William Shakespeare

1. William Shakespeare A brief introduction

2. William Shakespeare • The Bard • 1564-1616

3. Childhood • Born April 23, 1564 • Stratford-upon Avon, England • Father was a local prominent merchant, and also had several government positions

4. Exposure to Theatre • As a child he watched several pageants and shows during the holidays and enjoyed traveling companies of actors that would perform there.

5. Family life • Married Ann Hathaway 1583 ( he was 19, she was 26) • He had three children; Susanna born • in 1583, and twins in 1585.

6. The big move • Shakespeare moved to London with the hope of becoming an actor. • He became a shareholder in the acting company The Lord Chamberalin’s Men as wellas the primary playwright and an actor.

7. Performances • He would often perform for Queen Elizabeth I

8. He lived during the plague • During the years of the plague, he would write poetry since the theaters were often closed. It was considered by the Elizabethans to be more considered by the Elizabethans to be more important to write poetry than to write plays.

9. The Globe Theater • In 1959 he became the co-owner of the Globe Theater

10. About the theaters • Protestants condemned the plays • Theaters were on the outskirts of London away from the authorities • People who attended the theaters included: • Merchants • Lawyers • Laborers • Prostitutes • Visitors from other countries • Nobility and Royality

11. How the stage typically looked • No lighting • No scenery-just a curtain • Could hold around 2,000 people

13. Costumes • Richly decorated • Didn’t always match up the to time period of the play • Looking good was more important than being realistic

14. The Acting • The actors were all men; young boys (age 12-14) played the female parts • They were considered “shareholders” and owned stock or shares in the play texts, costumes, and props • Their pay depended on admission sales • Actors only had about 3 weeks to practice a new play • In one week, the troupes may perform 6 different plays (as many as 4,000 lines!)

15. Shakespeare’s Last Days • Between 1611-1612, Shakespeare returns to Stratford to his wife and family. • Dies April 23, 1616 at the age of 53 His will, which he revised a month before dying, left the bulk of his estate to his oldest daughter, and the bed to his wife.

16. Iambic Pentameter • Is a sound pattern • IAMB: one unaccented (or unstressed) syllable with one accented syllable • It’s like a heartbeat: ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum • Five “ba-bum”s in a row make one line of iambic pentameter (10-syllable lines) • Example: he WENT to TOWN toDAY to BUY a CAR • OR: In SOOTH / I KNOW /

17. Hip Hop & Shakespeare • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ucYtOk_8Qo

18. Insults by Shakespeare • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdCjKH5IKJ8 • Practice! Use the Insults by Shakespeare sheet to help you. You will have 5 minutes to come up with your own list • After five minutes we will have a riff off… The winning side will gain 10 extra credit points!

19. Insult Reflection • How do Shakespeare’s insults compare to todays insults? • Which insult was the best and why? • What words on that list have you heard used before? • What did you think of this activity?

20. Character Tea Party • Each person will receive a sheet of paper with one role on it. After you have received your role you will: • Create a name tag for yourself that you feel best represents your character • EXAMPLE: • Mrs.Schmalz

21. Character Tea Party • Step 2: • Try and memorize your role Step 3: Circulate the room and introduce yourself to others, and listen to who they say they are. You must meet at LEAST 13 different people and record their names and your impressions of them. Step 4: Once you have done this be seated, and ready to go on to the next part