William Shakespeare Man or Magician? Who is the playwright who seems to appear in every English class under the sun?

The Man This is a typical image of Shakespeare. We don’t have very many, and some of them are not documented. There was a case recently in Ontario in which a man found what he thinks is an authentic image of the playwright. The authenticity is being judged right now. 1564 - 1616

An Authentic Image? Existed in one Canadian family for 12 generations. Painted during his lifetime. Only 3 authentic images of Shakespeare in the world. This painting was handed down through 12 generations to an Ontario man. It may be the only portrait of Shakespeare painted during his lifetime. While there are over 450 images of Shakespeare on record, only 3 of those, in the opinion of experts, are authentic.

The Beginnings of Shakespeare Stratford-Upon-Avon April 23rd, 1564 Grammar School Childhood Birthday: April 23rd, 1564 is widely accepted as Shakespeare’s birthday. While no proof exists of his actual date of birth, he was baptised on April 26th, and in those times, baptism generally occurred 3 days after birth. Childhood: Shakespeare was the son of a prominent glovemaker in his town. Consequently, he was most likely able to attend the local grammar school, where he learned to read and write. This is the place where he probably gained a love of stories and storytelling. Marriage: At age 18, Shakespeare married 26 year old Anne Hathaway. They eventually had three children – Susanna, and twins, Hamnet and Judith. Marriage Anne Hathaway

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men Shakespeare’s Career London The Lord Chamberlain’s Men While not much is known about Shakespeare’s life after his marriage, before his career, it is known that he was in London by about 1587. Upon his arrival in London, Shakespeare first made a living as an actor, and then as a playwright. He joined the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. In those days, theatre companies existed under the patronage of rich people, who paid some expenses, and gained fame as a result (sometimes). Shakespeare was the primary playwright for this company. His company was fortunate enough to build a theatre – The Globe, which was built on the shores of the Thames River. Although it burnt down, and had a series of bad luck, it still lives on. It was recently rebuilt in its original location in London, and is now open for tours. The Globe Theatre

Shakespeare’s Fame 38 plays in 25 years Devoted audiences and theatre company Shakespeare wrote 38 plays from 1588 to 1613, as well as many, many sonnets and other forms of poetry. We are lucky to have so much of his work. Shakespeare’s plays were well loved by audiences, which meant that the Lord Chamberlain’s Men had a fairly steady income. This, and owning their own theatre, meant that they were faring much better than many other theatre companies in England at this time. Theatre was, and still is, a difficult life to do well in. Even the notoriously hard-to-please Queen Elizabeth enjoyed Shakespeare’s productions. Gained the admiration of Queen Elizabeth

“What A Piece of Work is Man” Shakespeare returned to Stratford after over 20 years in London. It is not known how often he returned to visit his family, or how often they came to London. Shakespeare contracted a fever after carousing with a few other playwright friends. The fever claimed his life at only 52 years of age. William Shakespeare returned to Stratford in 1610, although he still continued to write. He died on his birthday: April 23rd, 1616

Shakespeare’s Gravestone Shakespeare is buried in a church in Stratford. Shakespeare’s grave has not been disturbed in the hundreds of years he has been buried, even though the church has been redone and his gravestone began sinking. Good friend for Jesus sake, forbeare To digg the dust enclosed heare; Blessed be the man who spares these stones And curst be he who moves my bones

Shakespeare’s Continuity These examples of posters demonstrate that even now, 400 years later, we are still just as fascinated by Shakespeare’s genius as ever. Why are his plays so well loved? What do they say that makes them still relevant? Recent Play and Movie Posters

The Magician Characters Poetry and Language Humanity Appeal to everyone Easy to identify with Sympathetic Poetry and Language Inventive Playful Power of the catch phrase Everyone can find a Shakespearean character that appeals to them. They all have emotions and problems and generally behave in a believable manner, although there are some exceptions. His use of language is amazing. He invented over 1500 words, many of which we still use today. He knew how to play with words and make them do what he wanted. He was the master of the pun. Phrases like “vanished into thin air,” “budge an inch,” “slept a wink,” and “dead as a doornail” come directly from his plays. How many people have not heard “To be or not to be?” He had a great understanding of how humans work – what motivates us to do the things we do. His plays and poems explore the realm of human possibility, and allow the viewer or reader to do the same. Humanity Understanding Motivation Possibility

Reflections “And since you know you cannot see yourself So well as by reflection; I, your glass, Will modestly discover to yourself That of yourself which you yet know not of.” (Julius Caesar) Shakespeare’s genius lies in his ability to reflect back to us our human foibles, characteristics and mannerisms. The root of our fascination with his work lies in our fascination for ourselves. Man or Magician? I think both.

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