1. The Life and Times of William Shakespeare

2. How much do you know about the 1500s?
True or false? (just guess)
Romeo and Juliet is a comedy.
The poor people stood the closest to the stage as they watched Shakespeare’s plays.
On stage, Shakespeare’s women characters were played by men.
The Globe Theater had a roof and was well lit.

3. How much do you know? (continued)
Bathing was considered unhealthy during the 1500s.
People stopped eating tomatoes for almost four hundred years because they thought they were poisonous.

4. Just the Facts!
Baptized in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England on April 26, (possibly born on April 23rd)
Married Anne Hathaway and had three children—Susanna, Hamnet and Judith.
Formed a theater company and became an owner of the Globe theater in 1599.
Died April 23, 1616
Playwright, director, actor, and poet

5. Elizabethan England Female ruler- Queen Elizabeth
English people believed in “Chain of Being” (men above women)
Bubonic plague took 75,000 lives during Shakespeare’s lifetime (theatres were closed)
Crime rate was high because poverty was high

6. Shakespeare’s Theatre
NOISY!, counted on favorable weather
Lower class would stand in the pit (area surrounding the stage)
Spectators would throw things
Actors had to speak loudly and exaggerate their words
VIP’s got to sit right on the stage for the best view.

7. The Globe Theatre Held 2,500 people Was built in 1599 in London
Before the Globe, rich people had plays performed in their homes.
First level of stage: where all the action took place
Second level: Gallery for balcony scenes
Musicians sat in gallery to provide sound effects.

8. Shakespeare’s Language
At the time, Shakespeare was writing in a language that was very new and not fully developed…English!
Middle English period ended in Modern English took over after 1500.
He wrote in prose and verse.
The poor characters spoke in prose
The rich, educated characters spoke in verse.

9. The 5 Act Structure of a Shakespearean Play
Every Shakespeare play has 5 acts.
Exposition (explanation of what has happened in the characters’ lives up until the point when the play starts)
Rising Action: Conflict introduced, more character detail
Climax: Determines the direction in which the play is going to turn.

10. More 5 Act Structure
Falling action (Act IV): hero leaves, someone you haven’t seen since act one comes in, “comedic relief”
Denouement: (Resolution) all loose ends get tied up, problems solved, tragic hero acknowledges his faults and takes responsibility for actions.

11. Define these literary terms using your textbooks:
Exposition
Pun
Sonnet
Iambic pentameter
Blank verse
Aside
Couplets
Monologue
soliloquy

12. Characteristics of a tragedy and tragic hero:
Generally high-born
Must be “good” and have good intentions
Must be true-to-life = “human”
Must be consistent
Exhibits tragic flaw(s)
Experiences a reversal or fall
Brings about his own downfall
Evokes both pity and fear from the audience/reader

13. Romantic Tragedy
Romeo and Juliet is the most popular romantic tragedy in the English-speaking world; it has been performed for approximately 400 years.
Shakespeare’s concept of the “star-crossed lovers” has inspired composers, artists, and choreographers to create original works based on the play.
Shakespeare did not invent the story of Romeo and Juliet. It was based on a long poem “The Tragicall History of Romeus and Juliet,” by Aurthur Brooke.