1. What EVERYONE should know about The Bard of Avon
William Shakespeare
What EVERYONE should know about The Bard of Avon

2. “He was not of an age, but for all time” Ben Jonson
Understanding of people
Skill with words
Sense of drama

3. Personal Life Born April 23rd, 1564 in Stratford-Upon-Avon
Shakespeare’s birthplace at Stratford-Upon-Avon
Born April 23rd, 1564 in Stratford-Upon-Avon
Father was shopkeeper and “mayor” of town
Attended free grammar school until 15
Read mythology and classics (it was the Renaissance you know).
Married to Ann Hathaway (8 years older)
3 children (Susanna, Hamnet & Judith)
Lived most of his life in London

4. Writer and Actor Successful actor in London Leading poet
Member of a repertory group – The Chamberlain’s Men
Wrote plays, 154 poems
Retired to Stratford
Died on his birthday, 1616

5. Shakespeare the Poet. Written to be applauded and remembered
Shakespeare the Poet Written to be applauded and remembered as a writer.
Credited with:
154 Sonnets
4 long poems
124 songs
Always worked within established modes
He treated the usual themes:
The beauty of his lady & his love for her
His assurance of immortality for her
through his verses.

6. Shakespeare’s Poetry
The excellence of his poems lies not in what is said, but in how it is said.
Some of his sonnets are direct at and dedicated to a young man called W.H.
Others are direct to the "Dark Lady"
Songs were written for plays.

7. Shakespeare the Playwright
Written to make money…and he made lots of it!
Was Shakespeare a Thief?
Most plays based on historical events or OTHER plays.
No COPYRIGHT laws in those days
Took ordinary stories and made them EXTRAORDINARY

8. Shakespeare's Contribution to the English Language
Common sayings:
Words:
catching a cold
disgraceful conduct
elbow room
fair play
assassination
barefaced
bumps
countless
critical
dwindle
exposure
gloomy
monumental
suspicious

9. First Words? A-Z No way to tell for sure, but the following are first seen in Shakespeare’s works. He most likely contributed around 1,500!
A – advertising B – bandit C – critic D – dickens E – epileptic F – film G – gossip H – hush I – investment J – jig K – kissing L – luggage M - manager
N – numb
O – obscene
P – puke
Q – quarrelsome
R – rant
S – shooting star
T – torture
U – undress
V – varied
W – wild-goose chase
X – Xantippe
Y – yelping
Z - zany

10. Common Expressions Romeo and Juliet A fool’s paradise
I am a fortune’s fool
Parting is such sweet sorrow
Star-crossed lovers
What’s in a name?
Macbeth
Come what may
Crack of doom
Fair is foul, and foul is fair
Sorry sight
Fatal vision
Full of sound and fury
The be-all and the end-all
Knock Knock. Who’s there?
What’s done is done

11. Actors need the following…
Hamlet sees his father’s ghost
Fencing
Tumbling
Dancing
Elocution (speaking)
Acting (duh!)
Music
Shakespeare probably made more money as an ACTOR and PRODUCER than as a PLAYWRIGHT.

12. Acting Companies
Before the theaters were built, performances were put on by traveling troupes
They had the reputation of being vagabonds
The typical Elizabethan acting company comprised of: shareholders, salaried actors, and apprentices

13. Reparatory Theatre
Actor Jon Finch as Macbeth
A theatre that puts on a variety of different shows rather than one show continuously
Prevents the audience from getting bored and keeps them coming to YOUR theatre
Helped stifle MEMORIZERS who would come to performances and steal your show.

14. Structure
Public theaters were either round, square, or octagonal wooden structures which consisted of:
unroofed courtyard
roofed galleries
platform stage
tiring-house
curtained discovery space
hut
trapdoor

15. Outside View Not allowed to advertise
Used flags above building to tell of impending play
Black=Tragedy
White=Comedy
Red=History
This is a recreation of the Globe Theatre located in Odessa, Texas.

16. Front of Theatre

17. London’s Globe Theatre – near the location of the original.

18. Groundlings’ Area- Standing room only
Groundlings’ Area- Standing room only! The commoners would gather on the floor of the theatre for performances.

19. The Balconies
Royalty and the rich would have a seated view above the commoners.
Notice that the theatre is in open air, exposing the actors and the groundlings to the elements.

20. A performance lasted about 2 ½ hours
Always in the afternoon
No “acts” but frequent intermissions
No scenery
Lots of effects (trap doors, winches, etc.)
No actresses
No “programs”