Shakespeare’s Life

Well-known Facts about Shakespeare Great writer of England Plays translated into all languages, musicals, and ballets Well-to-do, and rich while alive Most quoted, other than the Bible

Lesser-Known Facts Was a teen father Deadbeat dad: Left wife and children for London stage career Father of a daughter and twins Elizabethan rapper: uses rhythm and rhyme “Plagiarism” ?

Shakespeare’s Life Born in His father was John Shakespeare and his mother was Mary Arden Born at Stratford-upon-Avon in England Father made gloves for a living Will went to school until about the age of 13 until his father hit hard times… 1582 Will married Anne Hathaway (26 years old to his 18 years)…she was pregnant—oops

Shakespeare’s Life Had a daughter named Susanna and later twins Hamnet and Judith 1591 at age 27 he moves to the city—London to try to make it big When he got to London he began his writing career which would include… –37 plays –154 sonnets You could say that he made it big… He died on his birthday in the year 1616

The Time Period Elizabethan Time Period

The Competition— Other Entertainment In Elizabethan England Bear-baiting Gambling Music Drinking/socializing Prostitution Public executions

Conditions in London-BAD! Thames River polluted with raw sewage Trees used up for fuel Poverty

Living Conditions No running water Chamber Pots Open Sewers Crowded

Personal hygiene/health Bathing considered dangerous Body odor strong Childhood diseases Children often died before 5 years Small Pox Bubonic Plague

Queen Elizabeth—Elizabethan England Daughter of King Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn (2nd of 6 wives) Was she a “Virgin Queen”? OR A tease and a player Her father loved the theater and so did she

The Renaissance Began with Elizabeth I’s grandfather at the end of England’s Civil War “Rebirth” of arts, culture, science Explorations—Discovery of “New World” New Science discoveries— Copernicus: Sun-centered Universe (1543) Reformation of Catholic Church

Shakespeare Review of Drama Terms

The Setting of… Midsummer Night’s Dream What is setting?

The Setting of… Midsummer Night’s Dream Setting is where and when a story takes place… It includes… 1.Weather— 2.Time Period— 3.Time of Day— 4.Location— 5.Customs— What is the setting of this story?

Review Drama Terms Aside—when a character says something meant to be heard only by the audience (and sometimes to one other character) Dialogue— Dramatic Monologue— Soliloquy—

Review Drama Terms Aside—when a character says something meant to be heard only by the audience (and sometimes to one other character) Dialogue—when characters speak in a play Dramatic Monologue—a type of poem or speech where the speaker talks to one or more silent listeners, often discussing a problem or situation. Soliloquy—speeches given by a character alone onstage, talking to himself or herself

Review Drama Terms Verbal Irony— Situational Irony— Dramatic Irony—

Review Drama Terms Verbal Irony—is when a writer or speaker says one thing but really means something completely different. Situational Irony—is a difference between what we expect to happen and what really does take place. Dramatic Irony—is when the audience or the reader knows something important that a character in a play or story does not know.

The English Theater The Globe

The Theater in London Performed in courtyards of inns Daytime/open air because there were no lights at night Limited set design Relied on music, sound, costumes, props, and great descriptions to make the play come alive

The Globe Theater Built by James Burbage in 1576 and it soon became the most famous—It was called “The Theater” Across the Thames- “Wrong side of town”—also reputed to be a brothel and a gambling house Was moved and rebuilt in 1599 “The Globe” King’s Players –acting company that Shakespeare had a share in Theater’s were three-story circular or many-sided structures with… –A courtyard open to the sky –Three levels of seats for spectators –The stage jutted out into the open yard in the middle

The Globe Penny admission (2 to sit in gallery) and theaters became very competitive since there was money to be made The yard was where the “groundlings” stood and the gallery or balcony above the stage could be used… –As a part of the play –As an area for musicians –As a seating area for wealthy people

The Groundlings These were the poor audience members stood around stage in “the pit” Women often had to be sneaky to come in…well-to-do women wore masks The groundlings threw rotten vegetables at bad performances—audiences were very vocal!

Actors All men Female parts played by young boys dressed as girls (yes…wigs) No actual kissing or hugging on stage

Not Everyone Loved the Theater Puritans, city officials, and others had low opinions of actors, plays, and the theaters They feared that the people who went to see plays would… –Catch contagious diseases –Be morally corrupted They did not like… –The suggestive or obscene language –The actors (commoners) wearing upper-class clothes –Scenes showing rebellion and violence

The Globe No copyrights existed so often competing play companies would send their members to attend and then they would make fake copies…sound familiar? Flags were used as advertising—picturing the themes Flags also told what type of play—black for tragedy, white for a comedy, and red for a history

The Globe There were also elaborate stage productions with special effects like… –Canons & Fireworks –Smoke –Flying actors (cables) –Trap doors for surprises –Music –Animals There were many many plays produced per week Often actors did not learn lines until play was in progress—lines were sometimes whispered to them from offstage or the actor was given only his lines and no one else's before the production You could say The Globe got talent if they were able to pull this off

The Globe

What Have You Learned? 1.Most Elizabethan theaters were shaped more or less like… A. circlesB. rectanglesC. diamonds 2.Audiences were made up of commoners only… A. trueB. false 3.Theater companies used all of the following EXCEPT… A. costumesB. artificial lighting C. special effects

What Have You Learned? 1.Most Elizabethan theaters were shaped more or less like… A. circlesB. rectanglesC. diamonds 2.Audiences were made up of commoners only… A. trueB. false 3.Theater companies used all of the following EXCEPT… A. costumesB. artificial lighting C. special effects