Who is William Shakespeare?

1. Who is William Shakespeare?

2. What he’s done… • He lived about 450 years ago. • He wrote at least 37 plays and more than 150 poems. • He invented 100s of words like cold-blooded, quarrelsome, and love letter.

3. Biographical Sketch We know more about Shakespeare than any other playwright of his time, except Ben Jonson (though not many records were kept in the 1500s). Most of what we know is collected from legal and church documents. Parents • Mother: Mary, daughter of wealthy landowner • Father: John – • tanner, glove-maker, trader • member of council (governing body) in Stratford • mayor (high bailiff)

4. Early Life • Birthday unrecorded • Born in Stratford , England (100 mi. NW of London) • 3rd child (eldest son) of 8 • Baptized April 26, 1564 • Birthday celebrated in UK on April 23 • Schooling • Most likely attended Stratford grammar school: Latin logic, rhetoric, literature • No formal education after that (age 14 or 15)

5. The world into which Shakespeare was born… • Queen Elizabeth I had been queen for six years, and England was growing more and more prosperous. • Ferdinand Magellan set out to sail around the world, proving the Earth was round • Nicolaus Copernicus wrote that the sun was the center of the universe (1510-14). • The Printing Press (William Caxton, 1476) • Larger text distribution • an effort to standardize English • More literate population • New focus on classical (Greek and Roman) literature and ideas. • Surge of new art. • Professional actors traveled to Stratford. Shakespeare saw his first troupe at age four.

6. How do you think this changing world shaped William Shakespeare’s mind?

7. Marriage and Family • November 27, 1582 married Anne Hathaway • William was 18 yrs. old • Anne was 26 yrs. old • May 1583: daughter Susanna born • Feb. 1585: twins, Hamnet and Judith, were born • Then he left. He left his family at home. • Between 1585-1592 nothing is known about Shakespeare. These are called the “lost years.” What do you think he was doing?

8. He’s found… • In 1592 he pops up in London. (We know b/c another dramatist criticizes him.) • By 1594 he is already a charter member of the theatrical company called Lord Chamberlain’s men – eventually renamed the King’s Men • Commonly held that he wrote and acted during “lost years”

9. Shakespeare’s Theater • James Burbage built first permanent Theater in 1576, which was torn down and replaced with The Globe in 1599. • Shakespeare wrote most his plays for The Globe • Plays were written in a new style called Blank Verse. • Shakespeare used Blank Verse, but he also used Iambic Pentameter. • Why do you think he did this? • Shakespeare wanted people to think about why we are the way we are after leaving his plays. • He wanted them to question good vs. evil.

10. The Globe • The “wooden O” three stories high • Platform stage • Curtained-off inner stage • and upper stage: balcony above the inner stage to hold more spectators or a balcony or room like that portrayed in Romeo and Juliet) • The yard (area around the stage) held up to 800 “groundlings” • Three roofed galleries held 1500 or so more spectators • On play days different color flags were hung: • Red meant history play • White meant comedy • Black meant tragedy

12. Recreated Globe Theater in London

13. Home Again… • Shakespeare returned home to his family in Stratford by 1612. • He died with his family around him on April 23, 1616. • Buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford • His epitaph is as follows: 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