1. William Shakespeare 1564-1616 “All the world 's a stage, / And all the men and women merely players.”——

2. Born in Stratford The 3 rd of 8 kids Married at age 18 (his wife was 26) Worked as an actor By 1594 at least 6 plays had been published

3. Perhaps the most brilliant author in the English language. Incredibly well-developed characters. He was tremendously perceptive in creating complex character with a full range of emotions and internal conflicts, intensely, deeply rich in psychological reality. Exquisite use of poetic language. Shakespeare’s Life

4. Plays are phenomenally well-crafted, and structurally, nearly flawless. Thematically, Shakespeare is unmatched in his ability to touch the human soul, and to speak lucidly and profoundly to human lives. Most quoted, most translated of any author on earth. Shakespeare’s Life

5. He left London when he was about 50 years old, and went back to Stratford-upon-Avon, after investing in real estate, and buying the best house in town. He died in 1616, near his birthday, April 23 rd, at age 52. He is buried in Stratford, in Holy Trinity Church. Shakespeare’s Life

6. Queen Elizabeth What do you think she was like?

7. Elizabethan Fashion "She must be stifling in that thing"

8. Shakespeare’s life straddles the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I of England. This was England’s Renaissance. The word renaissance means “rebirth.” During this time in Europe, there was a rebirth of humanism, or the classical ideal that humans were heroic, although certainly below the gods. England, in a battle with Spain, had sunk the Spanish Armada in 1588, and had established itself as a world power. To control the seas meant control of world power, for there was an enormous economic expansion based largely on maritime trade. This was a time of prosperity in Europe. Individual countries were gaining autonomy and power. They were actively trading with each other, with Russia, the New World, and the Far East and India. It was a time of nationalism, exploration and discovery. Elizabethan England

9. During this time, England became the most powerful country in the Western world, and would remain so until the end of the 19 th century. England was beginning to colonize the new world. The discovery of America and the presence of inhabitants very different from themselves in other parts of the world was a wonder to Europeans. This new wealth and rising merchant class fed into the intellectual pool of Elizabethan England. This rising bourgeoisie were interested purchasing tickets for plays, and sponsoring poets, musicians, and the arts.* Elizabethan England

10. The world was opening up to new ideas, and in Shakespeare’s plays you see some of the old concepts questioned. More and more, the individual human being was seen as taking a more active role in his or her own life. In theater, especially notable in Shakespeare’s plays, was a new depth of characterization, requiring a new type of acting style. Now, actors had to embody the character, rather than simply orate lines. This was reflected in Renaissance art as well as literature, where the human figure is more prominent, more realistically portrayed, and more powerfully depicted than ever before.* Elizabethan England

11. Henry VIII had six wives. He divorced two, executed two, one died, and one outlived him. Elizabeth I was the daughter of Anne Boleyn, whom Henry had executed. No wonder Elizabeth never married! Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558 after her half-brother Edward VI and half-sister Mary I (Bloody Mary) died, and a usurper to the throne, Lady Jane Grey (granddaughter to Henry’s sister) is executed. Elizabeth’s reign, remarkably, would be irenic. Elizabethan England

12. Life in London during Elizabethan times was pretty dirty. The city contained around 400 thousand people by Shakespeare’s time, who crowded into a very small part of the present day city. People rarely bathed, and there was no indoor plumbing. When the water supply became tainted, typhus and cholera spread mercilessly through the town. People used chamber pots for toilets, and would toss the contents out the window into the streets, occasionally on top of people below! Beer was the drink of choice, for the water was far too polluted to consider drinking! Beer was very popular in Southwark, and was sold in the theaters, along with nuts and other snacks. Elizabethan England

13. There was no refrigeration, and you had to watch what you bought in the market, especially since there were chronic food shortages in London, due to a series of bad harvests and an increase in population. London had its share of wealthy royal people, since the royal family lived there, but there was also a new, rising merchant class, a rising middle class of artisans, who were members of guilds, and many lower class folks who might be poor farmers or salespeople. Education was improving. Towns frequently had church run grammar schools, and upper class members of the society went to Oxford and Cambridge University. Still, literacy rates were fairly low, although this was changing. Books were published and sold to support poets and playwrights alike. St. Paul’s was a popular place to buy these small texts. Elizabethan England

14. Aside from attending executions, many, many people amused themselves by attending the theater. London’s famous theaters, the Globe, the Rose, and the Swan, were located in the seedy side of town, along the south bank of the Thames River. This section of town, known as Bankside or Southwark, could be reached by crossing the London Bridge, the only bridge across the Thames, or by taking a boat across the river. Elizabethan England

15. Women wore long dresses, and covered their arms and legs. Men, on the other hand, wore leggings and short pants. Women were not allowed to perform on stage, and all of Shakespeare’s female characters were acted by young men or boys. Often, the audience who went to the theater, and stood in the “yard” in front of the stage were pretty rowdy, and would throw offal and other foul things at actors they didn’t care for. These folks were called, “groundlings” or “stinkards.”* Shakespeare didn’t shy away from pleasing this crowd. In sword fights, the combatants would carry sacks of animal blood and guts that would add realism when a character was wounded or killed.

16. The Blackfriars theater was an enclosed theater that was lit by candles. It had been originally part of a Dominican medieval monastery. It was located on the north side of the Thames, and its admission fees were high, the audience wealthier and better educated than the average playgoer. Shakespeare’s players performed here during the winter, and for special occasions. Shakespeare also, notably, performed for Queen Elizabeth in the Temple Court, which was where the Knights Templar had once been housed in London. Today, you can still visit this large room where the Lord Chamberlain’s Men performed Twelfth Night for the Queen! Elizabethan England

17. The Globe Theater 1599 Burned in 1613

18. The New Globe Theater 1999

19. The Plays Comedy Tragedy History

20. Comedies The Taming of the Shrew Much Ado About Nothing As You Like It Twelfth Night Midsummer Night’s Dream

21. Tragedies Hamlet Romeo and Juliet Othello King Lear Macbeth

22. Don’t be fooled by the excellence of the language! This is Modern English! It is, however, about 400 years old, and things do change over time. The most obvious of changes is the use of distinct second person familiar pronouns. Today, we call this “you, singular.” But once this was not the same as “you, plural.” These singular pronouns are: Thou, Thee, Thy and Thine. See your grammar notes on usage! Another change is obvious in the conjugation of certain verbs: hadst; wouldst; and the like. Verbs occasionally took inflected endings in the past participle: closèd, blessèd, loathèd Why is Shakespeare’s English so weird?