William Shakespeare

The Life and Times

of the Bard

Back to the basics

Born in 1564; died in 1616 (April 23)

Baptized 3 days after birth

Birthplace—Stratford-Upon-Avon

Mother—Mary Arden; father—John Shakespeare

Mother (high society), father (glovemaker)

John Shakespeare served as mayor of Stratford for a brief period

Stratford Upon Avon

Marriage and children…

Educated because parents were successful

1582-shotgun marriage to Anne Hathaway

Had 3 children-Hamnet, Judith, and Susanna

Career

1585-1592??? Moved to London

1592—Shakespeare first appears as actor/playwright

1613-Shakespeare retires

1623-First Folio published posthumously

The Globe Theater

The Globe Theater

Original structure—1598-1613

Held 3000 people

Open air theater

Minimal props, costumes

Proscenium stage

The Globe Theater

Expensive seats in the balcony; cheap seats on the floor

Groundlings—illiterate patrons who stood in front of the stage; admitted for a penny

Loved the fight scenes/bawdy humor

Plays had to appeal to all social classes

The theater

Member and later part-owner of Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later called King’s Men

Plays were performed in Blackfriar’s theater, the palace, and The Globe

The Globe was built in 1599 by L.C.M., with Shakespeare as the primary investor

The Globe burned down in 1613 during one of Shakespeare’s plays

Theatrical Conventions

Use of supernatural (trapdoor, balcony)

Fight scenes (sheep’s bladder, cloth)

Costumes (helped determine character--esp. with minimal actors)

The Players

Biggest patron of the arts—Queen Elizabeth

Ruled 1558-1603

Elizabethan era--Lord Chamberlain’s Men

King James—The King’s Men

Elizabethan Arranged Marriages

Women had little choice in choosing a husband

Arranged so that families involved could benefit by gaining prestige or wealth

Many couples met on their wedding day

Boys could marry at 14 and girls could marry at 12 with parental consent.

Elizabethan Blood Feuds A blood feud is a

feud when the relatives of someone who has been killed or otherwise wronged threatens the family who committed the crime.

Historically, the word vendetta has been used to mean a blood feud.

Blood Feuds cont’d

Vengeance is gained by killing or otherwise physically punishing the culprits or their relatives.

The responsibility to maintain the vendetta usually falls on the closest male relative to whoever has been killed or wronged, but other members of the family may take the mantle as well.

Characteristics of a Tragic Hero

Man or woman born to high society

Flaw in his/her character

Makes an irreversible decision, usually because of character flaw

Decision leads to downfall

Usually dies

Characteristics of a Tragedy

Series of cause and effect events

Life of an important person or people

Tragic flaw leads to catastrophe

Several deaths necessary to advance the plot