The Man, The Myth, The Legend William Shakespeare The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Why do we study Shakespeare? He is an amazing wordsmith. Many of the words and phrases we use today were coined by Shakespeare.

Look familiar? barefaced brevity is the soul of wit foregone conclusion fancy-free mind's eye break the ice catch a cold primrose path strange bedfellows disgraceful conduct flaming yout wear one's heart on one's sleeve Elbowroom it smells to heaven fair play the lady doth protest too much all that glitters isn't gold green eyed monster witching time of the night eat out of house and home heartsick it's Greek to me be all and end all hot-blooded live long day more sinned against than sinning one fell swoop housekeeping breathe one's last Lackluster heart of gold the milk of human kindness leapfrog give the devil his due the course of true love never did run smooth long-haired too much of a good thing pitched battle naked truth neither a borrower nor a lender be to thine own self be true clothes make the man towering passion method in his madness dog will have his day frailty, thy name is woman ministering angel

Birth Baptized on April 23, 1564 Shakespeare was born in Stratford, England. It was a small town about 100 miles outside of London. His family lived here when he was a child. He eventually married and raised his own family there as well.

Childhood: Family Shakespeare’s father, John, was actually a prominent merchant in Stratford. According to records he served as town mayor and justice of the peace during his lifetime. It is lucky that John was able to be successful. He and his wife, Mary, had a total of eight children. Shakespeare was the third born.

Childhood: Schooling Students in Shakespeare’s time began schooling at age 7. They attended for nine hours a day year round. Corporal punishment was used to teach students the proper way to behave in class. All students studied Latin. It provided them with the knowledge to go into law, medicine or the church.

Marriage At the age of 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. She was eight years older than him. The pair had three children. They had their first child and then Anne gave birth to twins. Not long after the birth of their twins Shakespeare appears to have moved to London and left his family behind in Stratford.

Career: Actor Before Shakespeare’s plays began to be acted out on stage, he was merely an actor performing in a company. He performed in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and the King’s Men acting companies. As you can tell by their names, these companies were sponsored by wealthy patrons. The King’s Men were sponsored by King James himself! Performances were held in the courtyards of various inns. The acting companies would travel from place to place performing.

Career: Playwright Shakespeare wrote three types of plays: Comedies such as Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, and Twelfth Night Tragedies such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet Histories such as Richard III, King John, Julius Caesar and King Henry V

Career: Playwright In 1574 the Council of London began to charge licensing fees to inns holding performances. The crowds would become to rowdy and disorderly. James Burbage built “The Theater” in 1576. It was a place modeled after the set-ups of the inns (balconies overlooking a stage). Acting companies were now able to perform without traveling from place to place. In 1599 “The Theater” was torn down and replaced with “The Globe Theater.” This theater was built by Shakespeare’s own company. Many of his plays were written with this stage in mind.

Career: Poet Shakespeare wrote poetry in addition to his many plays. During a few years in the 1570s, London was swept with the plague. When the plague was bad the acting companies would be closed down. This provided Shakespeare the perfect time to write poetry! “My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damask'd, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks;”

Conspiracy Theories Francis Bacon Christopher Marlowe Mary Sidney Herbert