ENGLAND
London
Boyhood in Stratford-Upon-Avon
Born April 23, 1564 in
Stratford-Upon-Avon Parents John and Mary Arden
Shakespeare Seven brothers and sisters Grammar School from age 7 to 13
William Shakespeare’s Home
Marriage and Life in London 1582 at age 18 married Anne
Hathaway 1583-1592 ??? 1592 (28 years old) went to
London actor and playwright first accused of borrowing from
other playwrights 1592-1594 Plague
Shakespeare begins to prosper
1598 built Globe Theatre Owned shares in it
Father granted a coat-of-arms Became a “Gentleman”
Recognized as a genius in his own time
The Globe Theatre today
Drama in the Elizabethan Age
After defeating the Spanish Armada, England became intensely interested in the past. (Patriotic) Historical plays thrived.
Playwrights were practical men, bent on making a living All parts were played by men
Plays were written to be acted, not read. Once a playwright sold his play, he had
no personal right to it.
The Elizabethan Theater Round, wooden, roofless building Three galleries of seats Pit (no seats) cost a penny “groundlings” Main stage
40 feet wide 27 feet projection into the pit
Recessed inner stage (curtains and balcony)
Shakespeare’s Plots and Characters
Written for people to read twice First reading = quick Second reading = more detailed and for enjoyment
Plots = romantic, poetic, imaginative, supernatural Characters = realistic, alive, three-dimensional,
powerful and true
The Stage Influences on Shakespeare’s Methods
Open, free stage = quick changes, rapid action
Encourages speechmaking No women actors Closeness of different classes
Shakespeare as a Dramatist
Objective of Plays= give enjoyment
Fanciful, imaginative plays Audience= everyday people,
uneducated, wanted to escape Wrote in verse=free use of words
Critics Rank the Plays Tragedies-Hamlet, Macbeth, King
Lear, Othello Comedies- The Tempest, As You
Like It, The Winter’s Tale, The Merchants of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Histories- Henry IV, Henry V, Richard II, Richard III, Henry VIII
Death and Burial at Stratford 1610 retired from theatre
1613 Globe theatre burns downlost much money but still
wealthyhelps rebuild Globe theatre
Died on April 23, 1616 at age 52
Shakespeare’s Grave
Comedy A drama or narrative with
a happy ending or non-tragic theme.
Literary Terms
TragedyTragic HeroComedy
Tragedy A serious play or drama
dealing with the problems of a central character, leading to an unhappy or disastrous ending
Tragic Hero
A person of high rank who is brought to eventual ruin by a flaw in his/her character.
Plot The sequence of events that create and then resolve a conflict.
Plot movement:
Exposition
Rising action
Climax (peak tension) or Crisis (dramatic turning point)
Falling action (fall of tragic hero)
Resolution (Point at which conflict ends and outcome is made clear)
Web cites for pictures and additional information on William Shakespeare
http://daphe.palomar.edu/ shakespeare/timeline/genealogy. htm
http://www.shakespeare.com/link. Htm www.stratford.co.uk/birthplace/ www.rdg.ac.uk/globe/Data-Base/
Images/NewGlobe.htm www.legends.dm.net/shakespeare/
macbeth.htm/ www.britishliterature.com