2. Well-known Facts about Will One of greatest writers of England Plays translated into all languages, musicals, ballets Born Stratford-upon-Avon Well-to-do, affluent most of the time while alive Most quoted, next to the Bible

3. 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 3 kids including twins Hamnet and Judith Hamnet died at age 11 Elizabethan rapper: uses rhythm and rhyme “Plagiarism” ? Based plays of Greek plays and other works— some say stole work from other playwrights of his time.

4. Competitions of the time 1500 – 1600 hundreds Bear-baiting Races Gambling Music Drinking/socializing Prostitution Public executions

5. Conditions in London- HORRIBLE! Thames River polluted with raw sewage Trees used up for fuel Extreme Poverty Lack of clean water

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 (Ladies walked on inside or right) 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 Built in 1599 Across the Thames (Tams)- “Wrong side of town” King’s Players - Shakespeare’s company Penny admission

11. Actors All men Female parts played by young boys No actual kissing or hugging on stage Women not allowed on stage until after 1660.

12. The groundlings Poor audience member Stood around stage in “the pit” (on the ground) Women not allowed (had to dress up as men to attend) Threw rotten vegetables at bad performances

13. Romeo and Juliet Tragedy Written in 1595 Set in Verona, Italy Themes: parental control/rebellious teens; fate/freewill; impulsive behavior/self-control

14. Othello Othello & Iago Racism Love and Betrayal Isolation Truth versus Lies/Rumors Anger and Bad Choices Parental Control Setting: Venice then Cyprus Genre: Tragedy Time: 1601 -1604

15. Play’s source Widely held belief that the inspiration for Othello came from the 1566 Venetian novel Hecatommithi, authored by Giraldi Shakespeare reworks the plot to reveal a stunning psychological depth, the fragility of love and power as well as, the effect that the destructive demons of self- deception, doubt and suspicion can have on a marriage.

16. 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

17. Her “loving” parents

18. The Renaissance 1500-1650 “Rebirth” of arts, culture, science Discovery of “New World” Copernicus: Sun-centered Universe (1543) King Henry VIII = renaissance man (ideal) Reformation of Catholic Church

19. Possible Faces of William

20. Other Possible Candidates http://www.elizabethanauthors.com/problem.htm