Shakespeare

1. Shakespeare Life, Times, and Works

2. Quick Write Respond to one or several of the following questions: • Have you ever pondered your place in society or the universe? Is this position static or dynamic? • Can you remember any situations in which a family member attempted to seize power for themselves? What was the result? • Have you ever been tempted to seek revenge for something someone has done to you? What were your emotions leading up to your ultimate decision? • Have you ever felt yourself fearing outsiders or people who are different than yourself? Why? • Do you know anyone who can bring humor to even the darkest situations? What about their personality allows them to do this?

3. Shakespeare’s Life • April 23rd, 1564- April 23rd, 1616 • Stratford on Avon, England • Son of a glovemaker (whittawer) • Also a local politician • Attended the Stratford grammar school where he received instruction in the classics and Latin. • Married Anne Hathaway when he was 18 years old. • Spent most of his adult life in London but retired to Stratford in 1613. • Very few records of Shakespeare’s private life exist and there is much speculation over his sexuality, physical appearance, and religious beliefs. • Came to be known as “The Bard”.

5. Shakespeare’s Theatre and Plays • Owned the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. • Became the King’s Men later in his career. • This company owned two theatres – The Globe and Black Friars. • Produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. • First Folio was published in 1623. • “Titus Andronicus” was his first play to be published.

6. Shakespeare’s Theatre and Plays • Wrote comedies, histories, romances, and tragedies. • Used no scenery but employed props such as furniture and beds. • The Globe was an amphitheater so all plays were performed in daylight. • Amphitheater- outside with stadium seating. • Built in 1599, burned down 1613. • Situated outside the city limits of London. • Held 3,000 spectators. • Groundlings could gain admission for a single penny. • Much more expensive to attend Black Friars • Costumes were not culturally accurate, Elizabethans were far more concerned with the magnificence of the costumes.

7. Elizabethan England • “Elizabethan” refers to the cultural and political atmosphere during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. • Life (1533 - 1603) • Reign (1558 – 1603) • Ardently supported the arts and artists in a time of political instability. • Pushed for religious solidarity in the form of Protestantism. • Followed the bloody reign of her sister Mary, Queen of Scots. • Faced staunch opposition from Puritan and Roman Catholic factions. • Culture: • Great Chain of Being- a theoretical concept that God created everything to have a place and hierarchy. • Structured class system with royalty and nobles situated at the top, tradesman in the middle class, and peasants at the bottom. • Extremely recognizable fashion. • Xenophobia- dislike or fear of foreigners.

9. Shakespeare’s Language • Wrote in iambic pentameter. • Stressed, unstressed pair of syllables. • 5 iambs per line (10 syllables). • Employed blank verse because it mirrors human speech. • Shakespeare loved puns and expresses a firm understanding of the duality of language in his writing. • The goal of Shakespeare’s writing is to create catharsis in his audience. • An emotional purging brought on by the aesthetic.

10. Authorship Controversy • One important thing to keep in mind is the fact that “authorship” was very loosely termed during Shakespeare’s day. • Many of the plots Shakespeare employed had existed for quite sometime before he produced them. • Many scholars argue that due to Shakespeare’s class and where he lived, he would not be capable of writing the plays he did. • Also argue that he would never had had the political influence necessary to travel within such important circles. • Many argue that he was not the individual and transcendent genius that romance and hindsight has presented us. • Have adopted a much broader, cultural view of authorship. • Forced to be responsive to the history, politics, and literature of the time. • In a sense, Queen Elizabeth I can be view as the author because of her cultural presence in the plays. • However, many theories exist that attribute authorship to other individuals, including Sir Francis Bacon, an English philosopher and statesman.