William Shakespeare

Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 23, 1564. He died on the same date in 1616.

Although being born and dying in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare lived most of his life in London as an actor and a playwright.

In Shakespeare’s Time

Today

Shakespeare’s Birthplace

At age 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582. She is 26.

Six months later, Susanna is baptized in the church.

William and Anne have two other children, twins, Hamnet and Judith.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Write 37 Plays

Write 154 Sonnets

Write 3 Poems

Become the most

famous author EVER!

Shakespeare lives much of his life away from his family writing and acting in London while they lived in Stratford-upon-Avon. These cities are about 100 miles apart.

Shakespeare began earning fame as an actor and playwright working at The Globe Theater for an acting troupe named The Chamberlain’s Men. This group later changed their name to The King’s Men after King James took the throne.

Rebuilt Globe Theater, London

The Globe Theater was a public theater that sat up to 3000 spectators. Most of those spectators paid a penny to stand in front of the stage while the remaining 1,000 had more expensive seats under the covered edges of the theater that gave the theater its “O” appearance.

Shakespeare’s Language

• Shakespeare wrote in “Early Modern English.”• EME was not very different from “Modern English,”

Shakespeare’s Language

• A mix of old and very new• Rural and urban words/images• Understandable by the lowest peasant and the highest noble

Elizabethan Theatrical

Conventions

A theatrical convention is a

suspension of reality.

No electricity

Women forbidden

to act on stage

Minimal, contemporary

costumes

Minimal scenery

These control the dialogue.These control the dialogue.

This was illegal!

Do you know why?

WOMEN were not allowed on stage.

So what does this mean for Romeo and Juliet?

Audience loves to be scared.

Audience loves to be scared.

Soliloquy

Aside Types of speechTypes of speech

Blood

Use of supernatural

Use of disguises/

mistaken identity

Multiple marriages

(in comedies)

Multiple murders

(in tragedies)

Last speaker—highest in

rank (in tragedies)

“All the world 's a stage, And all the men and women merely players.”

So…..

Let’s dramatize Shakespeare!!!

•These acting troupes where made up of PROFESSIONAL actors.

•However, these PROFESSIONAL actors were not well respected.

•Each group had to be licensed by the Queen/King. Hence, changing their name.

•Between the summer of 1592 and the spring of 1594 all theaters were closed because of the Black Plague. What do you think Shakespeare did?

•Shakespeare acted in his plays, but he was not Hamlet or Romeo, but rather, Balthasar or Sampson.

Each “History Play” was written for THREE reasons:

1. To Tell History

2. To Gain Favor

3. To Influence Queens and Kings

Comedies are characterized by THREE things:

1. A light tone

2. Love

3. Generally ending in marriage

Characterized by THREE things:

1. DEATH

2. Tragic Hero

3. Dark Tone

?

The Shakespearean sonnet (also called the English sonnet) has three four-line stanzas (quatrains) and a two-line unit

called a couplet.  

A couplet is always indented; both lines rhyme at the end.  

The meter of Shakespeare's sonnets is iambic pentameter.  

The rhyming lines in each stanza are the first and third and the second and fourth. In the couplet ending the poem, both lines rhyme. All of Shakespeare's sonnets follow the same

rhyming pattern.

Why Study Shakespeare? Someone that would ask, “Why do you study Shakespeare?” hasn’t really taken the time to know him. Give yourself the patience to get into the language and see what all the hype is about…     Look at the sheer scope of his achievement. Over some thirty-eight plays, Shakespeare addressed virtually every aspect of human experience. His plays include comedies, tragedies, and histories, romances, and problems plays: it is difficult to think of a dramatic situation, a human dilemma, or a major theme that his works do not touch upon.    If you can read and understand Shakespeare, you can read and understand almost anything (although you may have problems in quantum physics).    Shakespeare can be used as a pivot point for mythology (Midsummer’s Night Dream), marriage, Greek Tragedy (Titus Andronicus), Italian Comedy, Elizabethan culture and history, Catholicism, and English history. Scottish history (Macbeth), the world of fantasy (fairies, monsters, ghosts, spirits, witches, as in The Tempest, Midsummer’s Night Dream, Hamlet). Want an exclusive list? Give me a week or two…    Then, of course, there’s the poetry rhymed and unrhymed (iambic pentameter). If you can write a Shakespearean sonnet (there are other forms like Italian), you can write any kind of poem.     The language is challenging and well-crafted. The sentences are tight and concise.    The language, while “Elizabethan”, shows us how language has changed…    A study of drama MUST include Shakespeare, since he was THE BEST playwright in the world. Did you know he is translated in hundreds of languages? He is an international star. Think about this- his work is still read hundreds of years after he wrote it…    Shakespeare is a master of plot. If you do anything at all with Shakespeare, study the stories. He ties up all his loose ends.    He is a master of character. If I saw Mercutio on the street, I would KNOW him.    Shakespeare is LOGICAL. He presents a knot and then unties it. ALL kids should have logic in high school or at home during these years. Logic keeps us from throwing our money away, marrying a jerk, following after fools, and making intelligent life choices.    Shakespeare is timeless. He writes about themes that never go out of style. Traits such as greed, power, lust, compassion and jealousy are indeed commonly found both now and in Shakespeare’s time.