1. The Bard of Avon 1564-1616

2.  Shakespeare’s plays are still read & produced throughout the world today, more so than the plays of any other playwright.  He wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets. This is why he is called a bard, which means poet.  His plays represent a wide range of styles & types, such as tragedy, comedy, history, & fantasy. http://jmubethechange.wordpress.com/tag/general-education/

3.  Shakespeare, one of 8 children, was born on Apr. 23, 1564.  He was born in a tiny town named Stratford that was situated on the banks of the Avon River, so it was called Stratford-Upon-Avon.  As a youth, he loved to read. His favorite stories were about kings, ghosts, swordfights, & romances.  Even in elementary school, his dream was to go to college to become a better writer. Shakespeare at age 12 http://www.gutenberg.org/files/29180/29180- h/29180-h.htm

4.  At 18, WS married 26-year- old Anne Hathaway. They would have 3 children together.  5 years later, he left Stratford & his family to seek fame & fortune in London.  James Burbage built The Theatre, the first playhouse in England, and hired WS to write plays to be performed.  James, his son Richard, & WS became best friends. http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/players/player23.html

5.  The Theatre closed because the land owner refused to renew the lease.  Richard Burbage, WS & their actor friends took the theatre apart piece-by-piece in the middle of the night, rebuilt it a few blocks away, & renamed it The Globe.  The Globe was an outdoor/open air playhouse. Performances were held in the afternoon to take advantage of the light. 1997 replica; the original burnt down in a 1613 performance of WS’s play Henry VIII http://www.ego4u.com/en/read- on/countries/uk/london/globe-theatre

6.  The Globe stage was in the middle of the building surrounded by seats in which wealthy people sat.  Directly in front of the stage was only dirt where the peasants could sit on the ground or stand; they were called groundlings.  The Globe became the most famous theatre in England.  WS’s bff Richard Burbage got to share ownership of the theatre & play all the leading roles: Hamlet, Romeo, Macbeth http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-90601/In-the- 1600s-many-of-William-Shakespeares-plays-were-performed

7.  He wrote about the thoughts & feelings of real people. He gave his characters problems & shortcomings that made them seem very human.  WS’s biggest regret was not having time to live his dream of going to college.  Other writers of his day were jealous. They had college degrees, but still could not write plays as well as he did.  He learned so much about the way people behaved just by listening to them & showing them he was interested.  He was also an actor, knew how they thought & problems they faced, so he made sure they looked & sounded good in plays http://babyrwew.blogspot.com/2012/03/william-shakespeares-romeo-juliet.html

8.  WS would read a lot, knew many stories from the past, & he’d steal some of the stories or characters.  Many of his plays were based on stories from the last 3 periods we studied.  There were no copyright laws. This copying method was common practice.  However, WS added his own characters, gave them interesting personalities,& used emotions & attitudes he’d learned from his many friends. http://wn.com/1616_in_poetry And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.”

9.  1.) How many plays and sonnets did William Shakespeare write?  2.) Name four styles of Shakespeare plays.  3.) Where was he born? In what year?  4.) Which playhouse was the first in England? Who built it?  5.) Who was Richard Burbage? Give at least three details.  6.) Which theater became the most famous in England? What is a groundling?  7.) What was Shakespeare’s biggest regret?