Introduction to Shakespeare and Julius Caesar Created by Mrs. Helmcamp & Ms. Brauneis

William Shakespeare Background Information

Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England April 23, 1564 Married: Anne Hathaway (1582) He was 18, she was 26. three children Susanna Hamnet Judith Died on April 23, 1616 his 52nd birthday William Shakespeare

Shakespeare: The Lost Years After Shakespeare’s twins were born, he left Stratford. This began what is known as Shakespeare’s “Lost Years” ( ; there is not much documented about him during this time period). There is speculation that William might have offended Sir Richard Lucy by poaching a deer on his grounds and had to leave Stratford to avoid prosecution ( No documented evidence supports this theory). But it is reasonable to assume that there must have been a strong reason to leave his wife, children and family to follow the life of an actor in London ( In Elizabethan times actors were classed as low-lives ) There are many mysteries which surround the life of William Shakespeare - the Lost Years are the first of many!

This is the house where Shakespeare was born.

Shakespeare, con’t. Shakespeare was in the acting company, Lord Chamberlain's Men (later called the King’s Men) He wrote: 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and 2 long poems His work was not published during his lifetime but four years later in the "First Folio" book Shakespeare is considered a "man for all seasons" because his plays appeal to everyone (all ages and across time) Many of Shakespeare’s manuscripts were lost due to the burning of theaters by the Puritans.

The Shakespeare Debate There is much speculation as to whether or not there was an actual “Shakespeare.” Many historians claim that “Shakespeare” is actually a collection of several poets and playwrights’ works, while others claim that it was a pseudonym for another writer. The three men most associated with the “Shakespeare Debate” are Edward De Vere, Francis Bacon, and Christopher Marlow.

The Shakespeare Debate The reasoning behind the controversy seems to lie in the fact that many people find it difficult to accept that a man of poor education and upbringing could write such eloquent masterpieces and have such a strong command of the English language. It is important not to focus on whether or not he was real, but instead we should focus on the great pieces of literature that we have attributed to him.

How Many New Words Did Shakespeare Coin? According to the Oxford English Dictionary all the bold- faced words below (and some 500 more) are attributed to Shakespeare: “[f]rom the spectacled pedant to the schoolboy, all gentlefolk recognize Shakespeare as a fathomless fount of coinages. The honey-tongued Bard had no rival, nor could he sate his never-ending addiction to madcap, flowery (or foul-mouthed!) neologisms. Even time-honored exposure cannot besmirch our amazement at the countless and useful words that lend radiance to our lackluster lives. All in a day’s work!

Shakespearean Insults Combine one word from each of the columns below. Add “Thou” to the beginning to create the perfect insult Example: Thou rank rump-fed hedge-pig! Column A Column BColumn C peevish clay-brainedcanker blossom grizzled dog-heartedclot pole greasy evil-eyed hedge-pig jaded lily-livered dogfish waggish mad-bred egg-shell purpled onion-eyed nut-hook rank paper-facedpantaloon saucy rump-fed rabbit-sucker vacant shag-eared snipe yeasty whit-liveredyounker

Shakespearean Compliments Combine one word from each of the columns below. Add “Thou” to the beginning to create the perfect insult Example: Thou precious young-eyed wafer-cake! Column A Column BColumn C rare honey-tongued smilet sweet well-wishing toast fruitful fair-faced cukoo-bud brave best-tempered nose-herb sugared tender-hearted wafer-cake flowering tiger-booted pigeon-egg precious smooth-faced welsh cheese gallant thunder-darting song celestial sweet-suggesting true-penny delicate young-eyed valentine

The Globe Theater

Shakespeare performed his plays here Constructed in 1599 On the banks of the Thames River Near London Shape: Octagonal Play time: 2 hours Cost: One penny The Globe

The Globe, con’t. Seating: Pit: General crowd Galleries: A small additional fee would get you these seats Box Seats: Royalty or noblemen only The capacity for the play performance was 3,000 Sound effects were made in the huts Ghosts could appear on stage through trap doors

Inside Shakespeare’s Globe This is a photograph of the newly restored Globe Theater in England. This picture shows what the stage looks like.

The Globe Theatre History The first Globe Theatre had a thatched roof. It burnt down in The second Globe Theatre was built with a tiled roof, but was torn down in A replica was built in 1996 (and opened in 1997) near the original site.

