so entirely"
(37)
- scene ii (Leonato's house): lots of ribald banter, then Don John
hatches Borachio's plot to accuse Hero of infidelity [see lines
119-20]
- scene iii (a street): After Dogberry's hilarious instructions,
the nightwatchmen overhear Borachio bragging about his betrayal of
Hero and arrest him and Conrade
- scene iv (Hero's apartment in
Leonato's house): pre-nuptial
banter
- scene v (Leonato's house): Dogberry unintelligibly tells Leonato
about Borachio and Conrade
ACT IV
- scene i (a church): Claudio impugns Hero, her father Leonato
follows; the friar suspects a plot, and arranges one; Beatrice
asks Benedick to "Kill Claudio" (289)
- scene ii (a prison): Dogberry, with help, figures out what
Borachio has done
ACT V
- scene i (near Leonato's
house): First Leonato and
Antonio challenge Claudio over the "dead" Hero, then Benedick
challenges Claudio; Dogberry shows up with Borachio, who confesses
to Don Pedro; Leonato shows up and, to show his contrition,
Claudio agrees to marry Beatrice
- scene ii (Leonato's
orchard): after some clever
banter, Beatrice and Benedick learn the "it is prov'd my Lady hath
been falsely accus'd" (lines 96-7)
- scene iii (a churchyard): Claudio performs obsequies at Hero's
tomb
- scene iv (Leonato's house): Claudio marries Hero whom he thought
dead, Beatrice marries Benedick, and Don John is captured
ACT I
- scene i (the Duke's
palace): Orsino pines for
Olivia while she pines for her dead brother
- scene ii (the sea-coast): Viola, having escaped the tempest,
determines to dress herself as a man, call herself Caesario, and
serve the Duke Orsino
- scene iii (Olivia's house): Sir Toby, Olivia's uncle, and Sir Andrew
Aguecheek, another suitor for Olivia's hand, encouraged by Sir
Toby, drink themselves silly
- scene iv (the Duke's
palace): Duke Orsino asks
Caesario/Viola to woo Olivia for him
- scene v (Olivia's house): we meet Feste the clown and Malvolio the
puritan, and Olivia falls in love with Caesario/Viola
ACT II
- scene i (the seacoast): we meet Viola's brother Sebastian and
his adorer, Antonio
- scene ii (a street): Malvolio brings Olivia's ring to
Caesario/Viola, who realizes that O. is in love with her; the
situation is especially complicated by Viola's love for Orsino and
her desire to serve him well, even in his suit to Olivia
- scene iii (Olivia's house): Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Feste whoop it
up; Malvolio upbraids them; Maria devises the plot to catch
Malvolio in his punctilious superciliousness
- scene iv (the Duke's
palace): Duke Orsino asks
Caesario/Viola to go to Olivia again to plead his case of
love
- scene v (Olivia's garden): Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, Maria, and Fabian
spring their trap for Malvolio: a forged love letter to Malvolio
from Olivia, asking him to look and act quite foolish out of love
for her
ACT III
- scene i (Olivia's garden): Feste and Caesario/Viola banter;
Caesario/Viola meets Sir Toby and Sir Andrew; Olivia declares her
love for Caesario/Viola, who disdains it
- scene ii (Olivia's house): Sir Andrew, disappointed in his
love-suit for Olivia's hand, is egged on to challenge
Caesario/Viola to a duel; at the scene's end, we hear that the
Malvolio dupery has begun
- scene iii (a street): Antonio, fearful of being captured in
town, gives his purse to his beloved Sebastian, who sets out for
lodging
- scene iv (Olivia's garden): Malvolio plays his part of mad lover;
Olivia again professes her love of Caesario/Viola; Sir Toby and
Fabian present Sir Andrew's letter to Caesario/Viola who prepares
to fight Sir Andrew when Antonio, thinking it's Sebastian, takes
Caesario/Viola's part; Antonio is arrested, asks for his purse
(given to Sebastian) from Caesario/Viola, who of course doesn't
have it; Antonio impugns Caesario/Viola, but she figures out what
has happened
ACT IV
- scene i (before Olivia's
house): Feste meets up with
Sebastian, thinking he's Caesario/Viola, as does Sir Andrew, who
gets a whack; Olivia enters and the compliant Sebastian follows
her willingly (oh joy!)
