William Shakespeare 1564-1616

1. William Shakespeare1564-1616 • Right: the most common image of Shakespeare • Below: his epitaph

2. Well-known Facts about WS • Shakespeare is considered the greatest English writer of all time. • His plays and sonnets have translated into all languages, musicals, and ballets. • He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in 1564. • His works are the most quoted in the world, other than the Bible.

3. Information You Might Not Hear • Teen father: married pregnant 26 year old Anne Hathaway when he was 18 • Deadbeat dad: Left wife and children for London stage career • Father of twins • Elizabethan rapper: uses rhythm and rhyme • “Plagiarism”? Accused of stealing ideas for plays from the writer Christopher Marlowe

4. The Entertainment Competition in Shakespeare’s Time • Bear-baiting • Races • Gambling • Music • Drinking/socializing • Public executions

5. Living Conditions in London were BAD! • No running water • Thames River and streets were polluted with raw sewage • Chamber pots were used and thrown out windows onto the streets • Trees used up for fuel • Poverty was rampant • People lived in crowded spaces

6. Personal Hygiene and Health in 16th Century England • Bathing was considered dangerous but it was easier for the rich because they had servants to help them boil water, etc. • Body odor was very strong • Clothing was not washed regularly • Childhood diseases caused many children to die before age 5 • Bubonic Plague---which is carried by rats and flies--- was everywhere

7. Clothing • One set was used all year long and rarely washed • Underclothing was slept in and infrequently changed • Clothes were handed down from rich to poor • Men wore outfits like this called a doublet and hose

8. London Theater, 16th Century • Plays were performed in courtyards of inns • The Theater- the first public theater-opened in1576 • Daytime in the open air • Limited set design • Relied on music, sound, costumes, props, and great description • Many plays had a narrator

9. The Globe Theater was the Home of Shakespeare • Built in 1599 • Across the Thames- “Wrong side of town” • King’s Players - Shakespeare’s company • Penny admission-This made it affordable to everyone. Used the theater to send political statements, etc.

10. Actors • All men • Female parts played by young boys • No actual kissing or hugging on stage • Had to speak loudly for everyone to hear them

11. The Audience • Poor audience members were known as Groundlings • Groundlings stood around stage in “the pit” on the dirt floor (which could be muddy) • Women were not allowed in the pit (had to dress up as men to attend) • Those close to the stage threw rotten vegetables at bad performances • The more affluent you were, the higher up in the theater you could sit

12. Queen Elizabeth I was the Monarch • Illegitimate daughter of King Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn (2nd of his 6 wives) • Henry had Ann beheaded for “treason” after Elizabeth was born • Younger sister of “Bloody Mary” or Mary Queen of Scots • Was known to be bald so she wore wigs • Known as the virgin queen because she never married • Wore the ring of the monarchy on her wedding finger; she said she was married to England

13. Her “loving” parents • King Henry VIII • Had 6 wives: Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived • Founded the Anglican Church • Split with the Catholic Church over divorce • Ann Boelyn • Second wife • Beheaded

14. Shakespeare Wrote During The Renaissance • 1500-1650 • “Rebirth” of arts, culture, science • Discovery of the “New World” • Copernicus discovered that the earth orbited the sun or the Sun-centered Universe (1543) • King Henry VIII = renaissance man (ideal) • Smart, well-dressed, appreciated the arts, well-rounded • Reformation of Catholic Church • Caused when King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his first wife • Creation of the Anglican Church in England

15. Have you heard ofRomeo and Juliet? Then YOU know Shakespeare!Shakespeare’s Most Famous PlayMultiple Movie Versions

16. Romeo and Juliet • Tragedy • Written in 1595 • Set in Verona, Italy • Themes: parental control/rebellious teens; fate/freewill; impulsive behavior/self-control • Based on a true story; this is Juliet’s home in Verona, Italy today

17. What did Shakespeare write? • Comedies • Taming of the Shrew • A Midsummer Night’s Dream • Tragedies • Hamlet, Macbeth, Anthony and Cleopatra, Titus Andronicus • Histories • Henry V, Richard II • 154 Sonnets, mostly known by their number not a title

18. A Midsummer Night’s Dream • Unlike many of his other plays, it does not include any historical figures. • The feast of John the Baptist was celebrated as an English festival on June 24 (Midsummer Day). • It was believed that on Midsummer Night, the fairies and witches held their festival. • To dream about Midsummer Night was to conjure up images of fairies and witches and other similar creatures and supernatural events. • All characters and plot are purely fictitious but Shakespeare may have based parts of the play on The Knight's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer (1340 - 1400).

19. Allusions in Midsummer • Queen Titania and King Oberon- rulers of the Fairy realm. • Puck-mischief maker in the Fairy world

20. Theseus and Hippolyta • Theseus- Greek hero that killed the Minotaur • Hippolyta-Amazon Queen

21. Pyramus and Thesbe • Pyramus and Thisbe is the story of two star crossed lovers that end up dying in the end due to confusion. It is a copy of “Romeo and Juliet”