DID YOU KNOW? Gatherers stood at the door of The Globe Theatre with boxes to take admission. This is why a ticket office today is called a “box office.” The audience on the ground were called “groundlings”. Their seats were only a penny. They weren’t sheltered from the rain, but were closer to the action. The stage was 5ft. high to keep the audience off of it.

Parts of the Globe The Pit- Sometimes referred to as “The Yard” where the groundlings watched the play for their one-penny admission. The Stage- Major playing area jutted into the Pit, creating a sense of intimacy with the audience. Hangings curtained off space beneath. Main entrance- Here the doorkeeper greeted playgoers and collected one penny from everyone.

Parts of the Globe Lord’s Rooms- private galleries; six pennies let a viewer sit here, or sometimes even on the stage itself. Middle Gallery- called “two-penny rooms” because the seats here were higher priced. Inner Stage- A recessed playing area often curtained off, then opened for appropriate scenes.

Parts of the Globe Flag- a white flag hoisted above the theatre meant a show would be performed that day. White-comedy, Black-tragedy, Red-history Stage Doors- doors opening into the Tiring- House. Hut- a storage area that also held a wench system for lowering enthroned gods or other characters to the stage.

Parts of the Globe Tiring-House- The important backstage area which provided space for storage and business offices. Stairs- Ascending to the first level, theatre goers reached the galleries by wooden staircases enclosed by stairwells. Trap Door- Leading down to the Hell area where equipment included the winch elevator that raised and lowered actors or properties.

Parts of the Globe Hell- The area under the stage, used for ghostly comings and goings or for more mundane storage of properties.

The Globe, con’t. Flags, trumpets, and fliers told when there would be a play The flags also told the audience what type of play they would be seeing: Red flag = history play White flag = comedy play Black Flag = tragedy play

Shakespearean Actors and Accessories

Costumes, con’t. England had “Clothing Acts” which forbade certain classes of people from dressing like a higher class. So, for an actor-a person of the lower classes- to dress like a nobleman or a king was something of a scandal.

Men’s Clothing

Women’s Clothing

More Women’s Clothing

Elizabethan England Queen Elizabeth I ruled England during the time that Shakespeare wrote many of his plays.

Queen Elizabeth I

She ruled England for nearly 50 years ( ) and was very popular She was such a strong ruler that the time is called the Elizabethan Age or England’s Golden Age. (anyone watch The Tudors????) Elizabeth never married although she had many suitors during her lifetime. Queen Elizabeth had red hair and green eyes, and was known for her love of fashion; she had over 2,000 dresses. Some of her more elaborate gowns weighed over 200 pounds each.

Elizabethan Theater During this time, theater was not the only form of entertainment. People also enjoyed music and dancing. No women were allowed to act in the plays. Young boys acted the female parts. Actors wore clothes from their own time period, regardless of the play’s setting. The costumes were often very fancy. Audiences were very rowdy. They talked during the plays, and if they did not like one, they would throw garbage at the actors.

Elizabethan England England was very dirty Most people bathed only once a year. Doctors worried about the Queen because she took a bath once a month. People dumped garbage into the city streets. It was against the law to kill large birds because they were needed to devour the filth in the streets. Sewage and waste were poured into open drains. Inns were places of gambling, thieving, and brawling.

Elizabethan England con’t School Boys went to school from age 7 to about 15 where they learned math, Latin, and Greek. Girls were usually educated at home

Puns

Puns, con’t. “The humorous use of a word, or of words, which are formed or sounded alike but have different meanings, in such a way as to play on two or more of the possible applications; a play on words.” (Webster Dictionary) Example: 1)A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion. 2) Police were called to a daycare where a three- year-old was resisting a rest.

Puns, con’t. What makes a good pun? Quick setup (brevity is important) No proper names (listener might not recognize the name) Familiar references A pointed revelation (you should see the spark in the listener’s eyes as they ‘get it’) Maximum wordplay throughout! He said I was average – but he was just being mean. (get it?????)

