1. W ILLIAM S HAKESPEARE ’ S W ORKS By Iman Ansar, Nashwa Awais, Sapna Abbi and Jeevan Aujla. (1564 - 1616)

2. W ILLIAM S HAKESPEARE ’ S I NSPIRATION A ND I NFLUENCES Shakespeare got most of his ideas from existing pieces of writing. His historical plays were usually based on British history but changed to suit the occasion. He was from a large family that was poor so he had a deeper understanding of some people’s living conditions and troubles they may face which he then shared in his works. He influences were: o Queen Elizabeth o The Theatre o People in poverty o His own age o His love for England o His patriarchy o The Bible o People of the town o Latin text o Ancient writers Queen Elizabeth was a big influence on Shakespeare.

3. S HAKESPEARE ’ S R OLES Not only did Shakespeare write plays, he also appeared in them, usually his own. He started his acting career in 1592. He usually played smaller roles. Here are some of them: As You Like It (Adam) Macbeth (King Duncan) Henry IV (King Henry) Hamlet (Hamlet's father) Edward I (Edward) Sources from around the time when Shakespeare was acting say he was a very good actor.

4. S HAKESPEARE ’ S W ORKS William Shakespeare did many varieties of writing. These included: o Sonnets (poems) o Playwrights (plays) o Tragedies (sad stories) o Romances (where the characters fall in love with a happy ending) o Historical stories (stories about history) William Shakespeare had a distinctive way of writing different parts of his plays, as he would allow you to get into the character’s minds and feel what they felt. This style of writing is why people thought they could relate to his works. For example, in Romeo and Juliet, the end is tragic and helps you to remember the characters better as you are able to understand the pain they are going through as these events happen. However, in comedy plays or stories, you don’t remember the characters that well because there are no important events.

5. W HAT W ERE H IS M OST F AMOUS P LAYS A ND W HY ? According to www.william-shakespeare.info these are the 6 most popular plays: 1. Hamlet -written between 1599 and 1601. 2. Othello -written in 1603. 3. Macbeth -written between 1603 and 1606. 4. Romeo and Juliet -written between 1591 and 1595. 5. The Tempest -written in 1610-1611. 6. Julius Caesar –written in 1599. These plays, and some of his others, were quite famous because they had a lot of layered meanings. Unlike others, whose only said one thing, his you actually had to think about. Also, looking at the date of the plays above-they have been around for a long duration of time and nowadays they are commonly well know. For example, if someone mentioned the name Romeo and Juliet, almost everyone would know what they were talking about.

6. I MPORTANT DATES 1564 (April 23 rd )-William Shakespeare is born in Stratford-Upon-Avon. 1592- Shakespeare began his acting career. 1594 onwards-his plays were performed by acting companies (The King’s Men and The Lord Chamberlain’s Men). 1594-the Lord Chamberlain’s men was formed. 1599-The Globe (Shakespeare’s theatre) is built. 1603 (May 19)-The King's Men forms. 1608-King's Men buy the Blackfriars Theatre and Shakespeare became part owner in the theatre. 1613 (June 29)-There is a serious fire at the Globe Theatre. 1614-Globe Theatre was rebuilt. 1614- Shakespeare wrote his final play called The Two Noble Kinsmen. 1616 (April 23 rd HIS BIRTHDAY!)-William dies. Did you know? The acting company that performed William’s plays was called The Lord Chamberlain’s company, but before that it was called The Lord Stranges' Men!

7. T HE T ITLES OF H IS W ORKS William Shakespeare wrote a variety of works of which there are 38 altogether. Here are some of the titles: Love’s Labour Lost A Midsummer Night’s Dream Much Ado About Nothing The Tempest Henry IV Henry VIII King John Richard II Hamlet Julius Caesar Macbeth Othello The Sonnets Romeo and Juliet A picture of a film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet (1996) starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo and Clare Danes as Juliet.

8. Thanks for watching! Music: Love Story Taylor Swift Based on Romeo and Juliet.