William Shakespeare Estimated 1554 - 1616

Born in 1554 in Stratford-upon-Avon (Southern England), his birthday is observed on April 23rd, Saint George’s Day. He married and had one set of twin children. Although, he is rumored to have had many male significant others during his life time as well. He became a playwright in London, though considered lower in rank because of his lack of education and nobility.

Shakespeare and his business partners built the Globe theater in London in 1599, which has burnt down and was rebuilt, but closed in 1692. A replica was built and is still standing on the south banks on the River Thames in London. Its plays were attended by royalty and the poor alike.

Virtual Tour of Shakespeare’s The Globe Theater http://www

Shakespeare is known for writing dozens of plays and sonnets. He filled his work with elaborate metaphors, double entendres, puns and rhetorical phrases.  With only small degrees of variation, Shakespeare primarily used a metrical pattern consisting of lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter, or blank verse, to compose his plays. We will look closely at iambic pentameter.

Shakespeare died in 1616. Over a century after his death, scholars began to dispute whether Shakespeare was really the author of many of his plays, insisting that Christopher Marlowe, Edward de Vere and Francis Bacon may be the true authors. Most of this conjecture stems from details of his low birth and his lack of education.

Among his plays, Shakespeare wrote: Histories: Richard II, Julius Caesar, Henry VI (parts 1, 2 and 3) and Henry V Comedies: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Titus Andronicus, The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Tragedies: Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth. Tragicomedies: Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale and The Tempest.

Characteristics of Shakespeare’s Plays Histories: Serious plays dramatizing the destructive results of weak or corrupt rulers. The rulers featured are real rulers, yet of the events of the plays are not completely factual. Comedies: Light-hearted, involving mistaken identities and ending with goodwill, forgiveness and marriages. Tragedies: Dark in tone, involving betrayals, plots to overthrow rulers, and ending with many characters murdered or falling upon ill-fortunes. Tragicomedies: Plays that are dark in tone, but end with reconciliation than death and destruction.

Modern English (what Shakespeare spoke) Shakespeare wrote in what is considered “modern English,” popular around 1550. Speak like Shakespeare http://www.talklikeshakespeare.org/ A comparison of English over the centuries: Middle English 1066-1450 AD Old English 450-1066 CE Modern English (what Shakespeare spoke) Late Modern English (what we speak)

Do as the Romans Do… Julius Caesar is based on real events that occurred in ancient Rome around 44 B.C. Ancient Romans were a superstitious people who believed that the future could be seen in dreams. They believed in spirits and other unnatural occurrences. They that their lives were controlled by fate.

The REAL Julius Caesar Rome becomes a republic and elects consuls (leaders) who appoint senate members to jointly rule. Military hero Caesar comes to power in a consul triumverate (triangle of power) which includes Pompey and Crassus. When Crassus dies, Pompey fears Caesar’s growing power. Caesar kills Pompey and becomes “Dictator for Life.” Many fear that Caesar could become emperor, ushering in an oppressive form of government with leaders born to the throne, rather than elected. Caesar is assassinated by members of the senate, many being his own friends, to prevent this fate.

Julius Caesar First performed in 1599, Julius Caesar is a historical drama written by William Shakespeare about a man’s rise to absolute power and downfall at the hands of political rivals. It contains five “acts,” each consisting of several scenes. The main plot revolves around Caesar, a much beloved leader, and members of the senate who plot his demise for the good of Rome.

Freytag’s Triangle- Julius Caesar

References The Cultural Context for Julius Caesar History.com http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/julius-caesar William Shakespeare Biography Biography.com http://www.biography.com/people/william-shakespeare-9480323