T HE E NGLISH R ENAISSANCE AND W ILLIAM S HAKESPEARE How The Great Bard Was Born

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

W ILLIAM S HAKESPEARE 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.

T HE R ENAISSANCE P ERIOD

 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

I TALIAN R ENAISSANCE Occurred from 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

E NGLISH R ENAISSANCE Occurred between 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

S OCIAL M OBILITY 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.

T HE T UDORS English Reformation and Renaissance

H ENRY V III 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....

P RINCE E DWARD 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)

B LOODY M ARY 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

Q UEEN E LIZABETH 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

K ING J AMES 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

A Difference in Viewpoints: Medieval and Renaissance Collectivism/Standardization mentality, guilds were strong Preoccupied with the soul and death Feudalism In wars, knights were rarely killed; foot soldiers made up the bulk of the fatalities. Church in England; the Pope was involved with its politics. Parliament’s primary function was to grant funds to the King. Exaltation of the individual Appreciation of life; art, dance and music blossomed. Nationalism Gunpowder was used in warfare; it killed knights and foot soldiers alike. Church of England; England became a sovereign state. Parliament was utilized to enact laws that helped enforce government policy.

W HAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH S HAKESPEARE ????

The Italian Renaissance influenced the English Renaissance Henry VIII is the King at the start of the English Renaissance. His children ruled 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

B RIEF B IOGRAPHY OF W ILLIAM S HAKESPEARE April 23, 1564-April 23, 1616

T HE F IVE P ROVABLE F ACTS A BOUT S HAKESPEARE 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

I T IS A M YSTERY... 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

E DUCATED G UESSES O N T HE R EST OF S HAKESPEARE ’ S B IOGRAPHY 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

S HAKESPEARE ’ S C AREER 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

E FFECTS OF THE M ONARCHY 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

HAMLET click for summary hyperlink “This above all, to thine own self be true,…”

Hamlet as first Renaissance drama; Hamlet as first Renaissance man. Pre-Renaissance or pre-modern man unitary, unified self man’s social position entirely determined by birth or other outside forces (gods) Renaissance man psychologically complex and multi-layered; internally divided against self self-made man--idea that man chooses his own experiences, determines his own values Possesses a wide range of interests, talents and accomplishments Pre-Renaissance Drama Primarily religiously themed Focus on telling moral lesson or retelling bible stories Renaissance Drama A re-birth of the ancient dramas from Rome and Greece Used classic dramatic models of comedy and tragedy- Shakespeare also wrote histories.

How does Hamlet show its Renaissance character?character The internal complexity of modern man is reflected in the play’s doublings Both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern A play within a play (and then the play within the play is itself doubled into a dumb show and a play) 2 mad persons: Ophelia and Hamlet and triplings 3 murdered dads: Fortinbras, Hamlet, Polonius 3 avenging sons: Fortinbras, Hamlet, Laertes

Traditions of tragic drama inherited by Shakespeare European drama before Hamlet: classical Greek and Latin tragedies, comedies, and farces. These lost in the Dark Ages. medieval religious drama: lives of saints; re- enactments of Bible stories Renaissance imitations of classical Latin drama Hamlet first great drama after Euripides (Last of ancient Greek tragic playwrights).

Shakespeare plays around with received dramatic conventions Opening scene Rather than opening with highest ranked character or tragic hero, Shakespeare opens with soldiers and delays Hamlet’s entrance. We first hear of Fortinbras and meet Laertes (Hamlet’s two rivals) We meet Horatio (Hamlet’s friend) and Claudius (his enemy) Not privileging plot over all other elements Tragedy typically depends on plot; Shakespeare instead focuses on character and ideas.

Source: Click for plot hyperlink

Standard Issues in Hamlet Is Hamlet mad or is he feigning madness? Does Gertrude know that Claudius killed Old Hamlet? When (if ever) does Hamlet decide to believe the ghost?

AS WE READ... Think about ghosts and spirits. Is the ghost what it appears to be, or is it really a misleading fiend? How much can we know about a person based on observation alone? A crime that has no witnesses The state of Claudius's soul The state of Hamlet's mind Think about the concepts of CERTAINTY and UNCERTAINTY. CERTAINTY Look for messages about DEATH/DYING/SUICIDE. DEATH/DYING/SUICIDE. What might Shakespeare be trying to tell us about REVENGE?

“To be or not to be, that is the question”..... Wait until you see how it unfolds!