(a.k.a. William Shakespeare) INTRODUCTION TO THE BARD

Queen Elizabeth and Elizabethan England Queen Elizabeth was born on September 7 th, 1533 and died March 23 rd, She was the Daughter of Kind Henry VIII of England (of the Tudor dynasty) and Queen Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth’s mother Anne was executed by King Henry VIII’s orders in May of 1536; Elizabeth was just under 3 years old. Elizabeth’s coronation was January 15 th, She never married, despite many suitors, and became known throughout history as “the Virgin Queen.” The Elizabethan age was the height of the English Renaissance in music, literature, and art This time period saw the rise of William Shakespeare, the Bard, and possibly the most famous English playwright of all time.

Who was William Shakespeare? William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon- Avon in 1564 and died in It is unknown as to what his TRUE birthday was, but what we do know is that he was baptized as an infant on April 26 th, William’s father, John, was a glovemaker and wool merchant His mother was Mary Arden, the daughter of a well- to-do local land owner.

Shakespeare's Family In 1582 he married his wife Anne Hathaway who was about 8 years older than him. He was working on plays and sonnets in London by the year 1592 His children were: Twin daughters Susanna and Judith His son Hamnet His family lived in Stratford, while he lived/worked in London

Shakespeare’s Career He wrote around 37 plays and 154 sonnets in his lifetime He acted and wrote for a theater troupe called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which changed names to the King’s Men in 1603 when King James ascended to the throne. He and the members of his troupe built the Globe Theater in The Globe Theater burned down in 1613 and was rebuilt in 1614.

What did a play look like in Shakespeare’s time? All actors on the stage were men ( yes even in women’s roles) because theaters were deemed to disreputable for women. There was not much time/money spent on scenery, because the scene was always set by words spoken by the characters. The standing room closest to the stage was reserved for the “groundlings,”—poor workers who went for the entertainment, but were not wealthy enough for the seats. The noblemen and noblewomen sat in the gallery seats to set them apart from the “groundlings.”

Shakespearean English Activity * Activity: read through the list of Shakespearean insults and create two of your best! You must choose only one word from each column to create your insult. When you are done bring them to me for review. I will pick your best one and it will go on the provided paper to be posted. To stay true to Shakespeare you must always start your insult with: Thou art awrite insult here.