An Introduction An Introduction To ShakespeareTo Shakespeare

I. A Brief BiographyII. Is He the TRUE author?III. The Globe TheaterIV. Dramatic Terms

Shakespeare: A Brief BiographyShakespeare: A Brief Biography Born in April 1564 at

Stratford-on-Avon John Shakespeare (father)

◦ tanner, glover, dealer in grain

◦ town official (alderman, and later mayor)

Mary (mother)◦ daughter of Robert Arden, a

prosperous gentleman-farmer.

Shakespeare: A Brief BiographyShakespeare: A Brief BiographyAttended the Stratford Grammar SchoolDid not go to Oxford or Cambridge

Shakespeare: A Brief BiographyShakespeare: A Brief BiographyMarried Anne Hathaway in 1582Three children born: Susanna, Judith,

and Hamnet

Shakespeare: A Brief BiographyShakespeare: A Brief Biography By 1590, he was an actor and playwright Leader of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men

and the King’s Men acting companies He died April 23, 1616

Shakespeare: A Brief BiographyShakespeare: A Brief Biography He was buried in Stratford; the

inscription on his tombstone reads. . .“Good Friend, for Jesus’ sake, forbear

To dig the dust enclosed here;Blest be the man that spares these stones

And curst be he that moves my bones.”

Shakespeare: A Brief BiographyShakespeare: A Brief Biography Author of 37 plays and 154 sonnets He acted before Queen Elizabeth in 1594. Macbeth was Shakespeare’s last of the four

famous tragedies. It was written as a tribute to King James I King James I later became one of

Shakespeare’s patrons.

Did Shakespeare Really Write his Plays?Did Shakespeare Really Write his Plays?

There are some scholars that believe that Shakespeare did not write his plays, he was a pen name for another.

◦ "I am not concerned with who wrote the works of Shakespeare [...] but I can hardly think it was the Stratford boy. Whoever wrote them had an aristocratic attitude." - Charles Chaplin, My Autobiography (1964).

◦ "So far as anybody actually knows and can prove, Shakespeare of Stratford-on-Avon never wrote a play in his life."- Mark Twain, Is Shakespeare Dead? (1909)

The ArguementsThe ArguementsTheory 1 - As an individual of common birth, there is no way that such an

individual would have the necessary grasp of languages, the classics, political theory, and history, necessary to write such works, whereas a high born and educated gentleman would.

Theory 2 - Given the sheer number of plays, poems, and sonnets, it would beimpossible for a single individual to produce so extensive a body ofwork.

Theory 3 - Linguistically and structurally, it has been suggested that both thelanguage (lexicon) and writing style is far too varied, and wouldtherefore point to a number of authors – and not necessarilyincluding Shakespeare.

Theory 4 - There is too little contemporary documentation linkingShakespeare to the plays and writings of associated to the 'Bard'. It cannot therefore be conclusively shown that Shakespeare is the author.

The Other CandidatesThe Other CandidatesQueen Elizabeth I (1533-1603)It is suggested that Elizabeth I's considerable learning, grasp of languages, politics, the classics, and rhetoric, typical of the humanist education Henry VIII had insisted she receive, social taboos against female authors meant that Elizabeth I had to conceal her identity.To do so, so this argument goes, William Shakespeare was in effect a cover story for the Queen, and therefore merely pretended to be the author.

The Other Candidates ContinuedThe Other Candidates Continued17th Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere (1550-1604)One of the more complicated theories, it is argued that the 17th Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere, was the true author behind the plays.To support this view, amongst other evidential offerings, it has been suggested that Ben Jonson, a contemporary of William Shakespeare, stated that 'Shakespeare' had died in, or just prior to, 1605 -just one year after the death of the 17th Earl, but 11 years before Shakespeare died in 1616.It has also been suggested that, in support of this, Shakespeare's death was not remarked upon by notable Elizabethan writers and scholars - a fact which, according to this particular theory, would seem at odds with the fame that would be accorded to so prominent a playwright, and poet.

