William Shakespeare Actor, Playwright, Poe t 1564-1616
Slide 2
History - born in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England
and was baptized on April 26, 1564 -father was a glove maker and
wool merchant and his mother, Mary Arden, the daughter of a
well-to-do local landowner -Records suggest that he only completed
grammar school and would have studied the classics and Latin
-Married Anne Hathaway in 1582, he was 18 and she was 26. The
couple wed because Anne was pregnant -The had three children:
Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith -The Lost Years (1582 1592):
there is no record of Shakespeare in this time, some scholars
believe that he was on the run from the law while others believe
that he was a teacher
Slide 3
History continued - Shakespeare reappeared as a member of the
Lord Chamberlains Company, a theater group which was later renamed
the Kings Company to please King James - Wrote and acted for the
company, most notably at the Globe theater, until 1611 -
Shakespeare spent the last 5 years of his life in Stratford
Slide 4
Poetry and Plays -Shakespeare published at least 154 poems -He
is best known for his sonnets -One of his most famous sonnets is
Sonnet 130 -Shakespeare also published about 38 plays -Some of his
most well-known plays are: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, and
The Tempest -Shakespeare wrote tragedies and comedies
Slide 5
Shakespearean Theater -Shakespearean theater was based off the
the theater productions of ancient Greece -Shakespeare largely
performed at The Globe Theater in London -The Globe presented
theater-in-the-round, an open air theater in the shape of a circle
or crescent, the shape lends itself to dramatic productions and
audience participation -Shakespeare opened his production to all
classes, royalty had designated seats, nobility and the wealthy sat
while peasants or the poor stood near the stage
Slide 6
The Globe Theater
Slide 7
Controversy -Some scholars believe that Shakespeare was not
educated enough to author the work that was published under his
name -However, these scholars cannot agree on who the real
Shakespeare may be -One candidate is: Edward de Vere, Lord
Chamberlain - educated in poetry and the classics, raised with the
theater from an early age, would have used a pen name because
acting and writing plays would have been considered
inappropriate
Slide 8
In your groups, write any questions that you have about
Shakespeare so far. Be prepared to share.
Slide 9
The Bubonic Plague -T he Bubonic Plague (Black Plague) occurred
at least 3 times in Europe in the 6 th and 7 th centuries and
killed 40 percent of Constantinople, between 1348 and 1350 when it
killed between 30 60 percent of Europe, and in 1890 in China -The
Black Plague causes sores which become infected, high fever and
vomiting and death in about a week -The Plague was carried
throughout Europe by fleas and poor hygiene
Slide 10
The Plague continued -Shakespeare, like others, was terrified
of the plague -He lost his sisters Joan, Margret, and Anne to the
plague when they were children, his brother Edmund when he was 27
and his son, Hamnet, when he was 11 -The theaters were shut down
three times during Shakespeares life time due to plague 1593, 1603
and 1608 -Theaters encouraged the spread of the disease because of
the close proximity of people
Slide 11
Julius Caesar -July 100 BC March 15 th 44 BC -Roman general,
statesman, Consul (second in command under the Emperor) and author
-Shakespeare would have read some of Caesars writings while in
school -Played a critical role in the downfall of the Roman
Republic (like a democracy) and the rise of the Roman Empire
(autocracy like Animal Farm)
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Julius Caesar -Invaded modern day France and Britain to
increase the size of the Roman Empire -Is suspected of having an
affair with Cleopatra -Declared himself dictator for life -Seen as
too powerful but members of Roman politics, assassinated by a group
of senators on the Ides of March (March 15 th on the Roman
calendar)
Slide 13
Julius Caesar Important Themes: -Fate vs. Free Will -Public
Self vs. Private Self -Misinterpretations and misreadings of
important symbols -Language and Power
