Welcome to England in the sixteenth century

1. Welcome to England in the sixteenth century

2. This is where we are going to start our journey

3. We are going to..

4. William Shakespeare The River Avon • William Shakespeare's parents lived in Stratford-on-Avon. This means the city named Stratford and is placed by the River Avon.

5. William Shakespeare • His mother’s name was Mary Arden and she came from a landowning family in the neighbourhood of Stratford. • His father owned some land. In 1590 he is known to have owned two houses in Henely Street. One of them is shown to visitors as William Shakespeare’s birth place. • There are civic documents that tell us that the father seems, on more than one occasion, to have been in debt.

6. William Shakespeare • We don’t know exactly when Shakespeare was born. There are no document which tell us the date. What we do know is the fact that he was baptised on the 26th of April 1564. There is a mark in the register of Trinity Church at Stratford-on-Avon. • We do not know so much more about his childhood. There are no records that he attended any of the schools in Stratford. But it seems likely, in view of his fathers position in town, that William attended the Stratford grammar school.

7. William Shakespeare • His marriage, to a woman called Ann Hathaway, was contracted in haste, a special licence having obtained from the Bishop of Worchester on the 27th of November 1582. • Seven months later, on the 26th of May 1583 the eldest daughter Susanna was born. She married a doctor in 1607, John Hall. He had been in practice at Stratford since 1600, it seems quite possible that Shakespeare got some knowledge of medicine, shown in Shakespeare’s plays from him • In 1585 two other children were born to them, The twins Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died as a small boy 1596. Judith died 1662. • William and his wife probably lived apart during the years Shakespeare was active as an actor and dramatist, but he went back to live with his wife in 1611

8. William Shakespeare • His career started around (roughly) 1590 and he was producing until 1610. • When he stopped writing he had done 2 long poems 150 sonnets a few other poems 37 plays

9. William Shakespeare • Some of his famous plays are Romeo and Juliete A Midsummer Night’s dream Hamlet King Lear Macbeth As you like it The Merchant of Venice Othello • There are few of the plays where the original manuscript is preserved. Most of the plays have been published after Shakespeare’s death.

10. William Shakespeare • At the same time as he was writing his works, he was an actor and a part-owner of a theatrical company. • At this time it was not so common with large theatres. Instead small companies travelled around the country and performed plays and read poems.

11. William Shakespeare • The plays that these companies performed were often satires of the persons who ruled the country. Not always mentioned with his or her name. Instead the writers of the plays used synonyms. They could also use descriptions so that no one could miss who they referred to. • The companies were also often owned by a wealthy man. One example is The Earl of Leicester’s company. • These wealthy families showed their fortune by having actors employed. They were there to entertain the wealthy family and their guests. • One of these companies visited Stratford in 1587. Maybe it was then Shakespeare took his chance and followed them to London

12. William Shakespeare Queen Elizabeth She succeeded her sister Mary Tudor in 1588. She ruled England to her death in 1603. She was never married and had no children. This was very uncommon at that time.

13. William Shakespeare • Some critics have since the middle of the nineteenth century tried to ascribe Shakespeare’s works to Francis Bacon and a number of other authors. • These theories are not true. Today most people really believe that is was Shakespeare himself who wrote all the plays that bear his name. • In the whole world there are only 8 original signatures from William Shakespeare left.

14. William Shakespeare • The famous theatre in London where Shakespeare is said to have performed his plays is called the Globe Theatre. The original building was placed on the banks of the River Thames. Unfortunately we can not see the original building today since it has been torn down. • This is a picture of a full scale model, also built on the banks of Thames

15. William Shakespeare • Observe the stage in the middle of the building with the balconies around it. • By this time women were forbidden to perform on stage so all the parts which required women were played by either boys or young men.

16. William ShakespeareThe Globe

17. William Shakespeare • Shakespeare died on April 23 and was buried on April 25 1616. He was then 52 years old and a quite wealthy man • His epitaph reads: Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare To digg the dust encloased heare: Blese be ye man yt spares thes stones And curst be he yt moves my bones. Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon

18. William Shakespeare Sonnets became popular around 1550. The way of writing came from Italy and it was introduced in England by a writer named Wyatt (1503-42) There are always 14 lines in a sonnet and it is divided into 3 quatrains. The sonnet often tells us about a beautiful woman and it glorifies her. When you read a sonnet you have to use your imagination. It is written with pictures.

19. William Shakespeare Sonnet 18 Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines And often is his gold complexion dimmed; And everyfair from fair sometimes declines, By chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed; But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st; Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st: So long as men canbreath, or eyes can see So long lives this, and this gives life tho thee 1609

20. William Shakespeare Sonnet 18 First quatrain Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date: • Shakespeare compares his love to a summer day. In this comparison she is more beautiful and more humble than summer can ever be. • The summer is not perfect but he says that she is even better. The summer will eventually end when the fall comes. 1609

21. William Shakespeare Sonnet 18 Second quatrain Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines And often is his gold complexion dimmed; And every fair from fair sometimes declines, By chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed; • Even if the summer is wonderful and lovely sometimes it can be a little bit too much. The sun, that is the eye in the sky, shines to much and it can be too warm. The clouds can cover the sun so that you can not see it but you know it is there anyway. • In the third line we are told that even a beautiful person cease to be beautiful • It happens either through a coincidence /by chance/ or by nature 1609

22. William Shakespeare • Sonnet 18 • Third quatrian • But thy eternal summer shall not fade, • Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st; • Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade, • When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st: • Her eternal summer = beauty will never go away /shall not fade /, nor will she loose possession of the beauty that she is the owner of /nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st/ • She will age in a beautiful way and an old woman can also be beautiful • The last line hints that what is written is forever /eternal/ 1609

23. William Shakespeare Sonnet 18 So long as men can breath, or eyes can see So long lives this, and this gives life tho thee As long as humans can breath and eyes can see so long will this poem live on, (what is written is eternal) and thereby it will give her life. She will never be forgotten, remembered forever. 1609

25. William Shakespeare • PPlays • * Three kinds of plays • Tradgedies • Hamlet • Romeo & Juliet • Macbeth • Comedies • The merchant of Venice • A midsummer Night’s dream • Historical dramas • Richard III • Henrik IV • Henrik V

26. William Shakespeare Famous quotations written by Shakespeare • To be or not to be, that is the question Hamlet • Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice Hamlet • Something is rotten in the state of Denmark Hamlet • Look like the innocent flower. But be the serpent under it. Macbeth • By the pricking of my thumbs. Something wicked this way comes Macbeth • is rotten in the state of Denmarkveev

27. William Shakespeare Famous quotations written by Shakespeare • Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind A midsummer Night’s dream • If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? The Merchant of Venice • The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool As you like it • looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,And therefore is winged Cupid painted blindlooks not with the eyes, but with the mind,And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind