Shakespeare

A writer for all times.

An introduction to the life of the:

When? Queen Elizabeth I – ( 1558-1603 )

Ruled England for 45 years.

During her reign, the economy was weakened by inflation, food shortages, and high rent.

During the Elizabethan Period, hundreds of people were convicted as witches and executed

Shakespeare himself spelt his name in other ways too. He used: Shakespere, Shakespear, Shackspeare and Shaxpere!

Baptised on April 26th, 1564. Birth certificates did not exist at the time. Therefore, it is difficult to state his exact date of birth. However, baptisms generally happened three days after birth and so most people agree that Shakespeare was born on April 23rd.

Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England.

The third of eight children, though the two before him had died, making him the oldest of six.

• Just one class with children from the ages of 7 – 13.

• Children attended school SIX days a week, every week of the year.

• The boys (no girls allowed!) who attended the school studied Latin – mostly just Latin.

What was Shakespeare’s schooling like?1. How old are your classmates?

2. How many days a week do you attend school?

3. What time does your school day begin? And end? So how long is your day?

4. How many subjects do you study?

Shakespeare’s school

King Edward VI School

The GlobGlobee

London,1610

Most of Shakespeare’s plays were

performed here. On 29 June 1613 the Globe

Theatre went up in flames during

a performance. A cannon, used in

the production, misfired and

ignited the wooden beams and

thatching. It was then rebuilt. Today, you can visit the new

Globe, built on almost the same

site, in London.

Most of the audience could neither read nor write, so the plays had to be entertaining or the theatres would have

made no money… and Shakespeare was a very rich

man!

3,000 people could fit into the Globe.

1,700 of them paid one penny to stand in the yard where there was no roof. They were called groundlings. This is a groundling’s point of view.

So, how did Shakespeare attract his audiences?

A very important feature of the plays are their dramatic openings. Here are some examples:

A HUNCHBACKWitches

A FIGHT

A GHOST

Richard III Hamlet Romeo and Juliet

Macbeth

The importance of HUMOUR!

the biggest

stars were

the clowns

Will

K

em

pe

Robert

Arm

in

ha ha!

ha

ha!

ha ha ha

haaa!

he he

heee ha!

waaaha ha

ha!

…the ghost in

Hamlet……and Adam in As You Like It…

We know that he played… …and he appeared in the

Jonson play Sejanus.

However, the star of Shakespeare’s company was

Richard Burbage, who played all the leading parts.

Shakespeare’s issuesThe issues Shakespeare writes about are timeless and universal:

they affect every human being on our planet

jealousy, naked ambition, greed, senility, mistrust, love, adoration, mistaken identity – these ideas shape parts of our lives.

This precious stoneThis royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands,-- This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.

"King Richard II", Act 2 scene 1

‘This England’

What is your England?

This term we will look at Identity and cultural diversity.-

where we’re from.

why it’s important.

and what it gives us.

Shakespeare Day Poetry Competition

In celebration of this very British hero, write your own poem inspired by his work and win great prizes!

Entry Forms in the Library.

Closing date Fri May 4th