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

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 during 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

R OMEO AND J ULIET “Two households, both alike in dignity In fair Verona where we lay our scene”.....

P LAY B ACKGROUND o Was one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays o It is a tragedy—there will not be a happy ending o It is the most famous love story of all time, BUT it is just as much about hate as it is about love o The action takes place in 5 DAYS!

A S W E R EAD... Try to identify how Queen Elizabeth affected the telling of this tale How are women portrayed? How is religion portrayed? How is marriage portrayed? Look for messages about FATE / FREE WILL Determine what Shakespeare is trying to tell us about love

“F OR N EVER W AS T HERE A S TORY O F M ORE W OE T HAN T HIS OF J ULIET AND H ER R OMEO ”..... Wait until you see how it unfolds!