William Shakespeare and The Globe Theatre

William Shakespeareand The Globe Theatre Introduction to Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare • Early Life • Born April 23, 1564 in Stratford, a market town about one hundred miles northwest of London. • Father – John – a glover and tanner (makes clothes from hides), merchant • Mother – Mary Arden – daughter of prosperous family • Attended Stratford Grammar School 10 hours a day • Studied Latin and Greek • Read ancient classics

Shakespeare – Early Life cont. • 1577 – possibly dropped out of school to help father • 1582 – married Anne Hathaway (8 years older than him) • 1583 – daughter born – Susana • 1585 – twins born – Judith and Hamnet • After twins were born – moved to London, leaving his family in Stratford (He joined theatrical company called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which later became the King’s Men.)

Shakespeare – Later Life • By 1592 – he had already become an actor and a playwright • 1592 – 1612 – wrote 37 plays • Romeo and Juliet written between 1594 – 1596 (one of his earliest plays) • Other famous works written during 1592 - 1612: Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth

Shakespeare – Later Life • Died April 23, 1616 • 52 years old • Buried in Stratford • Carved over his grave: Good friend, for Jesus’ sake forbear To dig the dust enclosed here! Blessed be the man that spares these stones And cursed be he that moves my bones. * He has lain undisturbed to this day.

Globe Theatre “The Wooden O” • Theatre most closely associated with Shakespeare and his plays • 1599 – building of the Globe begins (renovation of a theatre that once belonged to James Burbage, actor-manager, in England.) • Many say it was octagonal in shape, but some say that the Globe may have had as many as twenty sides.

Characteristics of the Globe • Three stories high (corresponding to earth, heaven, and hell) • Large platform stage • Dressing rooms (behind stage) • Two doors for entrances and exits (on the inner stage) • Small balcony / upper stage • Trapdoors in the floor of the main stage (for the entrances / exits of ghosts and descents into hell.)

The Globe • Plays were performed in the afternoon • No need for stage lighting (since open-air) • Very few sets (furniture, etc.) • The stage was “set” by the language. • “scene painting” • “Well, this is the forest of Arden.” • “But look, the morn in russet mantle clad…” • Elaborate costumes • Ex.) gold, lace, silk, and velvet • Colorful banners • Ex.) Heavens were painted gold • Actors wore make-up, an abomination to the Puritans

The Globe • Plays were often performed by all-male medieval trade guilds, so all women’s parts were played by men. (It was many years before women appeared on stage in English theatre.) • Venders offered beer, water, oranges, nuts, gingerbread, hazelnuts, and apples (occasionally thrown at the actors) • Three thousand spectators • No intermission • No restroom! • No producer or director; the actors were in complete control of the production.

Romeo and Juliet Background • Shakespeare wrote this play over 400 years ago. • Based on a long narrative poem by Arthur Brooke, which was published in 1562 as TheTragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet. • Brooke’s poem was also based on older Italian stories.

Romeo and Juliet • A young man and a nearly 14-year old girl fall in love at first sight. • Star-Crossed Lovers • Romeo = son of Montague • Juliet = daughter of Capulet • They break the laws and marry unwisely and against their parent’s wishes. • The two are doomed to disaster by fate. Most people in Shakespeare’s believed in astrology. • They believed that the course of their lives was partly determined by the hour, day, month, and year of their birth (hence, “the stars” under which they were born)

Romeo and Juliet • Tragedy • Narrative about serious and important actions that end unhappily • Usually, a tragedy ends with the deaths of the main characters • In some, the disaster impacts totally innocent characters • In others, the main characters are in some ways responsible for their own downfall

Shakespeare’s tragic plays • Act I – Exposition • Establishes setting, introduces some main characters, explains background, introduces the main conflict • Act II – Rising Action / Complications • Consists of a series of complications that occur as the main characters take action to resolve their problems • Act III – Crisis / Turning Point • Moment when a choice made by the main characters determines the direction of the action: upward to happy = comedy or downward = tragedy / This turning point is dramatic and tense as the forces of conflict come together • Act IV – Falling Action • Presents events that result from the action taken at the turning point – take the character’s deeper and deeper into disaster • Act V – Climax and Resolution • Final and greatest climax occurs – usually with the deaths of the main characters. In addition, all loose parts of plot are tied up.

How to read Shakespeare • Written in both prose and poetry • Prose: ordinary speech or writing without metrical structure (see this mostly spoken by the common people) • Blank Verse: unrhymed iambic pentameter • iamb meter = unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable like in the word prefer • iambic pentameter = there are five iambic units in each line • Blank verse contains unrhymed iambic pentameter

How to read Shakespeare • Couplet: two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme • Often punctuate a character’s exit or signal the end of a scene • When reading, don’t pause at the end of each line. Read like you are reading prose, using the punctuation you have been given. • End-stopped line – has punctuation at its end • Run-on line – has no punctuation at its end

Elizabethan Language An, and: If Anon: Soon Aye: Yes But: Except for E’en: Even E’er: Ever Haply: Perhaps Happy: Fortunate

Elizabethan Language Hence: Away, from here Hie: Hurry Marry: Indeed Whence: Where Wilt: Will, will you Withal: In addition to Would: Wish

William Shakespeare and The Globe Theatre