William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor. He is thought of as the best English writer in the English language.

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford upon Avon, England in April 1564

Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway when he was 18 Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway when he was 18. They had a daughter, Susanna and then twins called Judith and Hamnet

Between 1589 and thirteen years into the 17th century, he had a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of an acting company called the King’s Men. Shakespeare wrote plays for the King’s Men. .

Eventually they built a new theatre called the Globe Theatre Eventually they built a new theatre called the Globe Theatre. It was a very popular place to be in London. Recently they rebuilt the Globe Theatre and many Shakespeare plays are performed there today

Shakespeare’s life work Shakespeare wrote about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses. His plays have been translated into every major language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. He created many of the words which are still used in the English language today.

Romeo and Juliet Prologue – from the Greek words “pro” = beginning and “logos” = words The prologue was used to quieten the audience The prologue was spoken by one person. This was one of the few times in the play that someone on the stage spoke to the audience The prologue was used to bring the audience into the world of the play.

Group work: instructions Groups of 4. Practice reading the text together line by line. Everybody must read at least 2 lines each but some will read more. After you have finished practicing you will read the text to the rest of the class. Think about using drama and emotion as you speak the words. You can use music and dance if you want to as well.