William Shakespeare

1. William Shakespeare The man, the myth, the legend

2. Background • Elizabethan period • 1558 – 1603 • England ruled by Queen Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. • Henry had 6 wives • Katherine of Aragon – Divorced • Anne Boleyn – Beheaded (accused of adultery) • Jane Seymour – Died • Anne of Cleves – Divorced • Katharine Howard – Beheaded (accused of adultery) • Katharine Parr – Survived • Called “The English Renaissance” • Explosion of learning, art, and culture • Renaissance = “Rebirth”

3. Queen Elizabeth I – ( 1558-1603 ) • Ruled England for 45 years. • Nicknamed “the Virgin Queen” and produced no heir to the throne • Restored Protestantism and formalized the Church of England • During her reign, the economy was weakened by inflation, food shortages, and high rent. • Outbreak of the black plague, food riots, Catholic conspiracies, threats of invasion, etc.

4. Who was Shakespeare? • William Shakespeare was born around April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. • Christened on April 26, 1564 • Parents • John Shakespeare– a glovemaker & sometime local politician • Mary Arden – daughter of a wealthy landowner. • Childhood • Attended the Stratford Free Grammar School until the age of 15. • Apprenticed as a glove maker with his father. • He was the third child of eight, and the eldest surviving son.

5. The marriage… • Married Anne Hathaway on November 27, 1582. • She was 26, a landowner and businesswoman in her own right, and pregnant. • He was 18. • They had three children • Susannah – May 26, 1583 • Hamnet & Judith (twins) – February 2, 1585 • Between 1585-1592, Shakespeare disappears from public record.

6. London… • In 1592, Shakespeare shows up in public record as an actor, writer, and producer with the Lord Chamberlain’s Men • Acting companies depended on wealthy patrons to support their theatres and shows. • The Lord Chamberlain was the official head of all things theatre-related in Elizabethan England. • The Lord Chamberlain could open and close theatres at will, and usually did. • Theatres closed between 1592-1594 due to the bubonic Plague

7. Shakespeare in a nutshell • Wrote 37 attributed plays & roughly 154 sonnets. • Is considered the greatest playwright of the English language, but he Was not seriously studied until the mid-1800s. • Is credited with contributing over 2,000 words and phrases to the English language • Competed with Christopher Marlowe (Doctor Faustus) and Richard Burbage for business and fame. • Had the equivalent of an 8th grade education. • The Bard's will gave most of his property to Susanna, his first child and not to his wife Anne Hathaway. Instead his loyal wife infamously received his "second-best bed". • The Bard's second best bed wasn’t so bad, it was his marriage bed; his best bed was for guests. • Died on his 52nd birthday in Stratford on April 23, 1616.

8. The Plays • Early plays, 1590’s, were mainly comedy • Comedy (and this could be extended to most of Shakespeare's history plays as well)  is social--leading to a happy resolution (usually a marriage or marriages) and social unification.  • Shakespeare began to focus on tragedy/dramatic themes in the late 1500s - early 1600s • The change from comedy to tragedy is usually attributed to the loss of Hamnet, Shakespeare’s son, in 1596 of unknown causes. • Tragedy is individual, concentrating on the suffering of a single, remarkable hero--leading to individual torment, waste and death • 1608 marks a change in tone from tragedy to romance, light, magic, and reconciliation

9. The Comedies… • Comedy of Errors1592 • The Taming of the Shrew1592-94 • A Midsummer Night's Dream1595-96 • The Merchant of Venice1596-97 • Much Ado About Nothing1598-99 • Twelfth Night1599-1600 Comedy = everyone gets married

10. Tragedy = everybody dies The tragedies • Romeo & Juliet – 1595 • Hamlet - 1600 • Othello - 1601 • King Lear - 1605 • Macbeth – 1605

11. When in the play… • Only men were permitted to perform • Young boys whose voices had not changed play women’s roles • It would have been considered indecent for a woman to appear on stage • Costumes were often the company’s most valuable asset • Costumes were made by the company, bought in London, or donated by courtiers

12. All the world’s a stage… • Stage -- platform that extended into the pit • Dressing & storage rooms in galleries behind & above stage • Second-level gallery & upper stage -- famous balcony scene in R & J • Trap door -ghosts, “Hell” • “Heavens”- angelic beings • Plays were most often performed in outdoor theaters • Performances took place during the day so that the stage would be illuminated by natural light

13. The Globe Theatre • Built in 1599 • The most magnificent theater in London • Shakespeare was 1/5 owner • He earned 10% of the total profit, approximately £200-250 a year (roughly $200,000 - $250,000 today) • The Bard retired to Stratford and lived on the profits he earned from the Globe • June 19, 1613 the Globe burned to the ground during a performance of Henry VIII

14. The Globe… • Many of Shakespeare’s plays were performed here • The stage was a large, rectangle that jutted out into the yard • Held 2,000-3,000 people tightly packed • An open playhouse with a wooden structure three stories high • It was shaped like a 16 sided polygon • General admission = 1 Penny entitled a spectator to be a “groundling”-someone who could stand in the yard. • More expensive seats were in the roofed galleries and most expensive seats were chairs set right on the stage along its two sides • Rebuilt in 1900’s

15. Let’s go to the theatre! • 1 shilling to stand • 2 shillings to sit in the balcony • 1 shilling was 10% of their weekly income • Broadway Today: • $85 Orchestra • $60 Balcony • 10% of a teacher’s weekly salary

16. The Tragic Hero… Aristotle’s Definition of Tragedy • “A man of high standard who falls from that high because of a tragic flaw that has affected many” Characteristics of a Tragic Hero: • Character must be of noble/high stature • Hubris (tragic flaw) - pride blinds them • Downfall • Enlightenment (near the end of the play) • Their death