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The Life and Times of William Shakespeare. How much do you know about the 1500s?. True or false? (just guess) Romeo and Juliet is a comedy. The poor people stood the closest to the stage as they watched Shakespeare’s plays. On stage, Shakespeare’s women characters were played by men.
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How much do you know about the 1500s? • True or false? (just guess) Romeo and Juliet is a comedy. The poor people stood the closest to the stage as they watched Shakespeare’s plays. On stage, Shakespeare’s women characters were played by men. The Globe Theater had a roof and was well lit.
How much do you know? (continued) • Bathing was considered unhealthy during the 1500s. • People stopped eating tomatoes for almost four hundred years because they thought they were poisonous.
Just the Facts! • Baptized in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England on April 26, 1564. (possibly born on April 23rd) • Married Anne Hathaway and had three children—Susanna, Hamnet and Judith. • Formed a theater company and became an owner of the Globe theater in 1599. • Died April 23, 1616 • Playwright, director, actor, and poet
Elizabethan England • Female ruler- Queen Elizabeth • English people believed in “Chain of Being” (men above women) • Bubonic plague took 75,000 lives during Shakespeare’s lifetime (theatres were closed) • Crime rate was high because poverty was high
Shakespeare’s Theatre • NOISY!, counted on favorable weather • Lower class would stand in the pit (area surrounding the stage) • Spectators would throw things • Actors had to speak loudly and exaggerate their words • VIP’s got to sit right on the stage for the best view.
The Globe Theatre • Held 2,500 people • Was built in 1599 in London • Before the Globe, rich people had plays performed in their homes. • First level of stage: where all the action took place • Second level: Gallery for balcony scenes • Musicians sat in gallery to provide sound effects.
Shakespeare’s Language • At the time, Shakespeare was writing in a language that was very new and not fully developed…English! • Middle English period ended in 1500. Modern English took over after 1500. • He wrote in prose and verse. • The poor characters spoke in prose • The rich, educated characters spoke in verse.
The 5 Act Structure of a Shakespearean Play • Every Shakespeare play has 5 acts. • Exposition (explanation of what has happened in the characters’ lives up until the point when the play starts) • Rising Action: Conflict introduced, more character detail • Climax: Determines the direction in which the play is going to turn.
More 5 Act Structure • Falling action (Act IV): hero leaves, someone you haven’t seen since act one comes in, “comedic relief” • Denouement: (Resolution) all loose ends get tied up, problems solved, tragic hero acknowledges his faults and takes responsibility for actions.
Define these literary terms using your textbooks: • Exposition • Pun • Sonnet • Iambic pentameter • Blank verse • Aside • Couplets • Monologue • soliloquy
Characteristics of a tragedy and tragic hero: • Generally high-born • Must be “good” and have good intentions • Must be true-to-life = “human” • Must be consistent • Exhibits tragic flaw(s) • Experiences a reversal or fall • Brings about his own downfall • Evokes both pity and fear from the audience/reader
Romantic Tragedy • Romeo and Juliet is the most popular romantic tragedy in the English-speaking world; it has been performed for approximately 400 years. • Shakespeare’s concept of the “star-crossed lovers” has inspired composers, artists, and choreographers to create original works based on the play. • Shakespeare did not invent the story of Romeo and Juliet. It was based on a long poem “The Tragicall History of Romeus and Juliet,” by Aurthur Brooke.
