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ABLE TO USE THEM ON THE TEST

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

*Born April 23, 1564

*Christened on April 26, 1564 (1st known record)

*Died April 23, 1616

*Born in Stratford-Upon-Avon

*Known as the Bard of Avon

William Shakespeare

*His parents were Mary Arden and John Shakespeare

*His father was a glovemaker who also held a few political positions.

*His mother was a Catholic.

*He was one of eight children.

Shakespeare’s Family

At 18, he married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway.

Six months later, their first child Susanna was born.

In 1585, their twins Judith and Hamnet were born.

Hamnet died at the age of 11.

The Lost Years

*1585 to 1592

*Court documents show Shakespeare was caught poaching deer.

*Could have held a variety of jobs during this time including school teacher and actor

*Left his family and moved to London

*His theater career began during this time.

1592 to 1611

*In 1594, Shakespeare founded Lord Chamberlain’s Men.

*Established himself as a playwright as well as an actor and director

*Bought a large home in Stratford for his family. It was called New Place.

Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616.

He was buried in Stratford at Holy Trinity Church.

Shakespeare’s Death

What Shakespeare Wrote *37

Plays

*154 Sonnets

*Other Poetry

Where Shakespeare’s Ideas Came From:

Came from other sources (such as existing books and plays)

Borrowed plots, characters, and entire speeches

Mixed ideas from two different storiesAlways modified and improved the original

storyOnly 3 of his plays were entirely originalIdeas for the histories came from Holinshed’s

The Chronicles of England, Ireland, and Scotland

Categories of

Plays

Tragedy

Comedy

History

TRAGEDIES

These are Shakespeare’s most famous plays.

They include Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Julius Caesar, and Macbeth.

Main character always dies.

There is humor in a tragedy.

It is called comic relief.

It allows the audience to “catch their breath,” either after a dramatic event or before other dramatic events.

The Structure of a Tragedy

Act I: Introduces the characters and sets up the story

Act II: Expands the story and tells more about the characters. By the end of this act, we know who the heroes and villains are.

Act III: The pivotal act—decisions are made and plans become clear. The main character makes choices from which he cannot return.

Act IV: The action unfolds. The hero’s plans collide with the villain’s plans.

Act V: Brings the pieces together; lessons are learned. Main character dies.

The Tragic Hero

The main character of a tragedy (often the title character)

A person of high degree such as a king or prince While not an average person, we can still identify

with the tragic hero.Almost always good person but not perfectHas a tragic flaw that brings about his demise by

the end When the hero has lost everything, he must find

himself.Always dies

Comedies

The main character does not die.Villains are caught and face justice but not death.Mainly love stories where main characters get

marriedLessons are learned, but they are more light-

hearted than those in a tragedy.Some type of mix-up occurs in the story. It might

be caused by the villain, the result of an honest mistake, or caused accidently by the hero.

Rules of logic are often suspended.

Histories

Focuses on a significant event—a king’s reign or an important war

Mainly about the Kings of EnglandBetter understood as a series

The Globe Theater

History of the Globe

Built in 1599 by James Burbage and sons

Located in London’s Southwark District

Burned down in 1613Shut down by the

Puritans in 1642Remains of the Globe

found by archaeologists in 1989

Reopened in 1997

The Globe’s Appearance

*May have had as many as 20 sides giving it a circular appearance

*An open-air theater

*Held about 3000 spectators

The Stage*Stage was 50x25 feet

*3 Levels that represented earth, heaven, and hell

*The canopy extended across the stage and had paintings of the zodiac.

*A balcony existed above the main stage

*A small curtained area was used for interior or intimate scenes

The

Stage*Jutted out into the audience so spectators were on all 3 sides

*The dressing rooms were right behind the stage

The Audience and Seating

*Represented “the whole spectrum” of British society

*3 Levels of Seating

--For a penny, spectators stood in front of the stage. They were known as groundlings.

--Middle Class paid more and sat on the first level

--Aristocrats and patrons sat on the second level and were provided with cushions

The Fourth Level

This level was used for sound effects and other theatrical effects.

Apprentices provided any special effects.

PERFORMANCES

Given everyday but SundayPlays began at 2 pm No advertising was allowedA flag above the theater indicated what type

of play would be performed Black = Tragedy White=Comedy Red=History

ACTORS

Since there was little rehearsal, most actors learned their parts in a week and often knew about 70 different roles.

They were the ones in complete control of the production.

Women were forbidden to act.Female roles were usually played by young

boys.

COSTUMES

A lot of money was spent on this part They were extravagant. (It was important for

a king to look like a king.)Often handed down from aristocratic patronsActors wore make up

PROPS AND SCENERY

Very little was used (maybe a chair for a throne or a table for a banquet)

There were no backdrops; therefore, actors described the setting for the audience in their dialogue

There was no artificial lighting.

Other Interesting Facts about the Globe

There were no bathrooms. Vendors sold beer, water, oranges, nuts, ginger-bread, apples, and even rotten food to throw at the actors.