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Introduction to Shakespeare. English I. William Shakespeare. Shakespeare The man, the myth, the legend.
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Introduction toShakespeare English I
Shakespeare The man, the myth, the legend William Shakespeare was born the third of eight children on April 23, 1564, in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, England, to Mary Arden and John Shakespeare. His father, John, was a shopkeeper and a man of some importance in Stratford who served at various times as Justice of the Peace and High Bailiff (mayor).
Education William attended grammar school where he studied Latin grammar, Latin literature, and rhetoric (the uses of language). As far as we know, he had no formal education.
Let There Be Love… At the age of eighteen, Shakespeare fell in love with Anne Hathaway who was 26. They married and had three children. Susanna was the oldest, and Hamnet and Judith were twins. Hamnet died as a child.
There’s Even More?!? Shakespeare’s play writing success began with historical works. Between 1590 and 1593, he wrote Henry VI, Parts 1,2, and 3, Richard III and A Comedy of Errors. Romeo and Juliet was among the early plays that he wrote between 1594 and 1596. Shakespeare wrote a total of thirty seven plays, including such masterpieces as Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth.
Still More Shakespeare . . . As an actor, he was a member of a theatrical company known as Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which was later to become the King’s Men. Wealthy patrons supported these theatrical groups. The King’s Men were supported by King James himself. Shakespeare worked with The King’s Men all of his writing life by providing them with plays year after year. He had a theater that needed plays, actors who needed parts, and his own family who needed to be fed.
Retirement He retired from the theater to his native Stratford in 1612. Due to his widespread fame and success, he was able to buy the second-largest house in Stratford with a cottage, a garden, and 107 acres of soccer field In early 1616, he wrote his will, leaving his property to his daughter Susanna, 300 pounds to his other daughter, Judith, and his second-best bed to Anne because it was her favorite.
R.I.P. Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, on his 52nd birthday. He was buried at Trinity Church in Stratford as an honored citizen. His tombstone bears the following inscription: Good Friend, for Jesus’ sake forbear To dig the dust enclosed here. Blest be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he who moves my bones.
Shakespeare continued • Shakespeare was in the acting company, Lord • Chamberlain's Men (later called the King’s Men) • He wrote: • 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and 2 long poems • His work was not published during his lifetime • but four years later in the "First Folio" book • Shakespeare is considered a "man for all • seasons" because his plays appeal to everyone • (all ages and across time)
The Shakespeare Debate • There is much speculation as to whether or not there was an actual “Shakespeare.” • Many historians claim that “Shakespeare” is actually a collection of several poets and playwrights works, while others claim that it was a pseudonym for another writer. • The three men most associated with the “Shakespeare Debate” are Edward De Vere, Francis Bacon, and Christopher Marlow.
The Globe • Shakespeare performed his plays here • Constructed in 1599 • On the banks of the Thames River • Near London • Shape: Octagonal • Play time: 2 hours in • the afternoon • Cost: One penny
The Globe continued • Seating: • Pit: General crowd • Galleries: A small additional fee would get you these seats • Box Seats: Royalty or noblemen only • The capacity for the play performance was 3,000 • Sound effects were made in the huts • Ghosts could appear on stage through trap doors
The Globe continued • Flags, trumpets, and fliers told when there would be a play • The flags also told the audience what type of play they would be seeing: • Red flag = history play • White flag = comedy play • Black Flag = tragedy play
Parts of the Globe • The Pit- Sometimes referred to as “The Yard” where the groundlings watched the play for their one-penny admission. • The Stage- Major playing area jutted into the Pit, creating a sense of intimacy with the audience. Hangings curtained off space beneath. • Main entrance- Here the doorkeeper greeted playgoers and collected one penny from everyone.
Parts of the Globe • Lord’s Rooms- private galleries; six pennies let a viewer sit here, or sometimes even on the stage itself. • Middle Gallery- called “two-penny rooms” because the seats here were higher priced. • Inner Stage- A recessed playing area often curtained off, then opened for appropriate scenes.
Parts of the Globe • Hut- a storage area that also held a wench system for lowering enthroned gods or other characters to the stage. • Tiring-House- The important backstage area which provided space for storage and business offices.
Parts of the Globe • Trap Door- Leading down to the Hell area where equipment included the winch elevator that raised and lowered actors or properties. There was another trap door in the ceiling referred to as “the heavens.” • Hell- The area under the stage, used for ghostly comings and goings or for more mundane storage of properties.
Elizabethan England Queen Elizabeth I ruled England during the time that Shakespeare wrote many of his plays.
Queen Elizabeth I • She ruled England for nearly 50 years, and was very popular • Ruled 1558-1603 • She was such a strong ruler that the time is called the Elizabethan Age or England’s Golden Age. • Elizabeth never married although she had many suitors during her lifetime. • Queen Elizabeth had red hair and green eyes and was known for her love of fashion; she had over 2,000 dresses. Some of her more elaborate gowns weighed over 200 pounds each.
QueenElizabeth I continued During the 1600s, London was a busy, bustling, walled city. It was having a Renaissance (rebirth) of arts and sciences under two monarchs who loved the theater. Queen Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, was a liberal-minded monarch who enjoyed the theater and wrote plays for special performances. Shakespeare gave 32 performances at her court during her reign.
Elizabethan Theater • During this time, theater was not the only form of entertainment. People also enjoyed music and dancing. • No women were allowed to act in the plays. Young boys acted the female parts. • Actors wore clothes from their own time period, regardless of the play’s setting. The costumes were often very fancy. • Audiences were very rowdy. They talked during the plays, and if they did not like one, they would throw garbage at the actors.
King James I KingJames I, the son of Mary Queen of Scots, reigned from 1603 to 1625. He also supported the theatre and wrote many poems and plays. At least half of the plays that he saw performed had been written by Shakespeare.
Elizabethan Theaters During the reign of Queen Elizabeth and later King James, there were many famous Elizabethan Theaters. Some of these were “The Theatre” “The Swan” “The Globe” “The Rose” “The Blackfriars” “The Fortune” “The Whitehall” “The Curtain” These theatres were usually located outside the London walls on the Thames.
Romeo & Juliet Romeo & Juliet was written during a period when Shakespeare had found the strength of his writing. He would have been about 30 years old when he wrote it. It stands as a great play in its own right. Romeo & Juliet is believed to have been written around 1595. The Nurse in the play refers to "an earthquake eleven years past (Act II, scene 3, line 23). London experienced a strong tremor around 1580.
Romeo & Juliet 1968
Romeo & Juliet 1996
The Tragedy The story is, of course, about a pair of star-crossed lovers. Two teenagers pursue their love for each other despite the fact that their families have been at odds with each other for decades. The story combines swordfighting, disguise, misunderstanding, tragedy, humor, and some of the most romantic language found in literature all in the name of true love.
