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Gain a comprehensive understanding of William Shakespeare's life, his plays and sonnets, and the theater scene during his time. Explore the Globe Theatre and learn about the controversy surrounding theater in Shakespeare's era. Discover the cultural and historical context in which Shakespeare created his timeless works.
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Life of William Shakespeare Basics • Very little is known about Shakespeare’s life but what is known is gathered from records, wills, marriage certificates, etc. • Born around April 23, 1564; 3rd of 8 children • Family lived in Stratford-upon-Avon, a market town about 100 miles NW of London.
His father, John Shakespeare, was a glove maker • A man of considerable standing in Stratford • Served as Justice of the Peace and High Bailiff (mayor)
Education \ • Attended grammar school and studied • Latin grammar and literature • Rhetoric (the use of language) • No further formal education known
Marriage Marriage to Anne Hathaway • Married at age 19 to Anne, 8 years older • 3 children: Susanna (1583), Judith and Hamnet (twins, 1585)
Later Life • 1594 – became shareholder in company of actors called Lord Chamberlain’s Men • 1603 – James I became king of England; acting company renamed King’s Men
Accomplishments • 1610 – Shakespeare retired to Stratford-upon-Avon • He wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and 2 epic narrative poems. • Said to have invented about 1000+ words.
Holy Trinity Church • Shakespeare rests at Holy Trinity Church. • April 23, 1616 – died at the age of 52
The Curse on Shakespeare’s Grave Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare, To digg the dust enclosed heare. Blese be the man that spares thes stones, And curst be he that moves my bones.
First Theatre • 1576 – James Burbage, an actor/manager, built the first permanent theatre in England • Called “The Theatre” • Burned down in 1599 – materials salvaged to build The Globe
Theatre is Immoral: People should work in shops, not waste their time in idleness. Puritans object to theater as an unwholesome environment Men dressed as women Theater=fiction=lies The mass of people could further the spread of the plague Theatre is Valuable: Theatre is educational, based on classical antiquity Theatre paints a true picture of the good and bad in life, so people can learn how to choose the good People should have the opportunity for recreation Debate: The Morality of Theatre
Shakespeare’s Globe Modern reconstruction (1997) • The original Globe (1599) built across the Thames from London in an area called Bankside – the “wrong” side of the river • Octagonal shape • Oak timbers, plaster walls, thatched roof
Typical 16thCentury Theatre • Building: 3 stories • Levels 1 & 2: Stage, backstage: dressing and storage areas • Level 3: Upper Stage, could represent balcony, walls of a castle, bridge of a ship • Resembled courtyard of an inn
Modern SouthwarkThe Globe, Millennium Bridge and the Tate Modern from the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral
Thrust Stage • A large platform without a curtain or changeable backdrops • 2 ornate pillars supported canopy roof, “the heavens,” elaborately painted to depict the sun, moon, stars, planets • Pulleys in “the heavens” to lower actors onto stage
Stage • Trap doors: entrances and exits of ghosts; area under stage called Hell • 2 large doors at back: actors made entrances and exits in full view of audience • Inner stage: the “discovery space,” a recess with balcony area above • Floor: ash mixed with hazelnut shells from snacks audience ate during performance • Effect on performance: plays held in afternoon • No roof • No artificial lighting • No scenery
Stage • Minimal props and sets • Rich costumes: often cast-offs from the nobility • Sound effects: often as important as dialogue
Acting Companies • Only boys and men • Young boys performed female roles
Audience • 2000-3000 people from all walks of life • Well-to-do spectators sat in covered galleries around stage • Most stood in yard around platform stage – “groundlings”
Patronage and Writers • Gentlemen earned reputation by being patrons of the arts • Writers earned funds by pleasing wealthy patrons • Many texts circulated in manuscript • Printed texts licensed by the Stationer’s Company
The “Modern” City in Shakespeare’s Time • About 200,000 people in London; no more than 5 million in all of England • (London 2018: 8, 787, 892) (England 2018: 66, 573, 504) • City about 1 square mile, from St. Paul’s to Tower of London. • Centrality of London Bridge • London wooded, many trees and gardens • City was unsanitary: dumped chamberpots, ditches in narrow streets, little street lighting
London Bridge in Shakespeare’s Time Modern Day
THE END Bard = poet
