SHAKESPEARE AND HIS TIMES: A very abbreviated introduction to a full and rich era of history

THE LITTLE WE KNOW OF THE GREAT SHAKESPEARE  1: Christened in Stratford-upon-Avon April 26, 1564  2: Married Anne Hathaway Nov 27, 1582  3: Daughter Susanna christened May 26, Twins, Hamnet and Judith christened Feb. 2, 1585  4: His name first appeared in print It was an attack by a fellow writer accusing him of presuming to write as well as a university educated man  5: Died April 23, 1616 in Stratford

SOME ADDITIONAL TIDBITS Anne Hathaway was 8 yrs older than William Before his marriage to Anne Hathaway, there was a promise of marriage to an Anne Waitley Hamnet died when he was 11 yrs old, putting Shakespeare into a deep depression

VERY POPULAR IN HIS TIME He wrote for and about all levels of society. He had an uncanny understanding of the human condition. This understanding has kept his plays popular to this day He wrote of: Power War Violence Passion

Macbeth: Political Ambition Romeo & Juliet: Young Love Hamlet: The ultimate dysfunctional family

 GREAT PALACES  STATELY MANORS  Dark Ally ways  Raucous Taverns SHAKESPEARE LIVED IN A WORLD OF CONTRASTS 1593 LONDON Violence could flare at any time and the Black Death could strike one down, rich or poor at any moment

IT WAS ALSO A ROMANTIC WORLD OF POETRY, PASSION, AND THEATRE Play going was the common denominator in an unruly society. All were welcome and equal for a few hours…..almost! Groundlings paid one penny to stand in the pit The more affluent paid a two pence for a seat under roof and another penny for a cushion. Plays lasted for several hours with no bathrooms or intermissions: Let your imagination paint a picture of an atmosphere less than pleasant!

CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN OR AT LEAST SIGNIFY CLASS

Groundlings wore plain earth colored clothing made of wool or linen Upper class wore richly colored clothing made of silk or velvet Layers signified wealth. Men often padded their midsections to give impression that they could afford to eat well. Colors differentiated classes. It was actually illegal for anyone below the rank of count or countess to wear purple.

SHOWBUSINESS BEGINS!  First time in history that writers wrote for real theaters  Actors made their living off their art  People looking to get rich  Fierce rivalry for best actors and best playwrights  Ticket sellers fighting for the patronage of ticket buyers

NOT ALL LOVED THE THEATRE  London city officials feared and hated the theatre  Saw it as a place for all kinds of moral diseases: Pickpockets Prostitutes, and Con artists  Lured journey men workers away from their jobs in the middle of the day  Saw it as a place where plague was spread

Theatre was still popular, as the only other form of entertainment came in the form of public executions and witch burnings

IRONY AT ITS FINEST! In this male dominated society, the most powerful individual was a woman: Queen Elizabeth

HER MAJESTY, THE QUEEN  In 1593, had been on the thrown 40 yrs ( )  Stern ruler  16 th century version of a workaholic  Never married (known as the virgin queen)  VERY well educated  Loved the theatre

She may have been female, but she was not weak. She ruled with an iron fist. She was also shrewd. She may have been single, but not a wall flower. She used her single status to begin deals with foreign nationals, giving the impression of marriage. She would then withdraw her interest when she got what she sought after.

SHAKESPEARE WAS NOT ALONE Other playwrights included : Ben Johnson Christopher Marlowe Robert Greene John Fletcher John Burbage…….and many more…

Performances were now staged in Inns with Galleried floors or in open courtyards. John Burbage built first actual theatre in It was called “The Theatre. Other theatres soon built included: The Rose, The Swan, The Curtain, and, of course, The Globe.

FOLLOWING THE RENAISSANCE.. Theatre Changes:  In the 1660’s, theatres are now under roof and women began taking the stage for the first time.  Out went the circular design and in came the stage design we see today. The Proscenium arch was meant to be a “window” through which the audience would watch “a slice of life”

HAMLET The story line may have been borrowed from one or both of the following: Amleth ( a legend preserved by a 13 th century chronicler and retold in the 16 th century) : Ur- Hamlet an earlier play with a similar title. While he talks of grief and loss in many of his plays following the death of Hamnet, it is not believed that this play was named for him

Most popular and puzzling of Shakespeare plays Longest of his 37 plays (also 154 +sonnets) Revenge Tragedy Written between Questions to Consider: Does Hamlet go mad? Was Gertrude unfaithful? Did Gertrude have a role in her husband’s death?