William Shakespeare

1
William Shakespeare

• Our Worlds Greatest Playwright

2
In the beginning. . .

• Born late April 1564
• Born in Stratford-upon-Avon
• Baptized April 26, so probably born 3 days
  earlier on April 23

3
Parents

• Father John glove maker, wool merchant, and
  High Bailiff mayor died 1601
• Mother Mary Arden, daughter of a successful
  farmer died 1608
• 3rd of 8 children
• First born son

Shakespeares birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon h
ttp//www.aboutbritain.com/ShakespearesBirthplace.
htm
4
Education

• Began at about age 5
• Stratford grammar school
• Long days 6 a.m.-early evening
• Year-round school (except major holidays)

Shakespeares School Room, King Edward VI School
5
Marriage

• Anne Hathaway
• Nov. 1582
• He was 18 she was 26 and pregnant

Anne Hathaways Cottage http//www.onlineshakespea
re.com/hathaway.htm
6
Children

• Susanna born May 26, 1583 married Dr. John Hall
  in 1607 had one child Elizabeth died 1649
• Hamnet a twin born February 2, 1585 died at age
  11 and buried on August 11, 1596
• Judith a twin born February 2, 1585 married
  Thomas Quiney and had 3 children (none lived to
  be older than 21) died 1662

7
Shakespeares Genealogy
8
Places to See
Mary Ardens house (where his mother grew up)
The Gardens at the New Place
Nashs House and New Place (His granddaughter
Elizabeths home. He built his retirement home
next to hers.)
Halls Croft Daughter, Susannas
home http//www.onlineshakespeare.com/croft.htm
http//www.onlineshakespeare.com/nash.htm
9
The Lost Years

• 1585-1592
• Theories traveled to Italy
• fought in Low Countries
• studied law / medicine
• worked as an apprentice
  actor/writer
• By 1592, Shakespeare had a successful career in
  London

10
The Theater

• Actor
• Playwright
• Part owner of the acting company he wrote for,
  Lord Chamberlains Men
• LCsM renamed Kings Men after James was king in
  1603
• He became rich from acting company rather than
  sale of plays

11
The Globe

• First opened in 1599
• Destroyed by fire in 1613

today
1614 reconstruction
12
Plays, Sonnets, and More

• Over 37 plays comedy, history, tragedy
• Over 150 sonnets
• 2 lengthy narrative poems
• Comedy History Tragedy
• Alls Well That Ends Well Henry IV, pt 1 Antony
  and Cleopatra
• As You Like It Henry IV, pt 2 Coriolanus
• The Comedy of Errors Henry V Hamlet
• Cymbeline Henry VI, pt 1 Julius Caesar
• Loves Labours Lost Henry VI, pt 2 King Lear
• Measure for Measure Henry VI, pt 3 Macbeth
• The Merry Wives of Windsor Henry VIII Othello
• The Merchant of Venice King John Romeo and
  Juliet
• A Midsummer Nights Dream Richard II Timon of
  Athens
• Much Ado About Nothing Richard III Titus
  Andronicus
• Pericles, Prince of Tyre
• Taming of the Shrew
• The Tempest
• Troilus and Cressida
• Twelfth Night

13
Our Language, Thanks to Shakespeare

• Words that first appeared in his plays
• Admirable attorney bedroom
• Distasteful fashionable frugal
• Laughable mimic successful
• Phrases
• at one fell swoop or sick at heart
• Sentences
• all the worlds a stage
• to thine own self be true
• the course of true love never did run smooth

14
More Words and Phrases . . .

• Of the 17,677 words that Shakespeare used in all
  of his plays and sonnets, he was the first to use
  over 1,700 of them. He wrote many of the words
  and phrases that we consider clichés today.
  Which of the following words and phrases do you
  think Shakespeare coined?
• Heartsick Heart of gold
• One fell swoop Long-haired
• Naked truth Foregone conclusion
• Break the ice Its Greek to me
• Hot-blooded Eat out of house and home
• Leapfrog Too much of a good thing
• Fancy-free Wear ones hear on ones sleeve
• Live-long day The milk of human kindness

15
Even More Words and Phrases

• Some of the words we write and speak today in the
  English language many not have come into use
  without Shakespeare. The following is a list of
  some of the words he was first to write
• gnarled frugal bump
• countless lonely eventful
• dwindle radiance control
• laughable misplaced impartial
• amazement obscene generous
• hurry road critic
• Which of these words do you use most in your
  daily vocabulary? What would you say instead if
  Shakespeare had never written these words?

16
Williams Will

• Dated March 25, 1616
• 10 pounds to the poor of Stratford
• Money to 3 actors of his company
• 150 pounds to Judith (another 150 pounds 3 years
  later)
• Most to his daughter Susanna
• Wife, Anne, afterthought, Item, I give unto my
  wife my second best bed with the furniture

17
His Gravesite

• Died April 23, 1616
• Shakespeare is buried at Church of the Holy
  Trinity in Stratford
• An inscription on his tombstone reads
• Good friend, for Jesus sake forbeare
  To digg the dust enclosed here! Blest be ye
  man that spares thes stones And curst be he
  that moues my bones.

http//www.onlineshakespeare.com/death.htm
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First Folio

• Written by John Heminges Henry Condell (actors)
• Published in 1623
• 36 of his plays included (18 for the first time)
• to keep the memory of so worthy a friend and
  fellow alive