Intro to Shakespeare

Year 7 Introduction to Shakespeare

Sunday, 16 October 2011

Life and Times

To understand the works of William Shakespeare, it is important to understand the times in which he lived.

You will be researching a list of topics related to Shakespeare and his life. When you are finished, you will have the information you need to better appreciate the works of the most famous

poet and writer in history.


Before looking at a range of Shakespeare’s texts, you will work independently or in pairs to find information about Shakespeare’s life and times.

You will use the Web to research the following topics:•Shakespeare’s life•Elizabethan Period •Intellectual and Religious life of the 1500s and 1600s•The Elizabethan Theatre and Globe Theatre•Marriage Customs, Family Life, and the Role of Women•Literary Terms and Coined Phrases

Make sure that you include a bibliography!


Shakespeare’s LifeWhen and where was Shakespeare born?

Describe his upbringing and education.

What were the four types of plays he wrote?

Where were his plays performed and by whom?

Besides writing plays, what skills made Shakespeare a “jack of all trades?”

When and where did Shakespeare die?

Why do you think we still read Shakespeare’s works today?

What words or phrases did Shakespeare invent or “coin?”


Elizabethan PeriodWho was Queen Elizabeth and for how long did she rule?Who ruled England after she died?Give the approximate dates of the Elizabethan Period.Identify the social classes during Shakespeare’s time. What

was a peasant? What was a noble?What were common punishments for crimes?What is the Bubonic Plague and how did it effect Elizabethan

society?What were the sanitation and health conditions?What is “primogeniture?”What kind of education did Queen Elizabeth receive?What kinds of entertainment did Queen Elizabeth enjoy?


Intellectual & ReligiousDescribe the four elements thought to compose the universe.Describe the four humours and their relationship to

personality. What was the relationship between the humours and illnesses?

What type of medicines were used and by whom was it dispensed?

What was the main religion? What were the basic beliefs?What changes were taking place?Describe the “Chain of Beings” believed in by Shakespeare

and his contemporaries & find a graphic that matches your description.


Elizabethan TheatreWhere were most theatres built? (in or out of the city?) Why?Why is the Globe Theatre so famous?What time of day did performances take place. How was the public

notified about the performances?Who played the female roles and why?What type of scenery and props were used?Describe the costumes the actors used.What other skills besides acting did the actors need?What was the cost of standing room at the Globe?Who was Richard Burbage?Who were the King’s Men or Chamberlain’s Men?Define and describe the following theatrical terms: Pit; Groundling;

Heavens, Trap door, Tiring house


Customs & Family LifeWhere did marriages take place during the Elizabethan Period?Why were marriage contracts arranged?Who performed the marriage ceremony?What was the common age for marriage?What is a betrothal?What was the goal of a Renaissance wedding?Describe common wedding attire during this period.Describe what foods might be served at a wedding feast.What kind of entertainment took place at a wedding

celebration?What was the status of women and what kinds of work did

women do?


Invention

Find five words or phrases that literary scholars believe were “coined” or invented by Shakespeare.


Exit, pursued by a bear! ~Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale


Education

Intro to Shakespeare