1. William Shakespeare’s World
To be, or not to be, that is the question...
William Shakespeare’s World
This above all, to thine own self be true...

2. The Man That Would Be Shakespeare
William
The Man That Would Be Shakespeare
Stratford-on-Avon, England
He wrote 37 plays &
154 sonnets
He started out as an actor

3. Background of the Bard Parents John & Mary Shakespeare
Educated at Stratford Grammar School
Learned business as an apprentice for his father
Married Anne Hathaway November 28, 1582
She was 8 years his senior and 3 months pregnant when they married

4. Queen Elizabeth I – ( 1558-1603 ) Ruled England for 45 years.
Nicknamed “the Virgin Queen”
and produced no heir to the throne
Restored Protestantism and formalized the
Church of England
During her reign, the economy was weakened by inflation, food shortages, and high rent.
Outbreak of the black plague, food riots, Catholic conspiracies, threats of invasion, etc.
During the Elizabethan Period, hundreds of people were convicted as witches and executed

5. King James I – ( )
Renamed Shakespeare’s acting troupe “The King’s Men”
Religious and believed in the supernatural and interested in witchcraft
Commissioned a translation of the bible from Latin to English
Published a book about witchcraft called “Demonologie“ in 1597

6. View of Witchcraft
Witches and witchcraft were a morbid fascination
Between , hundreds of people (nearly all women) were convicted as witches and executed
Witches could predict the future, bring on daytime and nighttime, cause fogs and storms, and change into animals
If convicted, people would be subjected to torture and death by hanging or burning at the stake
King James I was fascinated by witchcraft
Signs of possession were: trance, change of appearance, inability to pray, visions, disturbed behavior, lack of fear, indifference to life, and invitations to evil spirits to possess one’s body.
Shakespeare’s audience were religious Christians who believed in heaven and hell

7. The Plays Early plays, 1590’s, were mainly comedy
Comedy (and this could be extended to most of Shakespeare's history plays as well)  is social-- leading to a happy resolution (usually a marriage or marriages) and social unification. 
Shakespeare began to focus on tragedy/dramatic themes in the early 1600’s
Tragedy is individual, concentrating on the suffering of a single, remarkable hero--leading to individual torment, waste and death
1608 marks a change in tone from tragedy to romance, light, magic, and reconciliation

8. Comedies
Comedy of Errors 1592 The Taming of the Shrew Love's Labor's Lost Two Gentlemen of Verona A Midsummer Night's Dream The Merchant of Venice Much Ado About Nothing As You Like It Twelfth Night Merry Wives of Windsor Troilus and Cressida All's Well That Ends Well Measure for Measure

9. Tragedies & Tragicomedies
Titus Andronicus Romeo and Juliet Hamlet Othello The Tragedy of King Lear Macbeth
Timon of Athens 1607-(?) Cymbeline The Winter's Tale Tempest

10. Historical
Henry VI parts I, II, III Richard III King John Richard II 1597-(?) King Henry IV part I, part II Henry V (1599) Julius Caesar Henry VIII 1613-(?) Antony and Cleopatra Coriolanus

11. English Theater Plays were most often performed in outdoor theaters
Performances took place during the day so that the stage would be illuminated by natural light

12. The Globe Theater

13. THE GLOBE THEATER Built in 1599 The most magnificent theater in London
Shakespeare was 1/5 owner
He earned 10% of the total profit, approximately £ a year
The Bard retired to Stratford and lived on the profits he earned from the Globe
June 19, 1613 the Globe burned to the ground during a performance of Henry VIII

14. The Globe Theater – Many of Shakespeare’s plays were performed here
The stage was a large, rectangle that jutted out into the yard
Held 2,000-3,000 people tightly packed
An open playhouse with a wooden structure three stories high
It was shaped like a 16 sided polygon
General admission = 1 Penny entitled a spectator to be a “groundling”-someone who could stand in the yard.
More expensive seats were in the roofed galleries and most expensive seats were chairs set right on the stage along its two sides
Rebuilt in 1900’s

15. Spectators Wealthy got benches
“Groundlings”>poorer people stood and watched from the courtyard (“pit”)
All but wealthy were
uneducated/illiterate
Much more interaction than today

16. Aristocrats
The Queen/King
The Groundlings!

17. Staging Areas Stage --→ platform that extended into the pit
Dressing & storage rooms in galleries behind & above stage
Second-level gallery & upper stage --→ famous balcony scene in R & J
Trap door -→ghosts
“Heavens”-→ angelic beings

19. Actors Only men and boys allowed onstage
Young boys whose voices had not changed play women’s roles
It would have been considered indecent for a woman to appear on stage

20. When in a play... Boys or effeminate men were used to play the women.
Costumes were often the company’s most valuable asset
Costumes were made by the company, bought in London, or donated by courtiers

21. Differences No scenery Settings > references in dialogue
Elaborate costumes
Plenty of props
Fast-paced, colorful>2 hours!

22. The Tragic Hero

23. Aristotle’s Definition of Tragedy
A man of high standard who falls from that high because of a tragic flaw that has affected many”
***Macbeth is one of the most famous examples of the tragic hero.

24. Written for King James I (formerly of Scotland, now England)
The tragedy of
Macbeth
Set in Scotland
Written for King James I (formerly of Scotland, now England)
Queen of Denmark (James’s sister) was visiting
Shakespeare researched The Chronicles –
Banquo is an ancestor of King James I

25. The Curse!

26. “The Scottish Play”
It is believed to be bad luck to even squeak the word ‘Macbeth’ in a theatre
Legend has it you will lose all your friends involved in the production—horribly.
Since 1606, hundreds of actors, stage crew, etc. have been hurt or have died during the production of this play.
It is believed that Shakespeare included black magic spells in the incantations of the weird sisters.
People refer to this play as “the Scottish Play”
The only remedy to get rid of this curse is that the offender must step outside, turn around three times, spit, and whisper a foul word, and wait for permission to re-enter the theater.

27. Why study Shakespeare?
Shakespeare was not critically acclaimed in his lifetime. Although he did enjoy popular success, he was not considered a great intellectual talent like other poets of his time, such as Ben Johnson.
Shakespeare’s work has endured and is now considered the greatest because it is timeless. His observation of and ability to capture the human condition is masterful.

28. “I have made it my life’s work to know the character of men...”
Shakespeare’s ability to portray human nature honestly in all of its forms is unmatched.
In his characters we see good, evil, jealousy, wrath, passion, loyalty, ambition, greed and every other motivation known to mankind.
His themes are universal – love, rivalry, family, murder, betrayal, madness, depression, bravery.

29. The Words
“I find your words to be the most wondrous heard on a stage…ever.
You are the soul of the age.”
Ben Johnson in Anonymous

30. Did people really talk this way?
WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?
Did people really talk this way?
Prose- language without metrical structure
Verse- poetic language and style
Blank Verse:  unrhymed iambic pentameter.
Iambic Pentameter:  five beats of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables; ten syllables per line.
'So fair / and foul / a day / I have / not seen'

31. Prose Ordinary writing that is not poetry, drama, or song
Only characters in the lower social classes speak this way in Shakespeare’s plays
Why do you suppose that is?

32. What just happened?
Shakespeare will be some of the most difficult reading you will ever attempt. BE PATIENT!
Middle English vs. Modern English
Reading Tips
Read the Introduction
Read everything twice
First time- try reading without looking at footnotes, mark any interesting or difficult items
4. Try reading aloud
5. Look up words you don’t know
6. Keep a list of characters