1. The Life and Times of William Shakespeare
Ms. De La O
English 9

2. Early Life Born April 23, 1564—died 1616
Stratford-upon-Avon
Parents: John and Mary Arden Shakespeare

3. Education Probably attended King’s New School in Stratford
(Little known about his childhood)

4. Married Life Married in 1582 to Anne Hathaway
Had twins in 1585 (Hamnet & Judith)
Sometime between , he moved to London and began working in theatre.

5. Not this one…

6. Conditions in London-BAD!
Thames River polluted with raw sewage
Trees used up for fuel
Poverty
No running water
Chamber Pots
Crowded
Bathing considered dangerous
Childhood diseases

7. Activity #1
Insults

8. Theater Career Performed in courtyards of inns Limited set design
Music, sound, costumes, props and great description
All men/ Female parts played by young boys
No actual kissing or hugging on stage
Groundlings

9. Shakespeare’s Work 38 plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare comedies
histories
Tragedies
Romances
Numerous poems
154 Sonnets

10. Shakespeare’s Language
Shakespeare did NOT write in “Old English.”
Old English is the language of Beowulf:
Hwaet! We Gardena in geardagum
Þeodcyninga Þrym gefrunon
Hu ða æÞelingas ellen fremedon!

11. Shakespeare’s Language
Shakespeare did not write in “Middle English.”
Middle English is the language of Chaucer:
Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote And bathed every veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

12. Shakespeare’s Language
Shakespeare wrote in “Early Modern English.”
Modern with old holdovers and omissions
prose and poetry
Rural and urban words/images
Understandable by the lowest peasant and the highest noble

13. A few examples of Shakespearean omissions/contractions follow:
'tis ~ it is ope ~ open o'er ~ over gi' ~ give ne'er ~ never
i' ~ in e'er ~ ever oft ~ often e'en ~ even

14. Activity #2
Looking at Sonnets