The English Renaissance and William Shakespeare How The Great Bard Was Born

Ben Johnson on William Shakespeare “He was not of an age, but for all time” Ben Johnson on William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare circa 1609 The most famous writer in history was just as influenced by the culture he was born into as he influences modern culture. In learning about his life and reading his works, we learn about ourselves and about human nature. It is no mistake that every high school student in this country studies Shakespeare. He is quite simply the best and you are about to experience the power of his writings. William Shakespeare circa 1609

The Renaissance Period

The Renaissance Period Renaissance literally means “rebirth” Rebirth of classical literature and art forms A Renaissance occurs when life is good (people are not fighting for survival) It is a high time for art and literature

Italian Renaissance Occurred from 1300-1550 A.D. Marked as high time in art (THINK Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles— Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo) Authors: Petrarch (sonnets) and Castiglione (courtier book) Influenced the English Renaissance Period

English Renaissance Occurred between 1400-1600 A.D. Began with Henry VIII and ended with King James I Highest point occurred during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign High time in literature: Sidney, Spencer, Marlow, Shakespeare Courtiers (professional kiss- ups) were very important Social classes were strictly enforced Theaters thrived but were considered low-class

Humanism The central tenet of humanism was that learning would make humans more just Humanism emphasized the power of the individual to influence both himself and those around him Famous humanists: Sir Thomas More, Erasmus

Social Mobility During this time period, it was nearly impossible to rise above your birth— if you were born a peasant, you died a peasant. Family name and nobility were very important One way to try and rise above your birth was through the practice of patronage—though how far you could rise was pre-determined by your family name.

The Tudors English Reformation and Renaissance

Henry Viii From the Tudor line Had SIX wives: Catherine of Aragon(divorced), Anne Boleyn(beheaded), Jane Seymore (died), Ann of Cleves(divorced), Kathryn Howard (beheaded), Katherine Parr (survived) Divorced the Catholic Church in order to marry his mistress Wanted a male heir Fathered two daughters (Mary and Elizabeth) and one son (Edward) Was Catholic, Protestant, Catholic, Protestant . . . .

Prince Edward The sole male heir to Henry’s throne He was Protestant and upheld this faith in the country once in power Was ill and died shortly after gaining the throne Left behind no heir (too young to do so)

Bloody Mary After Edward’s short reign and early death, Mary took the English throne. Devoutly Catholic and looking to vindicate her mother (Henry’s first wife), Mary vowed to wipe out Protestantism. Ordered the mass execution of Protestants to restore the Catholic faith. Died of cancer

Queen Elizabeth I “Bastard” Queen, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn Was both acknowledged and disowned by her father when he was alive Devoutly Protestant “Virgin Queen”—never married, used her feminine wiles to gain and maintain power The art of flirtation became a lucrative enterprise during her reign Encouraged poetry and theater Powerful, wise, and important monarch Sustained many plots against her life

King James I Was Queen Elizabeth’s Godson, inherited her throne. Patron of theater— Shakespeare’s King’s Men were his favorite acting troupe. Solidified the Protestant faith with the creation of the King James Bible

What does this have to do with Shakespeare????

The Italian Renaissance influenced the English Renaissance Henry VIII is the King at the start of the English Renaissance, his children ruled during most of this period, the era ended soon after all of his children were dead William Shakespeare was born while Elizabeth was Queen and became wealthy through King James I

Brief Biography of William Shakespeare April 23, 1564-April 23, 1616

The Five Provable Facts About Shakespeare He was baptized on April 26, 1564 There were no such things as birth certificates at this time. However, babies were usually baptized three days after their birth—hence Shakespeare’s birth date of April 23, 1564 He was married at the age of 18 to 26 year old Anne Hathaway (she was pregnant) He fathered three children (two girls, one boy) His son died young He was part owner of the Globe Theater He died on April 23, 1616

It is a Mystery . . . Everything else that is “known” about the world’s greatest writer is speculation, best guesses, and agreed upon facts. Due to the lack of actual evidence of Shakespeare’s life, many people have questioned whether he really existed or not. The collection of works credited to him are all too similar to be the works of more than one person. Others argue that Shakespeare could not have been smart enough to write such important literature. Pure genius is often misunderstood

Declaration of Reasonable Doubt Internet signing petition which seeks to enlist broad public support for the Shakespeare authorship question to be accepted as a legitimate field of academic inquiry As of 23 April 2016, the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death the document had been signed by 3,348 people, including 573 self- described current and former academics https://doubtaboutwill.org/declaration

Educated Guesses On The Rest of Shakespeare’s Biography William Shakespeare was one of seven children born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon His family was respected and wealthy—but not noble He attended grammar school and learned Latin There is no evidence of further education beyond this By the early 1590’s Shakespeare had left his wife and three children in Stratford-upon-Avon and traveled over 100 miles away to London to pursue his acting and writing career. He lived there for most of his adult life. His marriage was not great—he rarely went home to visit his wife and upon his death, he willed Anne his SECOND-BEST bed. Everything else went to his daughters. He became VERY wealthy in his life time which afforded him the chance to buy his family’s coat of arms (a sign of nobility) and the largest estate in Stratford. His patrons included Sir Henry Wriothesley and King James I

Shakespeare’s Career Wrote 37 plays Wrote comedies, tragedies, histories, and romances (not what you think) Also wrote 154 sonnets and several narrative poems all dedicated to Sir Henry Wriothesley He was an actor, writer, director, and business man Became known for his imaginative use of language and timelessness

Effects of the Monarchy Shakespeare had to adjust his writings based on who was in power in England. Under Elizabeth—women were portrayed as strong, Catholicism was mocked, marriage was not made to be the ultimate goal for characters Under James—the practice of courtiership was mocked and Shakespeare was freer to fully develop his characters

Theaters Public theaters were wildly popular during the Renaissance and catered to a wide variety of audiences Most theaters were “open-air” amphitheaters Famous theaters: the Swan, the Globe Going to the theater was an extremely popular activity for those who were fortunate enough to live near a theater and, although city authorities often discouraged performances because of their disruptive nature, the nobility and members of the court made sure that theaters continued to thrive. Since theaters catered to a wide variety of audiences, there were ground seats available for a penny (located in “the pit,” or the dirt floor right in front of the stage), as well as very expensive seats located on the stage itself, among the actors and action. The people who could afford these seats were often members of the nobility. Like the Rose and the Globe, most theaters were “open-air” meaning there was no roof over the amphitheater-like structure. See the next slide for a sketch of the Globe.

The Globe Point out the Pit, the Stage, the amphitheater seating, and the open-air nature of the structure.

Productions New production almost every night Very few props were used Costumes were elaborate and historically accurate All parts were played by men Plays could be shut down because of political/religious dissidence Unlike today’s theater, a different play was shown almost every night, featuring the same actors, who had to learn new lines almost daily. Props and scenery were sparse, since they were often expensive and difficult to recycle for new performances, so only a few key objects and backdrops were used in the performance. Because of this, costumes, which could be used for many performances, were elaborate and historically accurate. Women were not allowed on stage during the Renaissance - who do you think played female characters, then? In all Renaissance performances, female roles were played by young, pre-pubescent boys, who would dress up in women’s clothing. Plays were often shut down because they featured political or religious content that was deemed unacceptable. Examples of this could be overt sexuality or a questioning/mockery of famous political/religious figures of the time. One example is Thomas Middleton’s A Game at Chess, which personified King James I and King Philip IV of Spain as chess pieces. The play mocked and called into question many of their political decisions.