Shakespeare Introduction

Elizabethan England Queen Elizabeth I - born September 7, 1533 in Greenwich Died March 24, 1603 in Richmond, Surrey Daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn (beheaded by Henry for not bearing a son) Coronated January 15, 1559 Spoke Greek, French, Italian, Latin, and, of course, English. Never married and was nicknamed, "The Virgin Queen.” Elizabethan age was height of English Renaissance in music, literature, military strength Also saw the birth and rise of William Shakespeare, the Bard, and possibly most famous English playwright of all time

Shakespeare’s Life Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire Baptized on 26 April 1564 Married in 1582 to Anne Hathaway Was working on plays and sonnets in London by 1592 Died in of his plays published for the first time in The First Folio in 1623

Family Life Father - John Shakespeare glovemaker and wool merchant Mother - Mary Arden, daughter of well-to-do local landowner Wife - Anne Hathaway was 12 years older and four months pregnant at the wedding Children - Susanna ( ), twins Judith ( ) Hamnet ( ) Family lived in Stratford, Shakespeare lived in London except for last five years of his life when they were together

Professional Life FACTS He wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets in London - first documented play in 1594 Two of his sonnets were written with the patronage of Henry Wriothesley He acted with and wrote for the troupe The Lord Chamberlain’s Men which changed names to The King’s Men in 1603 when King James ascended the throne He and members of The Lord Chamberlain’s Men built the Globe Theater in 1599, which burnt down in 1613 and was rebuilt in 1614

Portfolio Shakespeare wrote HISTORIES, TRAGEDIES, AND ROMANCES Historical Guesses: (No one knows exactly when Shakespeare wrote anything, but based on the little information available, the time line of some of his plays are thought to be) first play is Henry IV Part One Henry IV Parts II and III Two Gentlemen of Verona Taming of the Shrew Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer’s Night Dream Macbeth, King Lear (To honor King James) Othello The Tempest

Performing a Shakespearean Play Protestant Church, City officials opposed theaters due to crime, bawdy subject matter, fighting, drinking, and up to 3,000 people in one place to spread Bubonic Plague Theaters also used for bear-baiting and gambling 1596 Plague caused London to ban all public plays and Theatres within the City limits All actors were men because theaters too disreputable for women Little emphasis on scenery, more attention on costumes, though most were contemporary due to cost Much of the audience watched from the ‘pit’ as groundlings - poor workers who went for the entertainment of alcohol, fights, prostitution, and lewd subject matter of the plays. Often threw food at the actors onstage.

Importance to English Over 12,000 words entered English between Shakespeare’s plays show the first recorded use of 2,035 new English words Macbeth, Hamlet, and King Lear have one ‘new’ word every 2.5 lines He created: “antipathy, critical, frugal, dwindle, extract, horrid, vast, hereditary, critical, excellent, eventful, assassination, lonely, leapfrog, indistinguishable, well-read, and countless others (including countless)” (Bryson loc ).

Shakespeare’s English Continued The following phrases were coined by Shakespeare. What do they mean and how do we use them today. Choose at least four of them to use in your own creative story: A laughing stock (The Merry Wives of Windsor) A sorry sight (Macbeth) As dead as a doornail (Henry VI) Eaten out of house and home (Henry V, Part 2) Fair play (The Tempest) I will wear my heart upon my sleeve (Othello) In a pickle (The Tempest) In stitches (Twelfth Night) In the twinkling of an eye (The Merchant Of Venice) Mum's the word (Henry VI, Part 2) Neither here nor there (Othello) Send him packing (Henry IV) Set your teeth on edge (Henry IV) There's method in my madness (Hamlet) Too much of a good thing (As You Like It) Vanish into thin air (Othello)