1. PLEASE NOTE: THESE NOTES ARE FOR A GRADE AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO USE THEM ON THE TEST William Shakespeare

2. *Born April 23, 1564 *Christened on April 26, 1564 (1 st known record) *Died April 23, 1616 *Born in Stratford- Upon-Avon *Known as the Bard of Avon

3. William Shakespeare *His parents were Mary Arden and John Shakespeare *His father was a glovemaker who also held a few political positions. *His mother was a Catholic. *He was one of eight children.

4. Shakespeare’s Family At 18, he married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. Six months later, their first child Susanna was born. In 1585, their twins Judith and Hamnet were born. Hamnet died at the age of 11.

5. The Lost Years *1585 to 1592 *Court documents show Shakespeare was caught poaching deer. *Could have held a variety of jobs during this time including school teacher and actor *Left his family and moved to London *His theater career began during this time.

6. 1592 to 1611 *In 1594, Shakespeare founded Lord Chamberlain’s Men. *Established himself as a playwright as well as an actor and director *Bought a large home in Stratford for his family. It was called New Place.

7. Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616. He was buried in Stratford at Holy Trinity Church. Shakespeare’s Death

8. What Shakespeare Wrote *37 Plays *154 Sonnets *Other Poetry

9. Where Shakespeare’s Ideas Came From: Came from other sources (such as existing books and plays) Borrowed plots, characters, and entire speeches Mixed ideas from two different stories Always modified and improved the original story Only 3 of his plays were entirely original Ideas for the histories came from Holinshed’s The Chronicles of England, Ireland, and Scotland

10. Categories of Plays Tragedy Comedy History

11. TRAGEDIES These are Shakespeare’s most famous plays. They include Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Julius Caesar, and Macbeth. Main character always dies. There is humor in a tragedy. It is called comic relief. It allows the audience to “catch their breath,” either after a dramatic event or before other dramatic events.

12. The Structure of a Tragedy Act I: Introduces the characters and sets up the story Act II: Expands the story and tells more about the characters. By the end of this act, we know who the heroes and villains are. Act III: The pivotal act—decisions are made and plans become clear. The main character makes choices from which he cannot return. Act IV: The action unfolds. The hero’s plans collide with the villain’s plans. Act V: Brings the pieces together; lessons are learned. Main character dies.

13. The Tragic Hero The main character of a tragedy (often the title character) A person of high degree such as a king or prince While not an average person, we can still identify with the tragic hero. Almost always good person but not perfect Has a tragic flaw that brings about his demise by the end When the hero has lost everything, he must find himself. Always dies

14. Comedies The main character does not die. Villains are caught and face justice but not death. Mainly love stories where main characters get married Lessons are learned, but they are more light-hearted than those in a tragedy. Some type of mix-up occurs in the story. It might be caused by the villain, the result of an honest mistake, or caused accidently by the hero. Rules of logic are often suspended.

15. Histories Focuses on a significant event—a king’s reign or an important war Mainly about the Kings of England Better understood as a series

16. The Globe Theater

17. History of the Globe Built in 1599 by James Burbage and sons Located in London’s Southwark District Burned down in 1613 Shut down by the Puritans in 1642 Remains of the Globe found by archaeologists in 1989 Reopened in 1997

18. The Globe’s Appearance *May have had as many as 20 sides giving it a circular appearance *An open-air theater *Held about 3000 spectators

19. The Stage *Stage was 50x25 feet *3 Levels that represented earth, heaven, and hell *The canopy extended across the stage and had paintings of the zodiac. *A balcony existed above the main stage *A small curtained area was used for interior or intimate scenes

20. The Stage *Jutted out into the audience so spectators were on all 3 sides *The dressing rooms were right behind the stage

21. The Audience and Seating *Represented “the whole spectrum” of British society *3 Levels of Seating --For a penny, spectators stood in front of the stage. They were known as groundlings. --Middle Class paid more and sat on the first level --Aristocrats and patrons sat on the second level and were provided with cushions

22. The Fourth Level This level was used for sound effects and other theatrical effects. Apprentices provided any special effects.

23. PERFORMANCES Given everyday but Sunday Plays began at 2 pm No advertising was allowed A flag above the theater indicated what type of play would be performed  Black = Tragedy  White=Comedy  Red=History

24. ACTORS Since there was little rehearsal, most actors learned their parts in a week and often knew about 70 different roles. They were the ones in complete control of the production. Women were forbidden to act. Female roles were usually played by young boys.

25. COSTUMES A lot of money was spent on this part They were extravagant. (It was important for a king to look like a king.) Often handed down from aristocratic patrons Actors wore make up

26. PROPS AND SCENERY Very little was used (maybe a chair for a throne or a table for a banquet) There were no backdrops; therefore, actors described the setting for the audience in their dialogue There was no artificial lighting.

27. Other Interesting Facts about the Globe There were no bathrooms. Vendors sold beer, water, oranges, nuts, ginger- bread, apples, and even rotten food to throw at the actors.