1. William Shakespeare

2. William Shakespeare Bio
April 23, April 23, 1616
Lived: Stratford – on – Avon
His father was a tanner/glove-maker
Anne Hathaway was his wife
He wrote sonnets – 14 line poems with a rhyming scheme
Was an actor in Lord Chamberlain’s Men

3. Well-known Facts about Will
Great writer of England
Plays translated into all languages, musicals, ballets
Born Stratford-upon-Avon
Well-to-do, affluent while alive
Most quoted, other than the Bible

4. Lesser-known Facts
Teen father: married pregnant 26 year old Anne Hathaway when he was 18
Deadbeat dad: Left wife and children for London stage career
Father of twins

5. Conditions in London-BAD!
Thames River polluted with raw sewage
Trees used up for fuel
Poverty

6. Personal hygiene/health
Bathing considered dangerous
Body odor strong
Childhood diseases
Children often died before 5 years
Small Pox
Bubonic Plague

7. Living Conditions
No running water
Chamber Pots
Open Sewers
Crowded
                  

8. Clothes One set used all year long, rarely washed
Underclothing slept in, infrequently changed
Clothes handed down from rich to poor

9. Theater in London Performed in courtyards of inns
The Theater-first public theater-1576
Daytime/open air
Limited set design
Relied on music, sound, costumes, props and great description

10. The Globe Theater Built in 1599
Across the Thames- “Wrong side of town”
King’s Players - Shakespeare’s company
Penny admission
Shakespeare owned the Globe Theater

11. Actors All men Female parts played by young boys
No actual kissing or hugging on stage

12. The Theater Continued
Conventions are the ways things are done in theatre
All actors were male in this time
The performances were always in the day because there was no electricity
There was no curtain – this is why people always died offstage
There was no scenery
Shakespeare always included a scene of comedy to break things up even in the saddest plays for those who were standing (groundlings)

13. The groundlings
Groundlings are the people who stand in the middle of the theatre to watch the play
Poor Audience members
Stood around stage in “the pit”
Women not allowed (had to dress up as men to attend)
Threw rotten vegetables at bad performances

14. Queen Elizabeth
Bastard daughter of King Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn (2nd of 6 wives)
Henry had Ann beheaded for “treason”
Younger sister of “Bloody Mary.”
“Virgin Queen”?
A tease and a player

15. Her “loving” parents