The Last CandidateThe Last CandidateSir Francis Bacon (1561-1626)Thought to be hidden throughout the works of Shakespeare, for those forwarding the so-called Baconian theory, and particularly Ignatius Donnelly, it is thought that Sir Francis Bacon, a contemporary authority on ciphers and codes, was the true author whereas Shakespeare, on the other hand, was - as with the theory surrounding Elizabeth I - 'acting' the part of author.In an attempt to support this, it has been suggested that Sir Francis Bacon left hidden clues in the form of codes and ciphers throughout 'his' plays which reveal that he alone, and not Shakespeare, is the real author.

Arguments for Billy ShakespeareArguments for Billy Shakespeare Shakespeare, although a commoner, had received a sufficiently good education

that included subjects such the classics, rhetoric, history, and Latin The majority of the plays bear his name on the title page, including subsequent

editions of the same play The Shakespearean plays were performed by a company of actors variously

known as the Lord Chamberlain's Men (1594-96), Lord Hunsdon's Men (1596-97), Lord Chamberlain's Men (1597-1603), and finally the King's Men 91603-42). Shakespeare was a central member of this company.

In 1610, and in a publication with the title The Scourge of Folly, John Davies' poem 'To our English Terence, Mr Will. Shake-speare', clearly identified William Shakespeare as a playwright

With regards to the deeds to the Globe Theatre, there is documentation that proves that the William Shakespeare named on the deeds

The suggestion that either Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Francis Bacon, or the 17th Earl of Oxford authored the plays are deeply flawed.

The Globe TheaterThe Globe Theater He wrote his plays to be performed in

the Globe Theater. The only account we have of the Globe is

from a diary of a Swiss doctor who visited London and crossed the Thames River to see a play in a theater with a thatched roof.

The Globe TheaterThe Globe TheaterIt was built in 1599 and burned down 14

years later in 1613.It was an 8 sided building with a central

yard.

The Globe TheaterThe Globe Theater Spectators’ price of

admissions was◦ one penny - to stand in

yard around stage (these were called the groundlings)

◦ two pennies - to sit in 2nd and 3rd floor galleries

◦ three pennies - to sit in the first floor galleries

The Globe TheaterThe Globe Theater Stage

◦ 1/3 of yard was filled with 6ft high platform

◦ no curtain◦ no artificial lighting◦ back wall had at least two doors◦ balcony was used for hilltops,

walls of cities, or second story scenes.

◦ trapdoors were used to raise or lower actors and props.

Shakespearian DramaShakespearian DramaTragedy: A drama that ends in catastrophe—most

often death—for the main character and often for several other important characters as well

Tragic Hero: The main character, someone who is nobly born and has great influence in his or her society. This character has weakness or errors in judgment (Tragic Flaws) that lead to his or her downfall. Fate may play a role in the course that events take.

Shakespearian DramaShakespearian Drama

Comic Relief: A humorous scene, incident, or speech that relieves the overall emotional intensity in the play. Comic relief helps the audience absorb the tragic events in the plot of a play.

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Allusion: A brief reference, within a work, to something outside the work that the reader or audience is expected to know. Many of Shakespeare’s allusions are to mythology or the Bible.

Shakespearian DramaShakespearian Drama

Foil: A character whose personality or attitudes are in sharp contrast to those of another character in the same work. This highlights the other character’s traits

Shakespearian DramaShakespearian DramaSoliloquy and Aside:

A Soliloquy is a speech made by an actor alone on stage to let the audience know what is on that character’s mind.

An Aside is a character’s remark to the audience or to another character that others on stage aren’t supposed to hear. The purpose of an aside is to reveal that character’s thoughts.

Shakespearian DramaShakespearian Drama

Blank Verse: Unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter. Shakespeare wrote all of his plays in blank verse.

Shakespearian DramaShakespearian Drama

Example of Blank Verse ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /But soft.|What light| through yon|der win|dow breaks?~ / ~ / ~ / ~~ / ~ /It is| the east|, and Jul|iet is |the sun!