2. Shakespeare: His Life and Times

3. Early Life Born April 23, 1564—died 1616 –In Stratford-upon-Avon Parents: John and Mary Arden Shakespeare Mary—daughter of wealthy landowner John—, local politician

4. Location of Stratford-upon-Avon

5. Shakespeare’s Birthplace

6. Probably attended King’s New School in Stratford (Little known about his childhood) Education

7. From: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/danielle.esposito/ King’s New School

8. Married in 1582 to Anne Hathaway (26) He was 18! Had twins in 1585 (Hamnet & Judith) Sometime between 1585-1592, he moved to London and began working in theatre. Married Life

9. Not this one…

10. Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

11. Conditions in London-BAD! Thames River polluted with raw sewage Trees used up for fuel Poverty

12. Personal Hygiene/Disease Bathing considered dangerous Body odor strong Childhood diseases Children often died before 5 years

13. Living Conditions No running water Chamber Pots Open Sewers Crowded

14. One set used all year long, rarely washed Underclothing slept in, infrequently changed Clothes

15. Activity #1 Insults

16. Theater Career Performed in courtyards of inns The Theater-first public theater- 1576 Daytime/open air Limited set design Relied on music, sound, costumes, props and great description

17. Member and later part-owner of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later called the King’s Men Globe Theater built in 1599 by L.C.M. with Shakespeare as primary investor three-stories high and had no roof. could together hold more than 1,500 people. 1613 Theatre

18. The Globe Theater

19. The Rebuilt Globe Theater, London

20. The Globe Theater

21. Actors All men Female parts played by young boys No actual kissing or hugging on stage

22. Groundlings Poor audience member Stood around stage in “the pit” Threw rotten vegetables at bad performances

23. The cost of attending a show 1 shilling to stand 2 shillings to sit in the balcony

24. The Plays 38 plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare comedies histories Tragedies romances Collaborated on several others

25. Numerous poems 154 Sonnets The Poetry

26. Shakespeare’s death The cause of Shakespeare's death is a mystery He was 52. He is buried at Holy Trinity Church in his birthplace of Stratford.

27. Shakespeare’s epitaph An epitaph is an inscription on or at a tomb or a grave in memory of the one buried there. Shakespeare also wrote his own epitaph

28.  Use of disguises/ mistaken identity  Multiple marriages (in comedies)  Multiple murders (in tragedies)  Last speaker—highest in rank (in tragedies)

29. What is the English that Shakespeare used?? It makes no sense…

30. Shakespeare’s Language Shakespeare did NOT write in “Old English.” Old English is the language of Beowulf:Beowulf Hwaet! We Gardena in geardagum Þeodcyninga Þrym gefrunon Hu ða æÞelingas ellen fremedon! (Hey! We have heard of the glory of the Spear- Danes in the old days, the kings of tribes, how noble princes showed great courage!)

31. Shakespeare’s Language Shakespeare did not write in “Middle English.” Middle English is the language of Chaucer, the author of The Canterbury Tales: Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote And bathed every veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

32. The General Prologue Original Middle English: Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote And bathed every veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Modern Translation When fair April with his showers sweet, Has pierced the drought of March to the root's feet And bathed each vein in liquid of such power, Its strength creates the newly springing flower;

33. Shakespeare’s Language Shakespeare wrote in “Early Modern English.” EME was not very different from “Modern English,” except that it had some old holdovers and omissions Uses prose and poetry A mix of old and very new Rural and urban words/images Understandable by the lowest peasant and the highest noble

34. A few examples of Shakespearean omissions/contractions follow: 'tis ~ it is ope ~ open o'er ~ over gi' ~ give ne'er ~ never i' ~ in e'er ~ ever oft ~ often e'en ~ even

35. Shakespeare’s Language Shakespeare coined many words we still use today: Critical Majestic Dwindle Fashionable Embrace (as a noun) Vulnerable

36. Activity #2 Looking at Sonnets

37. Elizabethan Theatrical Conventions

38. A theatrical convention is a suspension of reality.  No electricity  Women forbidden to act on stage  Minimal, contemporary costumes  Minimal scenery These control the dialogue. Good dialogue is key!

39.  Soliloquy-.  Aside  Blood and gore  Use of supernatural Types of speech

40. Activity #3 Elizabethan Commercial