Introducing Shakespeare and Introducing Shakespeare and Elizabethan EnglandElizabethan England

Born, Stratford upon Avon 1564Born, Stratford upon Avon 1564

• herehere• Maybe on April 23Maybe on April 23rdrd

• The eldest of 6The eldest of 6• His father was an His father was an

important man in the important man in the towntown

• He married Anne He married Anne Hathaway, 3 Hathaway, 3 childrenchildren

Went to school…………Went to school…………

• herehere• From 7 – 13 – just one From 7 – 13 – just one

class! class! • 6 days a week, every 6 days a week, every

week of the yearweek of the year• From 6am to 6pmFrom 6am to 6pm• He learned Latin, He learned Latin,

mostlymostly• No girls allowed! No girls allowed!

Died in 1616Died in 1616

• In StratfordIn Stratford• On April 23On April 23rdrd

• At New Place – the At New Place – the second biggest house second biggest house in townin town

• Today people from all Today people from all over the world visit the over the world visit the househouse

• He died the same day He died the same day as Cervantes.as Cervantes.

The GlobeThe Globe

• Most of Shakespeare’s Most of Shakespeare’s plays were performed plays were performed herehere

• It was moved from the It was moved from the north to the south of north to the south of the Thames in 1599the Thames in 1599

• You can visit a new You can visit a new Globe, built on almost Globe, built on almost the same site, in the same site, in LondonLondon

The Globe

London in about 1610

Now you know where Now you know where Shakespeare was born, went to Shakespeare was born, went to school, died and worked!school, died and worked! • 3,0003,000 people could fit into the Globe people could fit into the Globe• 1,7001,700 of them paid 1 penny to of them paid 1 penny to standstand in the in the

‘yard’ where there was no roof! They were ‘yard’ where there was no roof! They were called called ‘Groundlings’‘Groundlings’

• Most of the audience could neither read Most of the audience could neither read nor writenor write

• So the plays had to be entertaining or the So the plays had to be entertaining or the theatres would have made no money. And theatres would have made no money. And Shakespeare was a Shakespeare was a veryvery rich man! rich man!

So the plays have dramatic So the plays have dramatic openings!openings!

• A hunchback – A hunchback – Richard IIIRichard III

• Witches – Witches – ‘Macbeth’‘Macbeth’

• A fight – ‘Romeo A fight – ‘Romeo and Juliet’and Juliet’

• A ghost – ‘HamletA ghost – ‘Hamlet

Loads of jokes!Loads of jokes!

• The biggest stars The biggest stars were the ‘clowns’were the ‘clowns’

• The most famous were The most famous were Will Kempe – this is a Will Kempe – this is a picture of him –picture of him –

• Shakespeare got so Shakespeare got so cross with Kempe’s cross with Kempe’s fame (and improvising) fame (and improvising) that he sacked him! that he sacked him!

Shakespeare the ActorShakespeare the Actor

• We know he played the ghost in ‘Hamlet’ We know he played the ghost in ‘Hamlet’ and Adam in ‘As You Like It’and Adam in ‘As You Like It’

• The star of the company was Richard The star of the company was Richard Burbage who played all the leading partsBurbage who played all the leading parts

• Burbage’s father owned ‘The Theatre’ – the Burbage’s father owned ‘The Theatre’ – the first public theatre in England. first public theatre in England.

Making sense of Making sense of ShakespeareShakespeare

• Ignore the punctuationIgnore the punctuation• Remember that it’s Remember that it’s iambiciambic

pentameterpentameter – the rhythm of your – the rhythm of your heartbeat – heartbeat – 1010 beatsbeats to a line. to a line.

• Now listen to this from Now listen to this from ‘Romeo and ‘Romeo and Juliet’: Juliet’:

• Two Two househouseholds, holds, bothboth a alikelike in in digdigninityty, , • In In fairfair Ver Veronona, a, wherewhere we we laylay our our scenescene, , • From From ancancient ient grudgegrudge break break toto new new

mutmutininyy, , • Where Where civcivil il blood blood maks maks civcivil il hands hands

ununcleanclean. . • From From forthforth the the fatfatal al loinsloins of of thesethese two two

foesfoes • A A pairpair of of starstar-cross'd -cross'd lovlovers ers taketake their their

lifelife; ;

Your turn………..Your turn………..

• The The qualqualitityy of of mermercy cy isis not not strain'dstrain'd,,

• It It droppdroppeth eth asas the the gengentle tle rainrain from from heav’nheav’n

• UpUponon the the plesspless be beneathneath: it : it isis twice twice blestblest;;

• It It blessblesseth eth himhim that that givesgives and and himhim that that teksteks: :

A task:A task:

• Look at Look at thethe sonnet that your teacher sonnet that your teacher will give you and hi-light or underline will give you and hi-light or underline the the heavyheavy beats beats

• Remember Remember 10 beats10 beats to a line is to a line is iambic pentameter iambic pentameter [I’ve done the [I’ve done the first line for you]:first line for you]:

• Shall Shall II com comparepare thee thee toto a a summsummer’s er’s dayday

ShakespeareShakespeare doesn’t always write doesn’t always write poetrypoetry

• For ‘common’/funny characters he For ‘common’/funny characters he writes in prosewrites in prose

• Sometimes ‘posh’ characters also Sometimes ‘posh’ characters also speak in prosespeak in prose

• In ‘Othello’ one of the main characters, In ‘Othello’ one of the main characters, Iago, uses both depending on who he’s Iago, uses both depending on who he’s talking to. talking to.

Now you know enough…….Now you know enough…….

• To look at your playTo look at your play• You know a bit about the man who You know a bit about the man who

wrote itwrote it• And something about how to speak the And something about how to speak the

lineslines• Enjoy!Enjoy!