William Shakespeare

A bit about Bill….

What is significant about his education? When did he live? April 23, 1564-April 23, 1616 Where is he from? Stratford-Upon-Avon Wife and kids? Married to Anne Hathaway & had three children What is significant about his education? Only attended school until about 5th grade; self-educated after that!

What did he write? Where did he work? 37 plays 154 Sonnets London Globe Theater Lord Chamberlain’s Men & The King’s Men

What was the theater like What was the theater like? All male actors; groundlings; daytime shows; moral ills

What is the First Folio? 1623 publication of Shakespeare’s plays, “True Original Copies,” put together by two of Shakespeare’s acting colleagues. It’s the only reliable source for many of his works.

England in 1590 Teenagers had to obey their parents’ every whim until they married. Marriages were commonly arranged by the parents for purposes other than love and affection. Daughters married young for the most part, often as early as 14 or 15. A father had a God-given obligation to choose a husband for his daughter who would be able to support her materially and protect her physically. Wives, just like children, were obliged to obey their husbands.

Shakespeare’s Tragedies Features a person struggling with his or her existence Main characters come to an unhappy end Protagonist is typically of high stature, courageous or virtuous…the ideal Man aspires for more than he can achieve

The tragic hero has a tragic flaw Destruction or death results from: Forces beyond the character’s control (fate or destiny) Decisions the character makes, especially in haste

Ends with a conclusion in which order is restored Titles are usually about individuals:

Notes about the play Shakespeare wrote the play between 1594-1596. As with most of his plays, R & J is based on an older tale, Arthur Brookes’ Tragicall History of Romeus and Juliet (1562) the play was so popular in its own time that it was published twice during Shakespeare's life (1597 and 1599). switches between comedy and tragedy to heighten tension

Notes, continued Use of a ‘chorus’ – for Romeo and Juliet, the chorus serves as a narrator of background information in the prologue and summary of information in later acts. In ancient Greek plays, the chorus often served as a ‘conscience’ of the character. Bawdy humor - Dealing with sexual matters in a comical way; humorously indecent. (ribaldry) In Romeo and Juliet, bawdy humor is used to ‘offset’ the growing drama and tragedy.