Shakespeare in the Classroom

The Man… 1. Christened in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564 2. Married Anne Hathaway when he was 18 3. He had 3 children: Suzanna, Judith and Hamnet 4. In 1592 his name first appeared in print He is popular because he wrote about and for people of all social classes, which makes his work seem contemporary.

The Times… The London of 1593 was filled with dramatic contrasts… The theater brought everyone together The groundlings paid 1 penny to stand in the area in front of the stage The theater was a circular amphitheater… Theater performances were open during the day because they needed light The Rose and the Curtain were the two theaters of the time

The Globe Theater

The Play They didn’t have scenery or backdrops… Costumes were very elegant and flamboyant Clothes, during this time, were a reflection of social status Common folk wore plain, earth-toned, homespun wool or linen The upper class wore richly colored clothes of silk, satin, or velvet Costumes were given to the theater by wealthy benefactors and were often “last seasons” style It was illegal to wear the color purple…

Theater Life Philip Henslow owned and ran the Rose Theater The London Government hated and feared the theater because of these: Moral diseases The Black Plague was spread there The London government laid down rules for theaters to follow… Play writes wrote things people would like: Comedy Love Bloodshed/Violence

The actors and star play writes brought the people to the theater; people would go to see their favorite stars like you do today. Christopher Marlow was the most popular writer at the time Shakespeare first started writing Ned Allen was a famous star and leader of the group The Admiral’s Men Actors would have to memorize lines in a week or less. Some actors who played several parts would have to learn 100+ lines each week!

Women’s Roles By law, all parts in a play were played by men. The number one job of a woman at this time was marriage Most marriages were arranged Upper class marriages were used to gain property or forge an alliance between wealthy families. It is very ironic that the most powerful person in this male dominated society was a woman – Queen Elizabeth I. By this time the queen had been on the throne for 40 years She loved the theater Her nickname was the Virgin Queen… She used the theater as a learning experience as well as entertainment.

The Language The play Romeo and Juliet set Shakespeare apart… Comedy – talked about love and ended in marriage Tragedy – talked about important people and ended in death.