- scene ii (Olivia's house): Malvolio, stuck in the cellar as if in
prison, is taunted by Feste dressed as a priest, then alternately
by Feste in his own voice and in disguise
- scene iii (Olivia's garden): Sebastian is ready to marry Olivia, and
vice versa; they go off to find a priest
ACT V
- scene i (before Olivia's
house): Duke Orsino,
accompanied by Caesario/Viola, arrives in person to woo Olivia;
Antonio is brought to him, again thinking Caesario/Viola is
Sebastian, and we learn that three months had gone by since the
shipwreck; Olivia shows up and claims Caesario/Viola is her
husband; the priest shows up and says the same thing, angering
Orsino who lambasts Caesario/Viola; a bleeding Sir Andrew arrives,
blames Caesario/Viola for bloodying him, as does Sir Toby,
searching for a surgeon; Sebastian walks in, and everybody stands
around open-mouthed, until he and Viola chat and she reveals
herself; Malvolio is released from his prison, confronts Olivia
and learns the truth of the jest at his expense, and exits
swearing revenge; the play ends with Feste's song
ACT I
- scene i (a street in Rome): Flavius and Murellus, tribunes of Rome,
berate the commoners for celebrating Julius Caesar's triumph over
Pompey, their fellow Roman
- scene ii (a public place in
Rome): we meet Mark Antony as
Julius Caesar's lackey; we hear Cassius and Brutus discuss Julius
Caesar's character and hint at what's to be done; Julius Caesar
describes Cassius, and Casca narrates what happened
off-stage--Caesar's refusal of the crown
- scene iii (a street in
Rome): a portentous storm
rages as Cassius, Casca, and Cinna conspire Julius Caesar's
assassination
ACT II
- scene i (Brutus's garden): Brutus cogitates upon Julius Caesar's
ambition, then meets the conspirators to finalize plans; Portia
begs to know Brutus's intentions
- scene ii (Julius Caesar's
house): over Calphurnia's
prophetic objections, and through Decius's appeal to machismo,
Julius Caesar sets off for the senate
- scene iii (a street near Rome's
Capitol building): we hear Artemidorus's warning letter as he
waits for Caesar
- scene iv (Brutus's house): Portia frets over Brutus
ACT III
- scene i (in front of Rome's Capitol
building): the conspirators
needlessly fear discovery, then assassinate Julius Caesar; Mark
Antony makes his peace with the conspirators (over Cassius's
objections), then, the conspirators gone, announces his intention
to "try" the populace's reaction
- scene ii (the Forum in
Rome): Brutus, then Antony
talks to the people; Antony rouses the crowd to anger
- scene iii (a street in
Rome): the people murder an
innocent Cinna
ACT IV
- scene i (Antony's house): we see the crack in the triumvirate of
Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus
- scene ii (Brutus's tent with his army
at Sardis): the conspirators'
armies are not doing well, and Brutus and Cassius are angry with
each other
- scene iii (in Brutus's
tent): Brutus and Casssius
argue, then make up; we hear of Portia's death (twice); Brutus
sees Caesar's ghost
ACT V
- scene i (the plains of
Philippi): the opposing
factions prepare for war, and Brutus and Cassius bid adieu
- scene ii (same plains): Brutus spies an advantage
- scene iii (same plains): because of a misconstrued report,
Cassius commits suicide; Brutus doesn't give up
- scene iv (same plains): Lucilius pretends to be Brutus in order
to save Brutus
- scene v (same plains): Brutus commits suicide, and Antony calls
him "the noblest Roman of them all"
ACT I
- scene i (the Duke's
palace): the Duke, about to
leave, gives the morally upright Angelo primary power, and
advisory power to the aged Escalus
- scene ii (a street): we hear of, through Lucio and company,
then see Angelo's first act as pro-tem Duke, the arrest of Claudio
for fornication; Claudio sends Lucio to ask Isabella, Claudio's
sister and about to enter the nunnery, to plead clemency from
Angelo
- scene iii (a friary): the Duke explains why he has
"disappeared"
