William Shakespeare Life and Times

Christened: 26 April 1564 Died: 23 April 1616 Birthday celebrated 23 April His grandfather was a tenant farmer His father John Shakespeare was a glovemaker and leatherworker His mother was Mary Arden

Mary Arden’s house

Shakespeare birthplace in Stratford

Was allowed to go to a free grammar school Went on to a higher school, but never university At age 18, 1582, he married Anne Hathaway First child Susannah, 1583 Twins, Judith and Hamnet, 1585 Drops out of all public records for 7 years

Anne Hathaway’s cottage

The “lost years,” Was Shakespeare a recusant? John Shakespeare’s profession of faith Catholic connection between Stratford and Lancashire William Shakeshafte Other Evidence

Hoghton Castle Gate

In London Robert Greene’s Groatsworth of Wit Other London playwrights By 1592 he had made his mark as a playwright Never saw his plays through the press Plays were the property of playhouses “Memorial reconstruction”

Playhouses James Burbage built the first: the Theatre The Curtain soon sprang up The Globe Shakespeare a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men Wrote on average 2 plays a year for public performance Private theatres Performed before Queen Elizabeth 3 times a year

The Globe Theatre (Wenceslaus Hollar, 1647)

Visscher’s long view of London: Bankside and playhouses (1616)

New Globe reconstruction

New Globe stage reconstruction

The King’s Men When Queen Elizabeth died, Shakespeare became a member of the King’s Men Played 13 or 14 times a year Acquired an indoor theatre, Blackfriars Rivals were the Admiral’s Men Their best actor was Edward Alleyn Henslowe and his “Diary”

Later Years In 1597 he bough the second best house in Stratford Received a coat of arms for his father Retired from the stage and lived his last years in Stratford Died in 1616

The First Folio In 1623 was produced by his actor friends Some plays had been published in Quarto form Some quartos are good, some bad Some plays exist only in the First Folio

The Historical Context I. The Reformation

The Reformation Luther in Germany ( ) Calvin in Geneva ( ) Zwingli in Zurich ( ) John Knox in Scotland ( )

Martin Luther ( )

Jean Calvin ( )

Ulrich Zwingli ( )

John Knox ( )

Reformation principles Advocated: –General use and authority of the Scriptures –Justification by faith alone Repudiated: –Doctrine of Transubstantiation –Worship of the Virgin Mary –Supremacy of the Pope

Historical Context Tudor England

Tudor Monarchs Refers to monarchs from Henry VII Henry VIII Edward VI Mary I Elizabeth I Centralized or Absolute monarchy Their claim to the throne was shaky

Tudor Genealogy

Descendants of Henry VII

Henry VII ( )

Henry VIII ( )

Katherine of Aragon ( ), mother of Mary I

Anne Boleyn (1500?-1536), mother of Elizabeth I

Jane Seymour ( ) mother of Edward VI

Edward VI as a child

Edward VI as king ( )

Mary I ( )

Henry VIII and Family

Elizabeth I ( ) the Rainbow Portrait

Elizabeth I, the Phoenix Portrait

Elizabeth I, the Armada Portrait