Presenting: William Shakespeare An Introduction to “The Bard”.

Why read Shakespeare? Shakespeare wrote AT LEAST 37 different plays and we have 154 of his sonnets and several narrative poems. His plays included comedies, tragedies, and histories. He added more than 3,000 new words to the English language! He wrote about things that we can relate to even today such as betrayal, love, rejection, jealousy, racism, and pride.

Who was Shakespeare? Shakespeare was born April 23, 1564. At least this was the day when his birth document was given to the church. His father, John, was a glove maker and later a city worker. His mother, Mary, was wealthier than John and brought property into the marriage. Shakespeare was the third of eight children.

Where did Shakespeare live? Shakespeare grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon in England. This means the town is named Stratford and it is on the Avon River.

Stratford-upon-Avon

Where did Shakespeare go to school? There are no official records that say where or even if Shakespeare went to school. He likely went to the grammar school in Stratford which, at the time, rivaled Eton, where the royalty went to school. He studied Latin and Classical Greek as well as the other basic subjects. He had to stop going to school when his father lost his job with the city. We do know that Shakespeare never went to college.

Did Shakespeare have a wife and children? Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582. Anne was 26 and Shakespeare was 18. They had their first child, Susanna in May of 1583 (Anne was three months pregnant when they married). They later had twins, Judith and Hamnet. Tragically, Hamnet died when he was 11.

Did Shakespeare ever have a job other than writing? When Shakespeare first married, he struggled to support his family. It is thought he may have worked with a lawyer, served as a soldier or maybe taught school He left his family after several years of marriage to seek his fortunes as a playwright in London. He is first mentioned as an “upstart crow” in a review from 1592, so we know that by then he had already begun to write.

Who did Shakespeare work with? Shakespeare was a writer, actor and managing partner for an acting group called The Lord Chamberlain’s Men. They were named this because Lord Chamberlain paid for their productions. When King James I became king, they changed their name to The King’s Men to try to win the king’s favor – it worked!

Did Shakespeare really write all of those plays? Some don’t believe he could have because of his lack of education, but no firm evidence confirms otherwise. Shakespeare’s works reflect many of his own life experiences (death of his son, a love who didn’t love him back, family trouble, etc). Shakespeare did borrow ideas and concepts for his work.

Where were Shakespeare’s plays performed? Shakespeare's plays were performed in a theatre called “The Globe”. The Globe was built in 1598 and burned to the ground due to a fire caused by a cannon shot during a performance of Henry VIII. The Globe was rebuilt and operated until 1644 when it was closed by the Puritans. The Globe was torn down in 1644. The Globe was rebuilt in 1996.

What was The Globe like? The Globe was shaped like an octagon with an open ceiling. It was made in the “Tudor” style with a roof of thatch. The stage was at one end and there were three levels of balconies.

What would it have been like to be in the audience at The Globe? The cost to enter was one pence. Each level up was an additional pence. The people that stood on the ground level were called groundlings. Many members of the audience behaved badly. It was not unusual for audience members to yell loudly at the actors or even throw food. Outside there were vendors selling food.

What would it have been like to be in the audience at The Globe? The Globe held up to 3,000 people. The open roof gave light. Some torches were used to give atmosphere to the plays and the actors would have elaborate costumes.

The Globe… continued. Women could not perform. Young boys performed the female roles. The Globe was not heated and there were no bathrooms! There were trap doors on the floor of the stage. No music until the 1600s. Flags were flown to announce a performance. White meant a comedy, black a tragedy and red a history.

Costumes during Shakespeare’s Era Costumes were very elaborate and colorful. Costumes were a visual way to tell characters apart. The colors or fabrics used often symbolized different things, such as class.

Costuming Continued Wealthy characters would have clothes made of satin or velvet while commoners would have costumes made of simple cotton or canvas. The wealthier the character, the more expensive the fabric used to design his costume.

Costumes Continued Colors also indicated status during Shakespeare’s time. Scarlet, red or purple indicated royalty or leaders, while blue indicated the working class. Costumes with yellow touches indicated jealousy, while orange represented pride.

When did Shakespeare retire? Shakespeare stopped working in 1611 after performing The Tempest. The business part of the theatre was more of a burden so Shakespeare went to go spend more time with his family in Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare was very close to his oldest daughter, Susanna, but not Judith because he didn’t like who she married. Shakespeare continued to write until his death.

How and when did Shakespeare die? Shakespeare is believed to have died April 23, 1616 – his 52nd birthday. He’s said to have eaten and drank too much and died from a sick stomach. He left most of his estate to Susanna’s husband because women couldn’t inherit property. He left his wife his “second best bed” – for this reason, and because he did not visit his family frequently, it is believed he and his wife were not particularly close.

The End