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William Shakespeare: Life During the Elizabethan Age
William Shakespeare:
Life During the Elizabethan Age
Who Was Shakespeare?William Shakespeare
was a playwright and poet who lived in the late 1500’s and early 1600’s (around 400 years ago)
The Great MysteryOne of the greatest mysteries of
English drama is that so little is known for sure about one of its most famous playwrights-Shakespeare
S’s biographical info was not recorded for about 100 years after his death-by then, fact was mingled with legend
How Popular Is Shakespeare?His plays are
performed all over the world in hundreds of languages, and he is known as one of the greatest writers of all time
Why Is Shakespeare So Popular?The reason his work is so popular is
that he wrote about human nature and how people behave.
That is why, although his words can be hard to understand, his ideas are as relevant now as they were four centuries ago.
Shakespeare’s WorksAt least 2 of Shakespeare’s plays have
been lost, but 38 surviveThey are divided into comedies,
tragedies, and historiesShakespeare also wrote poems,
including a series of sonnets (a type of short poem)
Shakespeare’s WorksComedies: plays that begin with trouble
and end with peace, solutions provided by last act
Tragedies: plays that begin calmly, but end in death
Histories: based on historical facts, but added to; comic relief also added
Shakespeare in Stratford
Shakespeare came from Stratford-upon-Avon, a quiet market town.
Although he made his name in London, he often went back home to see his wife and children.
Later, he bought a big house in Stratford and retired there himself.
The FamilyShakespeare’s father was a glover (maker of gloves and leather goods), also became mayor of the town
John was married to Mary Arden, a wealthy landowner’s daughter
They had 8 children, but 3 died young (flu, measles, scarlet fever)
William Shakespeare with his parents, John and Mary.
Shakespeare’s Schooldays
Shakespeare went to grammar school-studied mostly Latin-left at 15 and didn’t go to college
One schoolmaster taught 12 boys
Boys usually only went to school if their family could afford it (girls were taught at home and often didn’t learn to read and write)
Shakespeare’s SchoolingAcquired insight into nature of
man by reading classics, BibleStudied humankind, trying to
gain a better understanding of how people think, feel, and suffer
Young William would have attended the King Edward's Grammar School in Stratford.
After leaving school at around 15 it is likely that Shakespeare went to learn his father's trade in his father's shop.
A Hasty Marriage
Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582, when he was 18
She was 8 years older than him
By the time he was 20, he had a daughter and twins to provide for
Shakespeare’s New Life
Because he had a family to provide for, Shakespeare had to quickly find work
Fate brought William into contact with a traveling theatre company, and he joined it as an actor.
This picture shows the Earl of Southampton, a very rich young gentleman, to whom Shakespeare dedicated two of his earliest works, and who was an early patron of Shakespeare.
Little is known of Shakespeare's early years in London. He must have pursued his writing after his day's work, in the taverns where he was lodging.
By 1592, when he was aged 27, Shakespeare had established himself as both an actor and writer.
Shakespeare’s PersonalityFriends described him as gentleTook minor roles in his playsDid not promote himself apart
from fellow actors
London Life-Capital CityThe traveling company of actors took
Shakespeare to London in 1586. His first impressions would have been
of teeming crowds, the squalor of poverty, and the extravagance of the wealthy
City of LondonBordered by the River Thames in the
south and a 2 mile wall to the northBeyond these boundaries were London’s
suburbs, areas outside the strict control of City authorities
Elizabethan Age“Golden Age of English Literature”
The time period during which Shakespeare lived and wrote his plays
The time period during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
This was an age of great nationalistic expansion, commercial growth, and religious controversy outburst of lyric poetry development of English drama
Elizabethan BeliefsLife in Elizabethan England could be cruel and hard (time during which S. lived and wrote)
The poor often went hungry, disease was widespread, medical remedies often felt more like tortures, and many women died in childbirth
Through their beliefs, people found ways of making sense of the universe
ReligionAlmost everyone believed in God
and expected to go to hell or heaven after deathHamlet-In his play, Hamlet won’t
kill his stepfather, Claudius, while Claudius is praying, because he doesn’t want him to go to heaven
Social Classes in England at the Time of ShakespeareDistinct social roles and functions (each
class was distinctly based on education, dress, occupation, and income)
The bulk of playgoing audiences included: large urban artisan class (mostly in
London) class of merchants and manufacturers increasingly literate class of scholars
and clergy
The Chain of BeingA concept the Elizabethans inherited
from the Middle AgesAn attempt to give order to the vastness
of creationThe idea was that God created everything
in a strict hierarchy, or chain, that stretched from God himself down to the lowest things in existence
Chain of Being continued...MonarchsNobles, churchmenGentlemenCommonersWomen inferior to men, with the exception
of Elizabeth I (her position as monarch outweighed the fact that she was a woman)
Chain of Being continued…Accepting one’s place in the chain
was a duty that would be rewarded by God in heaven. Disrupting the chain was thought to lead to chaos, but of course many people still did challenge their position in society.
