Written by: Jonnette Hay-Rivenbark

Cultural and artistic movement in England 16 th century through early 17 th century Associated with European Renaissance Believed to have begun in Italy English Renaissance

Contrast: English and Italian Renaissance

English Renaissance Often called “Age of Shakespeare” or “Elizabethan Era” Names are incorrect

English Renaissance Important playwrights: –William Shakespeare –Ben Jonson –Christopher Marlowe

English Renaissance Important poets of the period: –Edmund Spenser –John Milton Important philosophers: –Sir Francis Bacon –Sir Thomas More

Period in England associated with rule of Queen Elizabeth I ( ) Relatively peaceful time Elizabethan Era

Considered Golden Age of English history

Elizabethan Era Height of fashion in England Influenced by French and Spanish styles

Elizabethan Era Annual festivities broke up daily life People looked forward to celebrations Many still celebrated today

Elizabethan Era Other celebrations include: –Valentine’s Day –April Fool’s Day –Christmas Season (13 days celebrated from Christmas Eve through Epiphany Eve)

Bubonic and pneumonic plagues caused 14 th century “Black Death” Spread through Europe, Middle East and Asia Recurred every generation for centuries The Plague

Known as bubonic and pneumonic plagues Believed to be caused mainly by fleas Symptoms included fever, chills, muscle pain, hemorrhaging,and buboes

The Plague Occurred again in England during Caused all theaters in London to close Shakespeare wrote long, narrative poems

Born in 1564 in Stratford-upon- Avon Actual date of birth uncertain Shakespeare Biography

Biography Father was John Shakespeare

Biography At 18: married Anne Hathaway At 19: had daughter 1585: had twins

Biography Believed to have left for London : became member of Lord Chamberlain’s Men Troupe became King’s Men in 1603

Shakespeare’s London - Video Single click screen to view video

Biography Wrote and performed in plays Most widely-read playwright Also wrote poetry

Shakespeare wrote or collaborated on 39 plays Plays divided into three categories –Comedies –Tragedies –Histories Shakespeare’s Plays

His plays remain popular today Have been made into films and other plays Single click for audio clip >>>>

All’s Well That Ends Well As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Cymbeline Love’s Labor’s Lost Measure for Measure The Merchant of Venice The Comedies

The Merry Wives of Windsor A Midsummer Night’s Dream Much Ado About Nothing Pericles The Taming of the Shrew The Tempest Troilus and Cressida

The Comedies Twelfth Night Two Gentlemen of Verona The Two Noble Kinsmen The Winter’s Tale

The Comedies Most popular include –All’s Well That Ends Well –The Merchant of Venice –A Midsummer Night’s Dream –The Taming of the Shrew –The Tempest Single click for audio clip >>>>

Characteristics of the comedies include: –False/mistaken identities –Toils of love and marriage –Good versus Evil Songs written for comedies Only text exists The Comedies: Themes

The Comedies Famous characters include: –Oberon and Titania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) –Rosalind and Orlando (As You Like It) –Petruchio and Katherine (Taming of the Shrew)

Antony and Cleopatra Coriolanus Hamlet Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth The Tragedies

Othello Romeo and Juliet Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus

The Tragedies Most popular tragedies: –Hamlet –Julius Caesar –Macbeth –Romeo and Juliet Single click for audio clips >>>>

The Tragedies: Themes All Shakespearean tragedies: protagonist falls from grace and dies Tragic hero, tragic flaw An unhappy ending

The Tragedies Usually many secondary characters die –Mercutio and Tybalt (Romeo and Juliet) –Polonius, Ophelia, King Claudius, Queen Gertrude, Laertes (Hamlet) –Calpurnia, Portia, Cassius (Julius Caesar)

The Tragedies Protagonist is admirable but flawed Protagonist is capable of good and bad Famous tragic characters: –Hamlet, Prince of Denmark –Macbeth, Thane of Glamis –Marcus Brutus

King John Richard II Henry IV, Part I Henry IV, Part 2 Henry V The Histories

Henry VI, Part 1 Henry VI, Part 2 Henry VI, Part 3 Richard III Henry VIII

The Histories Easier to recognize than define Arose as patriotism formed in England Tied closely to real historical events

The Histories: Themes All focus on tensions between public and private values Have character preoccupied with power Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra considered Roman histories

Wrote two narrative poems during plague years Dedicated to Earl of Southampton Shakespeare’s Poetry

Earl of Southampton- Video Single click screen to view video

Poetry Other narrative poems: The Phoenix and the Turtle and A Lover’s Complaint Sonnets are most well-known Form is fourteen lines of iambic pentameter

Poetry Published 154 sonnets First 17 thought written to young man Advises young man to marry, have a child

Poetry Sonnets written to young man Celebrate speaker’s love for young man Single click for audio clip >>>>

Poetry Sonnets present the Dark Lady Woman presented as treacherous Speaker seems sexually obsessed with her

Theater associated with Shakespeare Built in London in 1599 Owned by the Burbage brothers, Shakespeare and three others The Globe Theatre

The Heavens –False ceiling over the stage –Housed actors and costumes during bad weather –Designed with trap doors— actors could “fly” –Good for creating sound effects

The Globe Theatre Hell –Trapdoors within the stage area (thought to be two) –Used for special effects with actors –Good for creating sound effects

The Globe Theatre Women prohibited from performing

The Globe Theatre Open to audiences during summer months Daytime performances only Audiences came from all classes Men and women attended performances

Performance Video Single click screen to view video

The Globe Theatre “Groundlings” paid one cent to stand Gentry paid more for seats in galleries Nobles sat in chairs on side of stage

The Globe Theatre Style similar to Coliseum Sometimes used for gambling Closed due to plague

The Globe Theatre Flags used to indicate type of play Burned by cannonball landing on roof Destroyed by Puritans Motto: Totus mundus agit histrionem

Enduring Globe Enduring Shakespeare “He was not of an age, but for all time.” Concluding Thoughts