William Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s Stats Born: April 23, 1564 in Stratford–upon-Avon, England Middle Class Family: Father – glove maker, who later became the town’s mayor Mother- distantly related to wealth Education: - Local grammar school (common for middle class children) - Studied Latin + Ancient Roman Writers Married Life: - Married Anne Hathaway at 18 years-old - 3 children: daughter and twins (boy+girl)

Career in Theater By 1592- successful playwright in London 1596: Romeo + Juliet first performed Part-Owner of “Lord Chamberlain’s Men” Later dubbed “King’s Men” because of King James’ support Traveling acting group; earned solid income

The Globe Theater

The Globe Theatre Could fit up to 3,000 people Open-air arena called “the pit” surrounded the stage on three sides. In the middle are the “groundlings,” who paid the cheapest ticket price and were not protected by the roof.

Special Features Smoke Machine Gun Fire Trap-doors Flying Across Stage Fireworks Actors- no Actresses! “Cue Acting”

An Inside Perspective!

Why Did It All End? Bubonic Plague Puritan Religion Fire 1592-1594 – slowed productions; Shakespeare focused on poetry (started up again in 1594 until 1613) Puritan Religion Anti-theater, excessive waste of both time + money Entertainment Fire 1613: Fire burned down the original Globe Theater Hidden for 394 years- foundation discovered in 1989 – rebuilt in London

Sonnets: Shakespeare’s Specialty! Fourteen-line Lyric Poems “Sonetto” – Italian for “little song” 1609: Shakespeare’s Sonnettes published Sonnet’s three main groupings: Sonnets 1-126 address or reference concern about a young man Sonnets 127-152 address or reference concern about a dark lady (hair, facial features + character) Sonnets 153-154 are adaptations of Greek mythological poems

Shakespearean Sonnet Format Three Quatrains (four line stanza) + Rhyming Couplet = 14 lines total Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG GG = Rhyming Couplet Wrap-up of the sonnet Each Line = 10 Syllables (Iambic Pentameter) But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?

The End Is Drawing Near… Moved from London back to Stratford-upon-Avon; retired with wife and kids Due to enormous popularity of plays + poems, earned a coat of arms and lived like a gentleman No definitive record of death, but most records state his death as April 23, 1616 (52 years old, exactly!)