- scene iv (a nunnery): Isabella agrees to plead her brother's
case
ACT II
- scene i (a court of
justice): Angelo and Escalus
debate law vs. mercy regarding Angelo, then deal with Constable
Elbow and company re: another case of sexual infelicity
- scene ii (Angelo's house): Isabella pleads Claudio's case and, at
the scene's end, we learn of Angelo's sudden infatuation with
Isabella
- scene iii (a prison): the disguised Duke chats with the
pregnant Juliet
- scene iv (Angelo's house): Angelo tells Isabella she must sleep
with him to save her brother
ACT III
- scene i (the prison): the disguised Duke overhears Isabella
tell Claudio what happened with Angelo; he then tells Claudio that
Angelo was only kidding, and then hatches a plot with Isabella
that Angelo's spurned fiancee Mariana will sleep with Angelo in
Isabella's stead
- scene ii (scene continues): Pompey brought to prison for his sexual
crimes, Lucio and the Duke discuss affairs, and we learn from
Escalus of Angelo's unremitting justice (note the Duke's speech at
scene's end)
ACT IV
- scene i (the moated grange at St.
Luke's): the Duke as friar has
Isabella acquaint Mariana with the plan
- scene ii (the prison): Pompey assigned to help the executioner,
the Duke arrives expecting Angelo to reprieve Claudio, but
instead, when Angelo sends word that Claudio must be executed
right away, plans with the provost of the prison to save Claudio
and fool Angelo with Barnardine's head
- scene iii (scene continues): Barnadine's drunken state saves his
head; instead, the lately-fever-dead Ragozine's head will
substitute; Isabella arrives and the Duke says Claudio is dead,
but he will help her in her vengeance and sends her off to get
Friar Peter
- scene iv (Angelo's house): Escalus and Angelo discuss a letter from
the Duke commanding them to meet him at the city gates; in
soliloquy, Angelo anguishes
- scene v (fields outside town):
the Duke firms his plan with Friar Peter
- scene vi (a street near the city
gate): Isabella, Mariana, and
then Friar Peter firm up their roles
ACT V (the public square) This is one long scene wherein all the
deceptions are played out and revealed: Isabella accuses Angelo,
Mariana reveals herself, the Duke resumes his disguise then reveals
himself, Isabella pleads for Angelo, and the unharmed Claudio is
revealed: no synopsis can do this complicated scene justice
ACT I
- scene i (the garden of Oliver's
house): we learn from our hero
Orlando that his older brother Oliver has been bad to him, and we
watch as Orlando insults Oliver and plans to leave; Oliver plots
Orlando's downfall, and we learn of the elder Duke's deposition by
his younger brother Frederick
- scene ii (lawn before the Duke's
palace): Rosalind, daughter of
the usurped Duke, and Celia, her best friend and daughter of Duke
Frederick, chat with their witty buddy Touchstone; Duke
Frederick's courtier LeBeau announces the challenge between
Orlando and Charles the wrestler and Rosalind tries to discourage
Orlando from the match; when Orlando wins, Duke Frederick is not
impressed but Rosalind gives Orlando her necklace
- scene iii (the Duke's
palace): Duke Frederick
banishes Rosalind, and she and Celia decide to seek Duke Senior in
the forest of Arden, with Rosalind disguised as the male Ganymed
and Celia renamed Aliena, while Touchstone will accompany
them
ACT II
- scene i (the forest of
Arden): we meet Duke Senior,
along with his buddy Amiens, and hear of Jaques the melancholy
philosopher
- scene ii (the Duke's
palace): Duke Frederick learns
of his daughter's disappearance accompanying Rosalind, and sends
for Oliver to police his brother
- scene iii (before Oliver's
house): Orlando learns from
old Adam that Oliver, envious of Orlando's success, means to
murder him; Adam suggests that they light out for the forest of
Arden, and Orlando agrees
- scene iv (the forest of
Arden): Celia, Rosalind, and
Touchstone overhear old Corin disputing with young Silvius about
