Shakespeare: His Life and Times What comes to mind when you hear, “SHAKESPEARE?”

Early Life Born 1564—died 1616 Stratford-upon-Avon Parents: John and Mary Arden Shakespeare Mary—daughter of wealthy landowner John—glovemaker, local politician

From: Location of Stratford-upon-Avon

As reproduced in William Rolfe, Shakespeare the Boy (1896). Stratford-on-Avon in Shakespeare’s Time

From Stratford’s web site: Stratford-upon-Avon Today

From: Shakespeare’s Birthplace

Probably attended King’s New School in Stratford Educated in: Rhetoric Logic History Latin Education

From: King’s New School

Married in 1582 to Anne Hathaway, who was pregnant at the time with their first daughter Had twins in 1585 Sometime between , he moved to London and began working in theatre. Married Life

From: Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Member and later part-owner of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later called the King’s Men Globe Theater built in 1599 by L.C.M. with Shakespeare as primary investor Burned down in 1613 during one of Shakespeare’s plays Theatre Career

The Rebuilt Globe Theater, London

The Globe Theater

The Plays 38 plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare 14 comedies 10 histories 10 tragedies 4 romances Possibly wrote three others Collaborated on several others

154 Sonnets Numerous other poems The Poetry

Shakespeare’s Language Shakespeare did NOT write in “Old English.” 5 th -12 th Centuries ( ) Old English is the language of Beowulf: Hwaet! We Gardena in geardagum Þeodcyninga Þrym gefrunon Hu ða æÞelingas ellen fremedon! (Hey! We have heard of the glory of the Spear- Danes in the old days, the kings of tribes, how noble princes showed great courage!)

Shakespeare’s Language Shakespeare did not write in “Middle English.” th centuries ( ) Middle English is the language of Chaucer, the Gawain- poet, and Malory: We redeth oft and findeth y-write— And this clerkes wele it wite— Layes that ben in harping Ben y-founde of ferli thing… (Sir Orfeo) “Often in books - and men of letters will vouch for this - we find tales that were originally intended to be sung and which have lying at their core some strange and wonderful things.”

Shakespeare’s Language Shakespeare wrote in “Early Modern English.” ( s) EME was not very different from “Modern English” (1650s to now)

Shakespeare’s Language A mix of old and very new Rural and urban words/images Understandable by the lowest peasant and the highest noble

QUIZ 1. When (approx) did Shakespeare live? 2. What social class was he born into? 3. How many children did he have? 4. What theater did he help build? 5. What four categories do his plays fit into? 6. Did Shakespeare write in Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, or Modern English?