An IntroductionWILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Shakespeare: Script, Stage, ScreenChapter One--Shakespeare’s Life

Shakespeare refers to several distinct entities• William Shakespeare (1564-

1616) the man• His literary output: 38 plays,

154 sonnets, 2 narrative poems, etc.

• The production of his dramatic works on stage, film, media

• The Shakespeare industry

The early yearsActual birth date is uncertain, his baptism was entered into the registry at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-on-Avon 26 April 1564...given common practices of the time, his birth was likely 3 days earlier and is celebrated today as 23 April – The Feast of St. George

His family

• Son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. Born in 1564 the same year as Christopher Marlowe. The same year that Michaelangelo died.

• John Shakespeare was a tanner and a glover and became an important community leader, eventually rising to the position of high bailiff, much like the role of the modern mayor

Attended Stratford’s Grammar SchoolWilliam and his brothers Gilbert, Richard and Edmund attended the town’s grammar school. His sister, Joan, did not.

His schooling

• At school, he studied Ovid, Seneca and Plautus

• Many modern interpreters suggest that Shakespeare could not have written his plays because his schooling was not sufficient, in recent years, this conjecture has largely been laid to rest by new scholarship

• An example of English grammar school education is shown in THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR as a student named William is put through his paces by a pedantic schoolteacher

Many feel that he never attended university

because of a downturn in the fortunes of his family which began in 1579. He also married at 18, and the responsibilities of

supporting a family prevented his university

training.

Marriage

Married Anne Hathaway in 1582. She was 9 years his senior. Together they had three children: Susannah (1583) and twins Hamnet and Judith (1585)

Early influences

Records indicate that seven different acting companies appeared in Stratford between 1579 and 1584. In 1575, a lavish water spectacle was enacted for the Queen at nearby Kenilworth Castle. It is believed that Shakespeare and his contemporaries saw such works

They were also familiar with the medieval tales of fairies, witches and hobgoblins...and mysteries like Christ’s birth and passion...paintings of which decorated the Guild Hall where Shakespeare went to school

THE LOST YEARS

• Fom 1585 to 1592, not much is known of Shakespeare’s life

• Some speculate that he served as a schoolmaster or apprenticed to his father’s glovemaking business

• Eventually, he joined an acting company, probably while it was on tour

• Ultimately, he left his family at Stratford and moved to London

LONDON

• By 1592, playwright Robert Greene wrote of Shakespeare as “an upstart crow, beautified by our feathers...” This is the first evidence that he was in London

• By 1594, he belonged to the Chamberlain’s Men, led by the entreperneur James Burbage, whose son, Richard, was the leading player

• Eventually, Shakespeare became a shareholder in the company and as a member, the company flourished making Shakespeare a fairly wealthy man

• He lived in rented lodgings during his time in London, going home on occasion to Stratford

• In 1599, after leasing and performing in other venues, the company built the Globe Theatre

• His first printed play was TITUS ANDRONICUS (1594) along with HENRY VI, PART TWO. During his professional career he wrote from 2-3 scripts a year

Non-dramatic works• Periodically during his career, the

theatres were closed, especially during an outbreak of the plague. During one such period, he wrote his two long narrative poems VENUS AND ADONIS and THE RAPE OF LUCRECE.

• He probably composed some of his sonnets during such times, as well

• Much is made of the “autobiographical” nature of Shakespeare’s sonnets, but it is all speculative

Early plays were based upon Roman models TITUS ANDRONICUS and THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

LOVE’S LABOURS LOST seems to be based upon the style of Elizabethan writer John Lyly

In 1588, Catholic Spain failed in its attempt to invade England and the forces of the Queen defeated the Spanish Armada. This seems to have influenced a string of English history plays including THE HENRY VI cycle which ends with the defeat of Richard III

Early comedies…

were based upon Italian tales and influences of the commedia dell arte

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA

Mid to late 1590sHe experimented with tragedy in ROMEO AND JULIET and wrote his best romantic comedies…THE MERCHANT OF VENICEMUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING AS YOU LIKE IT

Henry V

His greatest Chronicle play, HENRY V was also completed in the late 1590s timed to coincide with Elizabeth and Essex’s exploits in the Ireland wars

Turn of the century (1600)

• At the turn of the century, his plays grew more dark. Plots against the Queen and Lord Essex seem to have inspired JULIUS CAESAR. It was followed by the dark comedy TWELFTH NIGHT

• HAMLET, a meditation on death was written in the last year of Elizabeth’s life.

Death of Elizabeth I

Elizabeth was succeeded to the throne by James VI of Scotland who became James I of England. During the Jacobean phase of his career, he continued his experiments with genres writing his problem plays…

• MEASURE FOR MEASURE• ALLS WELL THAT ENDS WELL • TROILUS AND CRESSIDA

His great tragedies followed

OTHELLOKING LEARMACBETH

Tragicomedy and romance

• Near the end of the first decade of the new century, he turned to tragicomedy and romance: PERICLES, CYMBELINE, THE WINTER’S TALE and THE TEMPEST

• His last history play, HENRY VIII was written in 1613 in collaboration with John Fletcher, who succeeded him as principal dramatist for the KINGS MEN...already retired to his home in Stratford, this was likely his last major work

RETURN TO STRATFORD

• HE seems to have decided to retire sometime around 1612, although only in his late 40s, he felt he was growing old. He died in 1616

• He left behind a large estate. His wife outlived him by several years

• He was buried on April 25, 1616 two days after St. George’s Day which would have been his 52nd birthday.

• He left no heirs as neither Judith or Susannah had children.

Shakespeare’s grave

First publication of complete works

Two of his colleagues in London--John Heminges and Henry Condell--gathered his scripts together and published the First Folio in 1623