Shakespeare: His Life and Times

1
Shakespeare His Life and Times
Adapted from http//www.public.asu.edu/muckerrm/E
nglish_321_S2005/Introduction.ppt
2
Early Life

• (Probably) Born April 23, 1564
• Died April 23, 1616
• Lived in Stratford-upon-Avon, England
• He was the 3rd born of 8 children
• Parents
• Marydaughter of wealthy landowner
• Johnglovemaker, local politician

3
Location of Stratford-upon-Avon
From http//www.where-can-i-find.com/tourist-maps
.html
4
Stratford-upon-Avon in Shakespeares Time
As reproduced in William Rolfe, Shakespeare the
Boy (1896).
5
Stratford-upon-Avon Today
From Stratfords web site http//www.stratford-up
on-avon.co.uk/index.htm
6
Shakespeares Birthplace
From http//perso.wanadoo.fr/danielle.esposito/
7
Education

• Thought to have attended Kings New School in
  Stratford
• Left school at age 15
• Educated in
• Rhetoric
• Logic
• History
• Latin

8
Kings New School
From http//perso.wanadoo.fr/danielle.esposito/
9
Married Life

• At 18, he married 26 year-old Anne Hathaway, who
  was pregnant at the time with their first
  daughter
• First daughter was born in 1582
• They had twins in 1585
• Around 1587, they moved to London and William
  began working in theatre.

10
Anne Hathaways Cottage
From http//perso.wanadoo.fr/danielle.esposito/
11
The Poet

• He was first a successful poet, and published
  poetry in 1593
• Two major poems
• Venus and Adonis
• Rape of Lucrece
• 154 Sonnets
• Nickname The Bard of Avon

12
The Actor

• Member and later part-owner of an acting group
  called the Lord Chamberlains Men, later called
  the Kings Men
• This successful group eventually decided to build
  a theatre that would bring together the social
  elite as well as common peasants THE GLOBE
  THEATRE!

13
The Playwright

• 38 plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare
• 14 comedies
• 10 histories
• 10 tragedies
• 4 romances
• Collaborated on several others
• Many of his plays were performed at the Globe
  Theatre

14
The Globe Theatre
15
The Globe Theatre

• Built in 1598 by Lord Chamberlains Men, with
  Shakespeare as primary investor
• Open-air, octagonal amphitheater that could seat
  up to 3000
• In 1613, the Globe burned down during a canon
  fire during Henry VII
• It was rebuilt, only to be shut down by the
  Puritans in 1642
• The new and improved Globe Theatre opened in May
  1997 thanks to Queen Elizabeth II!

16
The Rebuilt Globe Theater, London
17
Shakespeares Language

• Shakespeare did NOT write in Old English.
• Old English is the language of Beowulf
• (written in the 8th century)
• Hwaet! We Gardena in geardagum
• Þeodcyninga Þrym gefrunon
• Hu ða æÞelingas ellen fremedon!
• (Hey! We have heard of the glory of the
  Spear-Danes in the old days, the kings of tribes,
  how noble princes showed great courage!)

18
Shakespeares Language

• Shakespeare did NOT write in Middle English.
• Middle English is the language of Chaucer, the
  Gawain-poet, and Malory (14th century)
• We redeth oft and findeth y-write
• And this clerkes wele it wite
• Layes that ben in harping
• Ben y-founde of ferli thing
• (Sir Orfeo)

19
Shakespeares Language

• Shakespeare wrote in
• Early Modern English.
• Shakespeare wrote most of his
• works in the late 16th century and
• into the early 17th century!
• EME wasnt very different from
• Modern English, and Shakespeare
• helped standardize the style of
• todays language.

20
Shakespeares Language

• Shakespeare coined many words we still use
  today
• Critical
• Majestic
• Dwindle
• And quite a few phrases as well
• One fell swoop
• Flesh and blood
• Vanish into thin air
• With bated breath

See http//www.wordorigins.org/histeng.htm
21
Historical Context

• The Renaissance
• -Cultural rebirth of Europe music, art, lit
• -14th - 17th centuries
• Elizabethan Age
• Named after Queen Elizabeth I
• Ruled from 1558 - 1603
• Her love and interest in the arts
• influenced the time period

22
Elizabethan Theatrical Conventions
23
Theatrical Conventions

• No electricity
• daytime only shows
• Women forbidden
• to act on stage
• No scene changes
• Minimal props costume

These factors influenced the performance.
24
Theatrical Conventions

• Soliloquy
• Aside
• Monologue
• Dialogue

Types of speech

• Blood and gore
• Use of supernatural

Scare tactics
25
Theatrical Conventions

• Use of disguises /
• mistaken identity

• Last speakerhighest in
• rank (in tragedies)

• Multiple murders
• (in tragedies)

• Multiple marriages
• (in comedies)

26
Theatrical Conventions
Ultimately, Shakespeare delivered what would keep
the audience intrigued

• Controversial Topics
• Humor
• Sex / Sexuality
• Parties Celebrations
• Deaths Action