1. William Shakespeare

2. Shakespeare’s Life Born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon Wrote 37 plays, a group of 154 sonnets, and several narrative poems. 1582 – he married Anne Hathaway – 3 children: Susanna,. and twins Hamlet and Judith. 1592 – He is an actor and playwright.

3. Elizabethan Era Known for theater, but Elizabethans considered drama a lower form of literature than poetry. English Renaissance called Elizabethan Age (1485-1660), after Queen Elizabeth I (reigned from 1558-1603). Elizabeth – shrewd and charismatic – Controlled religious conflict, helped the nation from foreign enemies, helped the economy grow English women had limited rights. Commoners suffered from poor diet and crowded living conditions. The people were vulnerable to outbreaks of the bubonic plague. – In 1564, the plague killed nearly a third of the people in Shakespeare’s hometown. Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, and King James of Scotland assumed the English throne. – He was a supporter of the arts and literature. He renamed Shakespeare’s theater company to the King’s Men.