William Shakespeare An Introduction to Understanding “The Bard”

Intro to William Shakespeare William Shakespeare b. April 26 th, 1564 (TODAY: Bill Shakespeare would be 448 years old!) Parents: John and Mary (Arden) Shakespeare Place of birth: Stratford-Upon-Avon (named so because the town was on the banks of the Avon river) Childhood home: Henley Street (can still be visited today)

Parents John Shakespeare: Married the daughter of his landlord (Mary) Held many jobs: glover, money lender, wool and grain dealer Prestige: Bailiff (= to mayor) 1576 – Petitioned town for a coat of arms to become a gentleman Petition expired without being granted

Childhood Education: father’s prominent position suggests that Shakespeare would have attended: – King’s New School (petty school=preschool): well respected, taught by Oxford grads – Grammar School (6-7am until 5pm) Study Latin and some Greek Read Roman authors Plautus, Ovid, Seneca, and Horace Traces of these authors in his own later works – Did NOT attend University (Greek/Latin education)

Wife and Children November 1582 (age 18): Married Anne Hathaway (age 26) May 1583 (6 mo. later): birth of first child, Susanna February 1585: twins Hamnet and Judith Hamnet would die at the age of 11 while Shakespeare was living in London away from his family

London and The Stage To London after twins’ birth (between 21 and 28 yrs. old) (Most likely) went as an actor and slowly gained attention as a playwright Jealous Much? – Robert Greene (1592) warned other University colleagues that the uneducated Shakespeare was trying to parade as a legit playwright – Shakespeare’s reputation for poetry provoked the envy of a failing competitor

London and The Stage 1593: All London theatres closed due to outbreak of the bubonic plague – During this time Shakespeare wrote the poems Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape of Lucrece (1594) – Only two of his works that he seemed to have helped into print due to the presence of dedications 1594: Theatres reopened; Shakespeare joined the acting company Lord Chamberlain’s Men

London and The Stage Plays: Early years: Histories – : Henry VI, trilogy – : Richard III 1590s: Romantic Comedies – 1594: The Comedy of Errors – : Love’s Labour’s Lost – 1595: A Midsummer Night’s Dream – 1598: Much Ado About Nothing

London and The Stage Plays (con’t) – Tragedies 1595: Romeo and Juliet 1599: Julius Caesar : Hamlet 1606: Macbeth Total Plays: 37* – Histories: 10 – Comedies: 17 – Tragedies: 10 *This number is debated by scholars

The Theatre 1597: Success – Secure a coat of arms = gentleman – Purchase of New Place – one of the largest houses in Stratford 1597: The boot – Lease expired with Lord Chamberlain’s playhouse (called The Theatre) – The company had to perform in various playhouses until 1599

The Globe 1599: Opening of the Globe Theatre – Built with lumber from The Theatre – Shakespeare just one of the shareholders in the theatre 1613: Fire – Thatched roof caught fire during a production of Henry VIII – entire building demolished – The Second Globe was rebuilt quickly 1642: Closed – All theatres closed under Puritan rule – Demolished in 1644 for tenements (apartments)

The Globe

The (new) Globe 1996: Revival – A replica built near original site – Built with techniques and materials that would have been used then – Only added details that were required Exits, illuminated signage, fire retardant materials, etc. – Go to see plays today!

The (new) Globe

Final Days William Shakespeare died on April 26, 1616 at the age of 52 (396 years ago today!) Exact cause of death unknown Believed to have been celebrating the marriage of daughter, Judith Contracted a fever Death imminent? – Changed his will in March of same year

Publication The First Folio – Published 7 years after his death (posthumous) By two members from his former company – First collection published Printer folded each sheet only once (folio) Folio was a larger and more prestigious book (usually reserved for works such as the Bible) Contained 36 plays

Legacy The First Folio was the beginning of the process of constructing Shakespeare as England’s national poet and “The Bard of Avon” –B–Bard: Gaelic term for a poet Contemporary playwright and friend, Ben Jonson wrote: “He was not of an age, but for all time!”