Shakespeare An Introduction

Who is Shakespeare? little of Shakespeare’s life is documented Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 to John and Mary Shakespeare an English poet, playwright, and actor (Chamberlain’s Men) His works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets (poems), two long narrative poems, and a few other verses Examples: Macbeth (tragedy), Hamlet (tragedy), The Taming of the Shrew (comedy)

Who is Shakespeare? His early plays consisted of comedies and histories. Afterwards, he wrote mainly tragedies. Although Romeo & Juliet is a tragedy, there are many comedic parts in the play (comic relief) Fun Fact: William Shakespeare was not the first person to introduce Romeo & Juliet; Arthur Brooks first brought the story of Romeus & Juliet to an audience Since it was written in the 15th-16th century, the language in which Shakespeare writes is often difficult to understand so you have to PAY ATTENTION

William Shakespeare Born: 1564 - Died:1616

The Lost Years 1578-1582: After grammar school, Shakespeare went “off the grid” until he married his wife Anne Hathaway 1585-1592: Soon after his twins were born, Shakespeare disappears from all the known surviving records Since little was documented about him during these two time spans, they are known as the lost year Many speculations have been made as to his whereabouts: time to help his family, acting experience, etc.

London Center of trade and government Richest of rich and poorest of the poor lived in London Sewage waste was dumped out windows forming filthy streams in the street Near the London Bridge, poles were adorned with rotting heads of dead traitors

“Black Death” The bubonic plague (black death) swept through London from June 1592 - April 1594 It claimed 200,000 lives The family members would be sealed in their house so they could not spread the disease Theaters were shut down--many people fled for the countryside.

London’s Entertainment Three types of entertainment: bear baiting, cockfighting, the theatre (The Globe Theatre) James Burbage built the first one (the Theatre) in London in 1576. The layout was a circular arena with an open roof Stage sat in the center surrounded by 3 galleries.

Theaters Because of the Theatre’s popularity, the Curtain, the Rose, and the Swan were all theaters that were built. Theater success was largely due to Queen Elizabeth and her love of theater All roles were performed by men

Theater Life Best tickets cost sixpence (6 pennies) and were furthest from the stage Groundlings cost a penny and were closest to the stage--these seats were meant for the poor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYfM0RFZ5cs

Queen Elizabeth (1533 - 1603) know as the Elizabethan Era--it is famous for its drama Many consider her one of England’s greatest rulers Inherited the throne at 25 in 1558 and ruled for 44 years She was 2 when her mother was beheaded for treason

The Bard a bard is a professional poet William Shakespeare is called the Bard and the Bard of Avon because he is considered the greatest poet who ever lived. In 1610, after 20 years away, Shakespeare returned to Stratford. William Shakespeare died April 23rd, 1616 at the age of 52.

Popularity Shakespeare’s characters make his plays so effective. Some are mostly evil, with a kernel of good or regret in them. Others are mostly good, with a personality flaw (tragic flaw) that leads them to ruin their own lives and the lives of those they love.

Language He invented over 1700 of our common words by changing nouns into verbs, changing verbs into adjectives, connecting words never before used together, adding prefixes and suffixes, and devising words wholly original. Examples: dead as a doornail wild-goose chase heart of gold

Romeo & Juliet Genre: tragic drama (play) Tragedy is a type of drama based on human suffering - Tragedies have a main character who have a fatal flaw (weakness) that causes their downfall in the end Dramas or plays are written to be performed on a center stage Overview: Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet. Their families are feuding and they are not allowed to see each other; however, they secretly meet and swear their love is greater than any feud. We will see what ultimately makes this love story a tragedy.