William Shakespeare: Life and Times

The Main Details

• Born 1564—died 1616• Stratford-upon-Avon• Parents: John and Mary Arden

Shakespeare• Mary—daughter of wealthy landowner• John— wealthy merchant (glove maker) and

local politician

From: http://www.where-can-i-find.com/tourist-maps.html

Location of Stratford-upon-Avon

Love and Marriage

Married to Anne Hathaway in 1582 Anne was 26, he was 18

3 children: Susannah, then Hamnet and Judith (twins),

The youngest, Hamnet died at the age of 11

Leaving Town...

Went to London at 21

joined a travelling company of actors Worked as an actor, a playwright, and

a director

London Life in the 16th century

Poor sewer system

High crime rate But … 200,000

inhabitants the cultural and

political heart of England

The Plays

• 37 plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare

• comedies• histories• tragedies• poetry

Where the magic happened…• opened in 1599• Was a wooden “O” shape - seated an

audience of 3,000 in the open-air arena. (Today, it only seats 1,500!!!)

The Globe from across the Thames

Who got to go?

• EVERYONE!!! All classes were welcome.– “Groundlings,” paid a penny for admission,

and stood on three sides of the stage for the entire production.

– The wealthier got to sit in the stalls around the stage

– The wealthiest were allowed to sit ON the stage or almost behind it• That’s where they were most visible

• The “Box” Office

Side view looking at the stallsThe wealthiest sat here, because everyone could see them, and know that they paid enough money to get those seats!!

The StageSometimes the wealthy even sat here!

Roof of the Globe stage

This is a trap door that would open to let in the special effects or angels/ gods

It’s painted like the sky and heavens because that’s what it was supposed to be...not just the roof of a stage.

The end of Romeo and Juliet

A rare sunny day look at the “O”

• The only thatched roof building allowed in ALL of London

• It was built the same way it would have been built in Shakespeare’s time: with no electrical devices or technologies

When can we go!?

• Performances were given every day except Sunday– Weather permitting, of course!

• Ran between 2 and 5 o’clock in the afternoon

• A flag flew to signify the type of play being performed that day: black = tragedy, white = comedy, and red = history.

What was the theatre like?

• Vendors offered beer, water, oranges, nuts, gingerbread and apples, all of which were occasionally thrown at the actors.

• No bathrooms…you went where you were standing!!

• If it rained, you got rained on!• The roles of women were played by

men.– The term “dressed in drag” comes from

this

The end of his life

Shakespeare did very well in London His plays brought him

fame and wealth Returned to Stratford

in 1610 Destruction of the

Globe Theatre in 1613 (the Great Fire of London)

In 1616 Shakespeare died on April 23 (his birthday!)

Minor differences

• thou (you)• thine (your, yours)• thee (you)• thyself (yourself)• prithee/pray (please)• verily (very/truly)• fie (a curse)

• aye/yea (yes)• nay (no)• anon (until later)• owes (owns)• morrow (day)• crowkeeper (scarecrow)

Elizabethan Period

• What was the EP?– Age of new ideas and

a new way of thinking– During the reign of

Queen Elizabeth – 1558-1568– Era of new inventions:

The printing Press!

• Also a time of great suspicion due to rising fear of supernatural forces of nature or God

• Witchcraft

Elizabethan Class Structure

• Monarchy• Nobility• Gentry• Merchants• Yeomen• Indigents

• Each class was very specific

• Each class had their own laws

• Each class was identified by the color they wore

His Lasting Influence

• LANGUAGE!!! (Hooray!)• Credited with inventing at least 1700

words and phrases we use today. • Just a few examples:

– dwindle - deafening - fashionable– hurry - gossip - generous– lonely - torture - puking– amazement