Welcome to Renaissance England.
Its Time!
Its time to don your doublet!
Tighten your trussing!
Get on your galligaskins!
Females, fit on your farthingales!
Smooth your stomachers!
Remember your ruffs!
Slip on your shoes! And grab your gloves!
Ladies? Gentlemen?
Is everybody ready? Were going to the theater!
The Globe! Shakespeares theater is located just outside of London, England.
A white flag is flying. Theres a play today! Its afternoon, time for the play to start. The groundlings have paid their penny and are standing to watch the play. The young men are dressing up to take the female roles. The stage is a lower class profession, and no women will appear there. Poetry is a higher class of art than play writing is.
The wealthy are in the upper decks. The play is about to begin! Were in for a real treat! Its one of Shakespeares tragedies! Its good the plague is over and the theaters are open again.
William Shakespeare
What do we know about Shakespeare? He was born in His hometown is Stratford-on- Avon. His father was a middle class butcher, mayor, & glovemaker. He married Anne Hathaway when he was 18 years old. She was 26! They had three children, including a set of twins. He moved to London and became an actor, playwright, and theater owner. His acting company was called The Lord Chamberlains Men. Later it became The Kings Men. He wrote 37 very successful plays. Even Queen Elizabeth enjoyed his plays! His vocabulary was huge: 17,000 to 34,000 words! He purchased a coat of arms to make his family upper class. When he retired he went back to Stratford-on-Avon and bought the best house in town. He has a monument in Westminster Abbey though hes buried in Stratford-on-Avon. He died in 1616.
What do we know about Shakespeare? He has had an amazing influence on our English language.
Have you heard these phrases? I couldnt sleep a wink. I couldnt sleep a wink. He was dead as a doornail. He was dead as a doornail. Shes a tower of strength. Shes a tower of strength. They hoodwinked us. They hoodwinked us. Im green-eyed with jealousy. Im green-eyed with jealousy. Wed better lie low for awhile. Wed better lie low for awhile. Keep a civil tongue in your head. Keep a civil tongue in your head.
They are just some of the many expressions coined by that master of language, William Shakespeare.
Now, let the show begin!
Sources Used Fashion pictures from High Fashion in Shakespeares Time by Andrew Brownfoot, Five Castles Press Ltd., 1992 Fashion pictures from High Fashion in Shakespeares Time by Andrew Brownfoot, Five Castles Press Ltd., 1992 Shakespeares Book of Insults, Insights, & Infinite Jests, by John W. Seder, Templegate Publishers, 1984 Shakespeares Book of Insults, Insights, & Infinite Jests, by John W. Seder, Templegate Publishers, 1984 The Story of English by Robert McCrum, et. al., Penguin Books, 1987 The Story of English by Robert McCrum, et. al., Penguin Books, 1987