Myths and Magic
Fairies, magic, witches, spells, and prophecies all part of life
Diseases and disasters often blamed on witches (women accused of working for the devil)
Astrology-the belief that the position of the stars can foretell and influence life on Earth-was respected and popular
St. Paul’s CathedralFor many Londoners, it was more
of a meeting place than place of worshipDeals were struck, goods were
bought and sold, and thieves, prostitutes, and beggars operated within its walls
PlagueOver 100,000 people died of plague
Crowded conditions and poor sanitation made London an ideal breeding ground for plague, a fatal disease carried by fleas on rats
Entertainment in Londoninns, tavernscockfighting,
public beatings, executionstheater
Elizabethan TheatreIn Shakespeare’s lifetime, theatre became hugely popularAt first it was not considered to be a
respectable pastime, and most theaters were in rougher parts of town
Until the mid 16th century, most plays were performed outside London
Theatre CompaniesIn London, plays were put on by theatre
companies (groups of professional actors)By law, a company had to have a patron,
a rich friend who would support it financially
Companies were named after their patrons
Traveling Theatre CompaniesTraveling companies of actors
would perform at market fairs, or at great country houses. Each company was under the patronage of some wealthy nobleman.
The Theatre1586-Shakespeare became the stage
manager of The Theatre in London (only theater in town)
also joined the acting companyearliest works produced in 1591-92
(Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
Shakespeare’s Theatre CompanyShakespeare spent much of his career with a
company called Lord Chamberlain’s MenIts patron was Lord ChamberlainIn 1603, James I became King-he wanted to
become a patron so he started supporting the Chamberlain’s Men. From then on, they were known as the King’s Men.
The AudienceTheatre in Elizabethan England was an entertainment for everyone
Cheapest tickets cost one penny, which most ordinary people could afford (workers earned about 12 pence a week)
Most expensive tickets were 6 pence and bought by rich merchants and nobles
London Playhouse AudienceMajority of audience educated and well offThe social range of the audience did include
other types of people: Queens/Earls>rogues/unemployed Some wives attended-but their playgoing
created a worry that they either were harlots (prostitutes) or would be assaulted if not. Most men expected only harlots to be regular playgoers.
Women were seen as respectable if accompanied by a man to a theatre.
The Audience continued...Foreign traders and tourists often
made a visit to the theater as part of their visit to London
With so many people crowded together, the theaters were also popular with thieves and pickpockets
Stage CraftSpecial effects
and scenery did not play a big part in theatre
Musicians provided sound effects with drums and trumpets, and actors wore extravagant showy costumes
Shakespeare’s PlayersShakespeare is thought to have joined the
theatre as an actor, or “player”, and become a writer in later life
probably started gradually writing more and acting less
it was normal for actors to help write plays, or change them a lot during rehearsals
The Globe Theater1599-Shakespeare joined other
actors and built the Globe Theatrehe was a shareholder in the Globe
and a part-owner of a company of actors called Lord Chamberlain’s Company, later known as The King’s Men
The Globe TheaterFrom 1599 onwards, Shakespeare’s plays were
usually performed at the Globe, a huge, open-air circular theater in Southwark London
could hold 3,000 people2 performances a dayShakespeare owned a share in the Globe and
made a lot of money from it
Performing ConditionsTo get to playhouse on south side of
Thames: Globe, etc. flag, trumpet or drum summoned
them from “suburbs” ferried across the river coach
Performing Conditions...The play would be affected by:
weather (plays held in afternoon)
food/drink smells thieves occasional riots
Performing Conditions...Galleries would shelter 2/3 of
audienceStage coveredAll open-air theatres aligned
stages so that character had backs to sun in mid-summer and a shadowed stage
Performing Conditions...Groundlings: usually lower class, stood in front of stage
Food/drink/need for toilets>constant distraction passed around/carried around, mostly
apples and nuts (often used as ammunition to show displeasure at play)
for solids/Thames River for urine/they passed buckets no privacy
Performing Conditions...Regarding smell:
occupational smell tobacco it was recommended to eat
onions to take away smell of leeks; it was recommended to eat garlic to take away smell of onions
much tobacco spit
Performing Conditions...The audience was an active participant in
the collective experience of playgoing, and it was not in the habit of keeping its reactions private. They threw items to hasten progress
and/or stop it. great crowds/packed masses of
standing-room crowd Authority of any kind was absent-self
regulation (pickpockets-dealt with by mob rule-tied to stage pillars)
Shakespeare and His PlaysShakespeare wrote his plays for the
educated, who financed the plays.Groundlings didn’t seem to mind if it
went over their heads, especially in language.
Candles used, wooden structure, thrust stage-intimacy between actors and audience, no women in acting company
RetirementIn 1610
Shakespeare returned to Stratford permanently to manage his investments and properties.
Shakespeare’s family upon retirement
Shakespeare died in Stratford on 23 April 1616, and now lies in Holy Trinity Church Stratford.