Silvius's love for Phebe; when Silvius leaves, Rosalind and
company ask Corin for food, and end up buying the farm
- scene v (the forest): we meet the melancholy philosopher
Jaques as Amiens prepares Duke Senior's forest repast
- scene vi (the forest): old Adam falters and Orlando promises to
find food
- scene vi (the forest): Duke Senior disputes with Jaques, then
Orlando enters, with drawn sword, to claim food--he finds a friend
instead in Duke Senior
ACT III
- scene i (the Duke's
palace): Duke Frederick,
thinking Oliver a traitor, sends him to look for his brother
Orlando and to return with him "dead or living"
- scene ii (the forest): Orlando runs around hanging up
love-poems about Rosalind while old shepherd Corin and Touchstone
banter; Celia lets Rosalind know that it's Orlando who's been
writing the love-poems; Orlando enters talking with Jaques and,
when Jaques leaves, Rosalind convinces Orlando to cure his
love-longing by addressing Rosalind (disguised as Ganymed,
remember) as his love
- scene iii (the forest): Touchstone attempts falsely to marry
Audrey, but the perspicacious Jaques prevents it
- scene iv (the forest): Rosalind and Celia talk of Orlando's
kisses, then Corin enters to bring them to the scene of Silvius
wooing Phebe; Phebe falls for the disguised Rosalind
ACT IV
- scene i (the forest): Rosalind chats with Jaques, then Orlando
shows up and Celia "marries" Orlando and Rosalind
- scene ii (the forest): another banquet is prepared
- scene iii (the forest): Silvius delivers Rosalind Phebe's
love-letter; Oliver enters and recounts an intricate story of the
brothers' reunion and Orlando's excuse for being late, and
Rosalind faints
ACT V
- scene i (the forest): Touchstone frightens away Audrey's
boyfriend
- scene ii (the forest): Oliver has fallen for Celia, and is to
marry her; Rosalind arranges a number of other marriages to happen
at the same time
- scene iii (the forest): Touchstone and Audrey are to wed
too
- scene iv (the forest): Everyone, it seems, ends up married, and
we hear of Duke Frederick's conversion
epilogue: spoken by Rosalind
ACT I
- scene i (the guard-platform of the
castle at Elsinore in Denmark): Francisco and Barnardo are met by
Marcellus and Horatio so that Horatio can see the reputed ghost
"like the King that's dead," which he does, twice--we also hear of
young Fortinbras's revolt
- scene ii (the castle): King Claudius dispatches messengers to
the King of Norway, young Fortinbras's uncle, to get him to stop
Fortinbras's forays and then blesses Laertes's return to France;
finally he and Queen Gertrude chat with Hamlet and he agrees to
stay in Denmark rather than continue his studies at Wittenberg
(first great soliloquy); Horatio and company arrive to tell Hamlet
of the ghost
- scene iii (Polonius's quarters in the
castle): Laertes advises
Ophelia to spurn Hamlet's advances; Polonius gives Laertes some
advice, then tells Ophelia the same thing as did Laertes
- scene iv (the guard platform of the
castle): we hear of the
customary carouse, then the ghost enters and Hamlet alone follows
it
- scene v (the castle's
battlements): the ghost speaks
to Hamlet and tells of his murder; the ghost leaves (second
soliloquy) and Horatio and company enter: they swear to keep the
scene a secret (with the ghost abjuring them to do so in a voice
only Hamlet can hear) and Hamlet announces his "antic
disposition"
ACT II
- scene i (Polonius's quarters in the
castle): Polonius instructs
his servant Reynaldo to spy on Laertes in Paris; Ophelia reports
Hamlet's nutty behavior and Polonius decides it's
love-sickness
- scene ii (the castle): Claudius welcomes Hamlet's childhood
buddies Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who are to cajole Hamlet;
Polonius introduces the returned messengers of I.ii. and they tell
of Fortinbras's subjection--Fortinbras reportedly has said he's
really been marching against the Polack and the King of Norway has
given him more soldiers and asks permission of Claudius for the
