Shakespeare: His Life and Times

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

Shakespeare In Love It is thought that Shakespeare had a Mistress and a Mister… Mister was supposedly the money behind his productions

From: Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

THE LOST YEARS Where in the world is William Shakespeare??

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 “Venus & Adonis” and “The Rape of Lucre” The Poetry

Shakespeare’s Language Shakespeare wrote in “Early Modern English.” EME was not very different from “Modern English,” Language of the people Created his own words

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

DEATH He died April 23, 1616 Cause is unknown History says he drank too much wine and ate too many pickled herrings He left his wife the second best bed in his will.

Burial Buried in Holy Trinity Church Curse on his grave to anyone who moves his bones Memorial stone in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abby

Elizabethan Theatrical Conventions

A theatrical convention is a suspension of reality.  No electricity  Women forbidden to act on stage  Minimal, contemporary costumes  Minimal scenery These control the dialogue.

Audience loves to be scared.  Soliloquy  Aside Types of speech  Blood  Use of supernatural

 Use of disguises/ mistaken identity  Multiple marriages (in comedies)  Multiple murders (in tragedies)  Last speaker—highest in rank (in tragedies)