1. William Shakespeare

2. Life of William Shakespeare
Known as the world’s most performed & admired playwright
Born approximately on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England

3. Shakespeare’s Birth Place

4. Life of William Shakespeare (cont’d)
Father: John Shakespeare
Whittawer: maker, worker and seller of leather goods such as purses, belts & gloves
Also was a dealer of agricultural commodities such as wool, grain, malt and other farm produce
Active in Stratford-upon-Avon government until financial difficulties began
Illiterate
Died 1601 (60 years old)

5. Life of William Shakespeare (cont’d)
Mother: Mary Arden
Married John Shakespeare in 1557
Had eight children
William was the 3rd child and first son
Her role in the family was to bring up the Shakespeare family
Died September 9th, 1608 of unknown causes (68 years old)

6. Life of William Shakespeare (cont’d)
7 Brothers & Sisters
Joan & Margaret : Died in infancy
Gilbert, Joan, Anna : Died at 8 years old (Plague)
Richard & Edmund : surviving siblings

7. Shakespeare’s Family Tree

8. Life of William Shakespeare (cont’d)
Education
Attended the “Free School” Elementary School
Motivation = Parents’ Illiteracy
No proof of enrollment
Learned how to read & write
Learned how to read from a “hornbook”
Hornbook = a single sheet of paper mounted on a board and protected by a thin transparent layer of horn
Normally had alphabet and Lord’s Prayer printed on it

9. Example of Hornbook

10. Life of William Shakespeare (cont’d)
Education (cont’d)
At age 7, Shakespeare began Grammar School
Studied Latin, Latin Grammar, ancient writers, and mythology
Learned to write and recite Latin
At age 13 or 14, Shakespeare was withdrawn from school by his father so that he could help father run his business
Also received education from his mandatory attendance at church, where he was influenced by the Bible, The Book of Common Prayer, & Foxe’s Acts & Monuments

11. Life of William Shakespeare (cont’d)
Married Anne Hathaway
November 28, 1582
William was 18; Anne was 26
Anne 3 months pregnant when they married
Marriage done in haste

12. Life of William Shakespeare (cont’d)
Children
1st child: Susanna
Born 6 months after William & Anne married
May 26, 1583
2 years later:
Twins born: Hamnet & Judith
Hamnet age 11 for unknown causes

13. Life of William Shakespeare (cont’d)
The “Lost” Years
1586 to 1592
Shakespeare moved to London
Believed that Shakespeare moved to London to avoid prosecution for poaching deer
Leaves wife and children in Stratford
Became involved in the theatre
Strange’s Men
Lord Chamberlain’s Men
Began writing poetry and plays
No record of Shakespeare’s activities until 1592 when Shakespeare is criticized by a rival playwright

14. Life of William Shakespeare (cont’d)
Career
Gained fame about age 21
Member and part owner of Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later became known as King’s Men)
Was an actor for about 20 years, which is where he earned most of his money
Wrote 37 plays
Was paid approximately $40 to write a play
Wrote 154 sonnets

15. Life of William Shakespeare (cont’d)
Shakespeare’s Friends
Ben Johnson
English Renaissance dramatist, poet, and actor
Christopher (Kit) Marlowe
English dramatist, poet and translator of
Elizabethan Era
Foremost Elizabethan tragedist before Shakespeare
Richard Burbage
Star of William’s theatre company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men

16. Ben Johnson

17. Christopher Marlowe

18. Richard Burbage

19. Shakespeare’s Works
Shakespeare’s Early Works can be divided into 4 groups:
1. The Classical Plays
2. The History Plays
3. The Narrative Poems and Sonnets
4. Experiments in comedy

20. Shakespeare’s Works (cont’d)
4 Major Works
Romeo & Juliet
Julius Caesar
Hamlet
Macbeth

21. Shakespeare’s Retirement
In 1610, William retired to his New Place
William bought home in 1597
2nd largest house in Stratford
Only house to be made of brick at the time

22. Shakespeare’s Death Died April 23, 1616 52 years old
Died of unknown causes
In will, left wife “second best” bed
Wife inherited 1/3 of his income of the estate and to remain in house
Principal bequests were to his daughter, Judith
Daughter, Susanna, received 2 houses, all other lands & menial residue

23. Shakespeare left the following words on his tombstone:
Good friend for Jesus sake forebeare, to digg the dust encloased heare, Bleste be ye man yt spares thes stones, And curst be he yt moves my bones.

24. The Globe Theatre

25. Facts about the Globe Theatre
Built in 1599
Where most of Shakespeare’s plays were performed
Built from the wood of “The Theatre”
London’s most magnificent theatre ever seen
Located across the Thames River
Shakespeare was co-owner of “The Globe Theatre”
Motto: “All the world’s a stage”
Also known as the “Wooden O”

26. Location of “The Globe Theatre”

27. Facts about the Globe Theatre (cont’d)
June 1613 – Theatre burned to the ground
Rebuilt in 1613
1642 – Closed by the Puritans
1996 – Reconstructed as “The New Globe Theatre”

28. Then & Now
1599
1996

29. Layout of “The Globe Theatre”
Could hold approximately 3,000 spectators
To advertise a play, a colored flag was flown indicating the type of play that would be performed
Large, circular or octagonal design, 3 stories high
At the base of the stage, was the “pit” for the groundlings to stand and watch the play
Cost to stand: one penny
Around the base was 3 levels of seating
First 2 levels = Twopenny Rooms
Third Level = Penny Gallery

30. Layout of “The Globe Theatre”

31. Facts about Performances
Minimum scenery, natural lightning, words in play gave time & day of play
NO female actresses
Minimum furniture props
Pig bladders filled with blood were used in death/stabbing scenes
No curtains

32. Actors
Had to be able to fence, tumble, dance, sing, and play two roles in one play
Had to have strong voices with good elocution (no microphones)
Lord Chamberlain’s Men
Acting company of “The Globe Theatre”
Company consisted of adults, 6 boy apprentices & 2-3 stage hands

33. Costumes Authentic to the actor’s times
Received by buying costumes cheaply from servants who inherited them
Color of Costumes was symbolic:
Dark Blue: Servant or Apprentice
Scarlet: ruler
Yellow: jealousy
Orange: pride
Azure blue: honor
Rose: gallantry

34. Women Theatre was not appropriate for women
Only the extremely wealthy women were allowed in the theatre but had to be escorted by a Lord
In the “Pit,” the Ladies of the Evening often solicited business from the groundlings before performance

35. Changes of “The Globe Theatre”
Moved once across the Thames River
Burned down
Closed once because of the plague
Shut down by Puritans
Reconstructed in 1996

36. Shakespeare/Globe Theatre Test Information
Shakespeare Notes
The Globe Theatre Notes
Globe Layout Handout
Test Monday, February 19th – 1st major grade of the 5th Six Weeks