1. William Shakespeare
April 23, 1564 –
April 23, 1616

2. Childhood Born on April 23, 1564 (in Stratford-upon- Avon, England)
One of eight children (William was the 3rd child and 1st son)
Baptized on April 26 in Holy Trinity Church

3. Teenage Years
At the age of 18 William married Anne Hathaway (she was 25 or 26)
Had a baby girl named Susanna in 1583
Had twins a boy and a girl named Hamnet and Judith in 1585

4. “Lost Years”
1585 until 1592, no documentation of Shakespeare’s life at all
Some say he got in trouble with the law and ran away
Others say he and Anne were not getting along, so he moved away
It is certain that in 1588 William Shakespeare changed his address to London

5. The Start of Shakespeare’s Career
Hung around theatres waiting to be noticed
Got a job watching theatergoers horses
(equivalent of valet parking)
Landed big parts, but was more interested in play writing than performing
Became a member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men

6. Lord Chamberlain’s Men
Lord Chamberlain's Men had the best actor in England (Richard Burbage), the best playwright (William Shakespeare), and performed in the best theatre (The Globe)

7. Achievements Accomplishments: 37 plays
14 comedies -- As You Like It, Midsummer’s Night Dream, etc.
12 tragedies -- Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, etc.
11 histories -- Julius Caesar, etc.

8. The End
On April 23, William Shakespeare died (he was born on April 23!)
Buried at Holy Trinity Church, where he was baptized

9. The Globe Theatre
The Lord Chamberlain's Men built the theatre around 1599
They had no other place to perform
It was circular in shape
Shakespeare was a partial owner of the The Globe Theatre

10. The Globe Theatre The center was open to the sky
The “Groundlings” paid the lowest price and stood the whole time
In the tiers of the theatre were boxes that sat well-to-do theatergoers
The theatre accommodated 3,000 people
They raised a flag to signal the type of play

11. The Globe Theatre
A canopy over the stage protected the actors and expensive costumes
On June 29, 1613, during a performance, The Globe burnt to the ground
No one was injured
In 1642 they rebuilt the theatre, only to have it torn down two years later

12. The Globe Theatre
The English Puritans shut down all theatres because they thought evil lurked in them
Not until 1997 was the Globe rebuilt
(200 yards from the site of the original)
Today plays go on daily in the summertime for the public