The Great Chain of Being Medieval metaphor illustrating hierarchy of being from God to the lowliest non-being Chain stretched from foot of God’s throne to the tiniest particle of sand: a place for everything, and everything in its place

Angels Just below God Had reason and spirit, but no body With no body, did not die Could fall by free will (so devil was fallen angel)

Man in the Hierarchy Just below the angels Could aspire to greater perfection (angelic or god- like) Had reason in common with angels Had body (mortality), unlike angels; had feeling, understanding Incorporated features of lower classes—thus a “microcosm” Could fall to the level of beast (free will)

Higher Sensitive Class Below human (no reason; no soul) Hierarchy within each subset: Highest mammal? Highest fish? Highest bird?

Lower Sensitive class Have life and feeling Creatures having touch but no feeling or memory (parasites or shellfish, for example) Creatures having movement but not hearing, such as ants

Vegetative Class Existence and life, but no feeling, understanding, movement

Inanimate Elements, liquids and metals No sensation, but durable for centuries Water higher than earth Four elements: earth, air, fire, water

Order and Chaos So long as every member of every class followed its specialty, stayed within its realm, order reigned in a sort of cosmic dance

Disruption Once man disrupted the order through sin or crime… This unnatural disturbance shook the chain and disrupted every other class, especially if the human was high in his class (king or prince)

In the Meantime Chaos-disorder was reflected in all other realms (eclipse of the sun; animals behaving unnaturally) Order must be restored

Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar: The Man and the Play “Veni, vidi, vici!”

Caesar the Man Born around 100 B.C. Died March 15, 44 B.C. He was one of the greatest military leaders of all time. He helped to make Rome the center of an empire that encompassed much of Europe. He is also known as a talented speaker, politician, and writer. These skills frightened Caesar’s political opponents and led directly to his death.

Caesar, con’t. He married at the age of 17 to Cornelia. They had a daughter, Julia. Cornelia died in 68 B.C. In 60 B.C., Caesar joined with Pompey and Marcus Crassus to form the First Triumvirate, which means “three men” or “rule by three.” This is an alliance that ruled Rome.

Caesar, con’t. They took over the Senate and the rulings of Rome for a while. The idea was that Caesar had the backing of the Legions (army), Pompey had the political power, and Crassus had financial backing. In 59 B.C. Caesar remarried. His wife’s name was Calpurnia. The same year, Pompey married Caesar’s daughter, Julia.

Caesar, con’t. After much military success, Pompey became increasingly jealous of Caesar. Pompey decided to join with Rome’s conservative leaders and try to get rid of Caesar. This ripped apart the triumvirate and caused a civil war in 49 B.C. When Caesar returned to Italy, Pompey warned him that if he crossed the Rubicon River then Caesar was declaring war on Rome. Caesar responded with “Alea iacta est,” which translates to “the die is cast.”

The Rubicon River

Roman Helmets

Caesar, con’t. So the war began. Within 60 days, Caesar had conquered Italy, but it took him almost 5 years to take over the rest of the Roman Empire. In 49 B.C., Caesar appointed himself dictator of this empire. It was during this 5 years that Caesar won the war that made Cleopatra the ruler of Egypt.

Roman Legionaire

Caesar, con’t. The name “Caesar” eventually became not a name, but a word meaning “ruler” or “chief” in Latin. The word “Caesar” evolved into different languages such as German, which took the name and turned it into Kaiser. The Russian word Czar as well traces its roots back to “Caesar.” The term “caesarian sections,” or “C-sections” can trace its origins back to Julius Caesar because it was believed that Caesar did have not a natural childbirth, but instead was “cut from the womb.” a pun

Caesar, con’t. After defeating Pompey, Caesar pardoned his enemy’s supporters. These same men later took part in Caesar’s assassination.

The Roman Empire

Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Julius Caesar It is believed that Shakespeare wrote The Tragedy of Julius Caesar in The play is a historical play based upon the assassination of Julius Caesar by his close friends and confidants. Shakespeare gained much of his knowledge about Caesar and Roman life from Plutarch’s The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans.

Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Julius Caesar The play takes place during a time of great political turmoil. Julius Caesar and Gnaeus Pompey have been fighting against each other during a civil war. The play begins as Caesar returns to Rome after his defeat of Pompey. The action of the play is spread out over 5 acts. In this play, we will encounter betrayal of friendships and the result of too much ambition.

Quotes from the Tragedy of Julius Caesar Cowards die many times before their actual deaths. Experience is the teacher of all things. Beware the ides of March. But, for my own part, it was Greek to me.

Any Questions ?