whole gang to pass over Danish territory; Polonius tells Claudius
and Gertrude of his "love-sickness" opinion and convinces them to
hide while he converses with the then-entering Hamlet; Hamlet and
Polonius talk, then Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter and tell
Hamlet of the arrival of the players; Hamlet chats with the
players and their top actor agrees to play The Murder of Gonzago
with Hamlet's additions; the scene closes with the third
soliloquy
ACT III
- scene i (the castle): Polonius, Gertrude, and Claudius hear
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's report; all but Polonius, Claudius,
and Ophelia leave for Polonius and Claudius will watch as Hamlet
chats with Ophelia; Hamlet enters and speaks the fourth soliloquy
(in a different place in other versions) and eventually tells
Ophelia to get to a nunnery before he leaves; Claudius is not
convinced of Hamlet's lovesickness; Polonius's next plot is for
Hamlet, after the play, to chat with his mother in her room while
the hidden Polonius watches
- scene ii (the castle): Hamlet advises the players, and then the
court assembles for the players' performance; they perform, first
silently, a play that re-enacts the murder of the elder Hamlet,
and Claudius leaves; after Hamlet notes his triumph to Horatio,
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter to tell Hamlet that his mother
wants to see him in her room; Hamlet's short soliloquy (#5) ends
the scene
- scene iii (the castle): Claudius dispatches Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern to arrange passage for themselves and Hamlet to
England; he dismisses Polonius and then, in soliloquy, reveals his
guilt; Hamlet enters and, after debating with himself his revenge
on Claudius, decides rather to kill Claudius somewhere like
"th'incestious pleasure of his bed"
- scene iv (Gertrude's room): Hamlet kills the hiding Polonius,
confronts his mother, then sees the ghost who admonishes him to
leave Gertrude alone and get on with his vengeance; Gertrude
repents her wrongs
ACT IV
- scene i (the castle): Gertrude tells Claudius of Hamlet's
murdering Polonius, and Claudius sends Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern to help Hamlet tidy up before he leaves for
England
- scene ii (the castle): Hamlet teases Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern
- scene iii (the castle): Claudius unsuccessfully interrogates
Hamlet and, in the ending soliloquy, reveals his plan for Hamlet's
death
- scene iv (the Danish coast, near the
castle): Fortinbras's army
passes over the stage, and Hamlet delivers his sixth
soliloquy
- scene v (the castle): Gertrude attempts to avoid, but then
must confront, the mad Ophelia; Laertes breaks in, armed, and
Claudius pacifies him; Laertes then sees his mad sister and, in
secret, plots with Claudius his father's murderer's death
- scene vi (the castle): Horatio learns that Hamlet has boarded a
pirate ship and returned to Denmark
- scene vii (the castle): Claudius learns of Hamlet's return, and
plots with Laertes to poison a fencing foil and a drink so as to
murder Hamlet; we learn of Ophelia's drowning
ACT V
- scene i (a churchyard): Hamlet and Horatio trade wits with the
gravediggers (called "clowns"), then watch Ophelia's funeral
before Hamlet and Laertes come to blows
- scene ii (the castle): Hamlet tells Horatio of Claudius's
letter instructing the English king to kill Hamlet, which Hamlet
has switched so that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will be executed
instead; Osric arrives to invite Hamlet to the fencing match, and
in the match both Hamlet and Laertes are wounded and Gertrude
drinks the poison, then dies; Hamlet wounds Claudius with the
poisoned rapier, then makes him drink the rest of the poison, thus
killing him; Laertes dies, as does Hamlet after he names
Fortinbras his successor
This page created by Louise
M. Bishop Last updated 14 August 1997