Shakespeare Background

1564--Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, a town a little less than 100 miles north of London.

His father was a glover and a middle-class merchant.

At 18 years old, he married the 26 year old Anne Hathaway.

Shakespeare the man

At some point, Shakespeare left home to pursue a career in acting and playwriting in London.

Shakespeare played mostly minor roles and sometimes acted as comic relief.

No records exist regarding Shakespeare’s education, but he most likely received a basic grammar school education (heavy in classics).

Unlike most writers of his day, Shakespeare did not attend a university.

One of the foremost writers of the day, Robert Greene, mocked Shakespeare by calling him an “upstart wit.” Some writers were bothered by Shakespeare’s more common language.

Shakespeare’s Education

Shakespeare was most likely introduced to drama by travelling players: groups that would put on basic plays.

These plays evolved from the pageantry of the Catholic mass.

Plays one generation before Shakespeare used formal language and mystical/religious characters.

Writers of Shakespeare’s generation shook up the theatre world by using common language and even a few lower-class characters and scenarios.

The Theatre in London

No scenery or sets were used, only props and costumes.

Remember, all of the actors were male.

Boys or young men played the female roles, wearing wigs and dresses.

Boys were often given only small parts to play.

London was an important city of commerce situated on the river Thames.

The population was around 200,000 at the time, but varied due to a few outbreaks of the plague.

While Queen Elizabeth, and later King James, were powerful figures, they still had to compromise and work with local leaders (such as the parliament and the mayor of London).

Shakespeare’s London

King James loved the theatre so much that he dubbed Shakespeare’s company the “King’s Men.”People from all castes would attend the

plays. Rich people often had private plays, but

they would also attend the theatre. However, some religious groups found the

plays offensive and the mayor of London banned plays from the city.

Shakespeare’s Audience

Shakespeare’s London

Because they couldn’t perform inside city limits, the theatre companies opened stages just outside the city across the river Thames (which was then outside the

city).

This area was home to bear fighting, prostitution, and gambling.

This area was also a transition point between the urban city and the rural outskirts. This tension between the urban and rural is evident in many Shakespeare plays.

Puritans succeeded in closing the theatres in 1642.

Theater in Exile

Yes.Did Shakespeare really write the plays attributed to him?

Well, probably…

Arguments against:

The plays accurately describe places Shakespeare never visited such as Venice.

Shakespeare did not study literature at Oxford or Cambridge.

Shakespeare borrowed extensively from other sources (including other playwrights!).

Shakespeare never published his plays.

Shakespeare could read. Books were readily available from patrons, shops, and the acting company, which would have owned its own

set of classics. Shakespeare did borrow extensively. But

everyone did this. He took familiar characters and scenarios and reformed them into his own work.

Shakespeare did not publish his own work; rather, his colleagues and fellow actors took it upon themselves to gather the plays together. At this time, it would be extremely rare for a playwright to have a printed collection.

Counterarguments:

After he wrote The Tempest, Shakespeare retired a wealthy man and moved back to Stratford-upon-Avon where he bought one of the biggest houses in town.

He commissioned a coat-of-arms and essentially bought his way into the upper gentry. Unfortunately, he had no sons to carry on the coat-of-arms.

In his will, Shakespeare left his wife his “second best bed.”

Shakespeare’s Death and Legacy