William Shakespeare

Understanding Shakespeare’s Context

Life

•He was born on the 26th April 1564, and he died on 23rd April 1616.• He married a woman named Anne Hathaway with whom he had three children. • His hometown was Stratford-Upon-Avon, in Warwickshire.• He moved to London when he became a playwright.•His plays were performed at the Globe Theatre, on the South Bank of the River Thames.• He was the author of thirty eight plays.•His work has stood the test of time because of the unparalleled beauty of its language and the universality of its themes.

Elizabethan England

• Queen Elizabeth 1 was on the Throne• The queen was believed to be God's representation here on

Earth.• There was a clear social hierarchy • the monarch as the highest, the nobility as second rank, the

gentry as third, merchants as fourth, and labourers as fifth. • Parenting advice was taken from the bible and there were

strict rules governing how children should be raised. • life expectancy reached until 42 years old, but of course the

richer rank had lived years longer than that.

Elizabethan Theatre

Elizabethan theatre was very different to what we know as the theatre today. • Theatre was one of the main forms of entertainment for

people of all classes. • Theatres were outdoors, performances went ahead in rain,

hail or shine. • Theatre performances were held during the day to make use

of the natural light. • No scenery was used, few props were used- Elizabethan

stages were bare by todays standards.

Map of Elizabethan Theatres in London

The Swan Theatre

The rich people would sit in the seats up here.

The stage had lots of doors and trapdoors for the actors to come in and out of.

Women were not allowed to be actors. Female parts were played by men!

Theatres were circular and had no roof

They didn’t use scenery, just a bare stage with minimal props. The speeches gave us the setting.

The stage was positioned to stick out into the Audience space.

Poor people would stand at the front – they were called ‘Groundlings’

The Globe Theatre The Globe theatre was constructed in 1599 and is located on the south side of the Thames river. The Globe was designed and constructed for the Chamberlain's Men by Cuthbert Burbage, son of the Theatre's creator, James Burbage. he Globe was the primary home of Shakespeare's acting company beginning in late 1599, and it is a possibility that As You Like It was written especially for the occasion. On June 29, 1613, during a performance of Henry VIII, a misfired canon ball set the Globe's thatched roof on fire and the whole theatre was consumed. Swift reconstruction did take place and the Globe reopened to the public within a year, with the addition of a tiled roof. The new Globe theatre lasted until 1644, at which time it was demolished.

Shakespeare’s LegacyShakespeare’s influence can still be felt today, below are several examples of modernised

versions of Shakespeare's plays.

Romeo and Juliet

Arguably the most famous of Shakespeare's plays Romeo and Juliet tells the story of teenage star crossed lovers kept apart by feuding families and nosey parents. Though the couple try to outwit and outsmart their parents fate intervenes and the play ends in tragedy. The play has been adapted and contextualised many times, it is now one of the most commonly used story lines.

Adaptations of Romeo and Juliet

• Twilight• Dirty Dancing • Warm Bodies• Gnomeo and Juliet• West Side Story • Titanic• Shakespeare in Love• The Notebook• Romeo must Die• The Lion King 2• Pride and Prejudice