William Shakespeare

(Whoever That Was)1564-1616

Birth and Early Years

• Baptized: April 26, 1564• Born: probably a few days before baptism– Born in Stratford-Upon-Avon

• About 100 miles NW of London

• Education: – Probably attended grammar school and church at

Stratford-Upon-Avon• Elizabethan school: began at dawn, lasted most of the day, 6

days a week. He would have learned Latin, and the classics there. There is some indication Billy did not finish school.

• Elizabethan church: MANDATORY

What We Know For Sure

• Born c. 1564 • Baptized 1564• Married to Anne Hathaway Nov 28, 1582.• Children: Susanna (1583), twins Hamnet and Judith (1585)• Probably lived in or around Stratford until 1585.• Died c. 1616• There are some killer poems and plays attributed to him.

(1585-1613)• Joined and became part owner Lord Chamberlin’s men

(later called The Kings’ Men), a theater troupe. (c. 1585-1592)– Shakespeare acted and wrote plays for this group.

Elizabethan Society• The English Renaissance

– cultural and artistic movement in England dating from the early 16th century to the early 17th century.

– More about music and literature, as opposed to Italian Rennaissance, which had notable visual arts

– “The Age of Shakespeare,” or “The Elizabethan Era”

• Religion– There was an uneasy truce between Catholics and Protestants in 16th

century England. • Historically, the Catholic Church held about as much power as the king

• Elizabeth recognized the Church of England (protestant) and put herself in charge of it.

• The Arts– In particular, the puritans, a sect of Protestantism, were very much

against the theater, perceiving it as a den of vice and generally a distraction from the Lord.

– Fortunately for Billy Boy, Queen Elizabeth loved the theater, despite being Protestant! And so the show went on…

Elizabethan Theater• Comedy – Everyone gets married at the end.

» More like what we call “romantic comedy”

• Tragedy – Everyone dies at the end.» The main character either “falls to ruin” or is killed» Often the protagonist’s fate is a result of a flaw in their character, or a moral

weakness• This is known as a tragic flaw.

• History – Stories about Kings. Sometimes serialized (like a soap opera)

• 5 Act plays and the 5 elements of plot– I: Exposition IV: Falling Action– II: Rising Action V: Resolution and Denoument– III: Climax

The Globe Theater

The Globe Theater

•Basically a thrust stage, with audience on all three sides•Very little in the way of a set; great costumes though!

•Creating the world of the play relied on compelling and descriptive language

•Thousands of attendees, representing all levels of society•“Cheap Seats” in the pit

•Groundlings

• Cost of a play – about a penny– Blue collar workers

made about 5-6 pennies a day; rent was about 12 pennies (a shilling)

• Attendees typically not as well behaved as a modern audience

• Theater was considered to be somewhat unseemly; the Globe was built on the outskirts of town

More Pictures…

Romeo and Juliet

• Written and originally performed c. 1596– Makes it one of Billy’s

earlier works

• R and J is a Tragedy– “Two star-cross’d lovers

take their life”

• Setting– 15th Century Verona

• (A city in Italy)

– Before Italy was a unified country• City-States, ruled by

noblemen (Dukes)

– Two feuding families• Montagues (Romeo’s

family)• Capulets (Juliet’s family)

Why do they talk to funny?

• 1) Language changes – the meanings and associated meanings of words change over time.

• 2) Figurative Language – metaphors, puns, imagery, etc.

• 3) Blank Verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter)• 4) Allusions – things that were hip in the 16th

century are now pretty obscure!

Note Time!

• Make a page in your notebook for “Shakespeare Vocabulary”

• Take notes over pages 986-987 in your textbook

Macbeth

• Written/performed c. 1605– At the height of Shakespeare’s and his company’s

popularity• “The Scottish Play”– Commissioned by then king of Scotland– Set in Scotland- 11th century (c. 1040AD)– Costume considerations

• Would have been originally performed in private halls, to wealthy crowds (so NOT in the Globe)

Macbeth would have been performed in a space like this…