The Life and Times of William Shakespeare

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The Life and TimesofWilliam Shakespeare

• (1564-1616)

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Shakespeares Early Life

• Born in Stratford-on-Avon in England in 1564.
• Father was politician and glove maker.
• Mother was daughter of prosperous farmer .
• Had seven brothers and sisters.
• Attended local grammar school from age 7-16.

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Shakespeares Family

• Married Anne Hathaway in 1582
• He was 18She was 26!!!
• Three children
• Susanna
• Twins, Hamnet and Judith

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Shakespeare As An Actor

• Acted in a repertory group called The
  Chamberlains Men
• Performed for Queen Elizabeth I
• Name was changed later to The Kings Men
• Performed then for King James I

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Shakespeares Writing

• First play Henry VI written at age 26
• Wrote 37 plays in his lifetime, both tragedies
  and comedies
• Also wrote 154 sonnets which are a type of poetry
  containing 14 lines

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Famous Plays You Might Recognize

• A Midsummer Nights Dream (1595)
• Romeo and Juliet (1595)
• Julius Caesar (1599)
• Much Ado About Nothing
• Hamlet (1600)
• Macbeth (1605)
• King Lear (1605)

• Othello (1610)
• The Tempest (1611)
• Henry VIII (1612)

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Plays Taught at CHS

• FRESHMAN YEAR
• Romeo and Juliet
• Midsummer Nights Dream (Honors Class)
• SOPHOMORE YEAR
• Julius Caesar
• HONORS JR/SR
• Macbeth

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Shakespearean Puns

• Shakespeare used many puns in his writing.
• A PUN is a play on words and their meanings.
• Two examples of puns from Romeo and Juliet
• When Mercutio is dying he says, Ask for me
  tomorrow and you will find me a grave man.
• Romeo says, You have dancing shoes with nimble
  soles. I have a soul of lead.

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London in Elizabethan Times

• A bustling city of 160,000 people
• Had many markets selling a variety of goods
• Inns and taverns were popular places for eating,
  drinking, and games
• No sewer system! Disease was widespread.

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The Bubonic Plague

• There were 3 major outbreaks
• of the plague in Shakespeares
• lifetime.
• 1593 1603 - 1608
• Worldwide, throughout history,
• this plague has killed over 200
• million people.

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More About the Bubonic Plague

• SYMPTOMS
• HIGH FEVER
• DELIRIUM
• VOMITING
• SWELLING OF THE LYMPH NODES
• BLEEDING IN THE LUNGS
• TREATMENT
• QUARANTINE
• BLOOD-LETTING
• NO REAL MEDICINE
• HIGH MORTALITY RATE
• BODIES BURIED IN MASS PITS OR BURNED

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What We Know Now

• The Bubonic Plague or Black Death was actually
  caused by the fleas on rats.
• Rats would jump ship on the wharfs thus the
  plague was carried from town to town.
• Lack of knowledge and unsanitary conditions led
  to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people
  many of them young children.

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The Globe Theater

• Shakespeares plays were performed in London in a
  theater called The Globe.
• The Globe first opened in 1599 Shakespeare was
  a co-owner.

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Exterior of the Globe Playhouse

• Nicknamed the Wooden O
• A three-storied octagon
• Enclosed was a brick-paved yard that was open to
  the skies

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Interior of the Globe

• A platform stage jutted into the yard
• An inner stage was flanked by a left and right
  door
• The inner stage had a trap door
• The second floor had a balcony stage
• The third floor held a curtained music gallery

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Conditions at the Globe

• All performances were in the afternoons around
  200.
• The audience in the pit had no cover since the
  yard was unroofed.
• Wealthier patrons sat in the higher box seating.
• Different scenes took place on different levels
  or stages.
• There was no scenery used but costumes were
  elaborate and expensive.
• All actors were MEN! Young, immature boys played
  the womens roles!

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The Audience at the Globe

• 500 of the lower class would pay a penny for
  entrance to the play.
• They had to stand the entire time, exposed to the
  elements.
• The crowd was noisy, boisterous, and often unruly.

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The Globe Today

• In 1613 the Globe burned to the ground when a
  cannon announcing the kings entrance caused a
  fire.
• It was rebuilt and reopened in 1614.
• In 1997 a modern version of the Globe opened in
  London.
• Shakespearean plays are now held in the new Globe
  Theater.

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Shakespeares Later Life

• Worked as an actor and a playwright for 26 years.
• Retired from London to Stratford-on-Avon in 1611
  as a very wealthy man.
• Died at the age of 52 in 1616.
• Buried in the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-on
  Avon.

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Shakespeares Tomb

• Carved in stone above his grave are these lines
  written by Shakespeare himself
• Good friend, for Jesus sake forbear
• To dig the dust enclosed here
• Blessed be the man that spares these stones
• And cursed be he that moves my bones.

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Fun Shakespearean Fact 1

• Shakespeare never attended a university and look
  what he accomplished in his 52 years!!!

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Fun Shakespearean Fact 2

• Shakespeare never published any of his plays
  during his lifetime. His fellow actors
  posthumously published his recorded works in
  1623. This edition of his plays is called THE
  FIRST FOLIO.

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Fun Shakespearean Fact 3

• Are you superstitious about the number 13 ?
• There are 13 suicides within the plays of
  Shakespeare, including 3 of the plays read within
  the CHS curriculum.

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Fun Shakespearean Fact 4

• One Shakespearean play has been completely lost!
  There are no written records containing his play
  entitled Cardenio!

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Fun Shakespearean Fact 5

• There are over 3,000 references to animals within
  the plays of Shakespeare! There are 180
  different species represented!

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Shakespeare Today! The Royal Shakespeare Company

• Produces Shakespearean plays in two theaters in
  London The Swan and the Courtyard
• Employs 700 people in all phases of acting and
  production
• The Queen of England is a patron of the company
• The Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) is the
  President of the company
• Dedicated to keeping Shakespeare alive!!!

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