“A Coming of Age Story” set in Elizabethan Times Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease “A Coming of Age Story” set in Elizabethan Times Making connections among: Cue for Treason, Shakespeare in Love Romeo and Juliet

A little bit about Shakespeare http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDkt1MlLd gc

He is considered “the bard” of Avon. William Shakespeare Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He died on April 23, 1616. He is considered “the bard” of Avon. He wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems and other poems. At 18, he married Anne Hathaway. He had three children: Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith. Bard = a professional poet

Shakespeare Continued…. Before becoming a playwright, Shakespeare was a successful actor. Few records of his private life survive. This is Shakespeare’s family home.

Shakespeare Continued Shakespeare’s works are still read today because they contain insights about the human condition. “Romeo and Juliet” is one of the early plays written by Shakespeare. It was written in 1594 or 1595.

About Cue for Treason Two young runaways become boy actors, at first on the road and later in London, where they are befriended by William Shakespeare. They become aware of a plot against Queen Elizabeth's life and attempt to prevent it.

More about Cue for Treason This story is about a young 14 year old boy named Peter who resides in Cumberland in the north of England. Peter is against the theft of his village's farmland by Sir Philip Morton, so he gets involved in a secret night protest. He throws a rock at Sir Philip Morton and has to flee his village in order to escape prosecution. He ends up in Penrith, but has to flee again because he accidentally runs into Sir Philip Morton at a play. The actors and actresses, of the poor acting troop putting on the play, find him hiding and take him with them. He performs with them along with another run-away named Kit Kirkstone. Peter and Kit become close friends. The troop breaks up and parts ways!!!

Plot line Continued Peter and Kit eventually find themselves amongst Richard Burbage’s “Lord Chamberlain’s Men”, a wealthy renowned acting company to which Shakespeare belonged. He and Kit are initially turned down by the troop, but Shakespeare sees them perform and takes them on as apprentices! Sir Morton and his men pursue Peter, following the acting troop from place to place… so the adventure continues!!! Eventually Kit and Peter have the privilege of acting before & meeting Queen Elizabeth I !!!

The Setting of Cue for Treason The novel is set in Elizabethan England at the end of the 16th century.

Map of Elizabethan England Let’s find North Cumberland, Penrith & London!!!! Penrith = in Cumbria

The route Peter followed on his journey 12

Important Characters Peter Brownrigg - Narrator and protagonist. 14- year-old Cumberland boy, Kit's friend Kit Kirkstone- Protagonist. Runaway, (not who he appears to be), Peter's friend Sir Philip Morton - Antagonist. Ruthless landlord and conspiracy leader Mr Desmond - Actor Mrs Desmond - Mr Desmond's wife Anthony Duncan - Conspirator John Somers - Actor, conspirator, assassin Tom Boyd - Secret agent

Levels of Social Status $ Wealth from owning land Royalty - King/Queen who reigns by hereditary rights) Nobility - upper social class of privilege (heredity) - power, wealth, title, land (castle) Wealth from trade not land Knights - granted honourary title by monarch; class of lower nobility Yeomen farmers who owned land (Peter’s family) “Customary” tenants or “Copyholders” “Hired Labourers” Poor Landless & Unemployed/Unemployable The Gentry and New Merchant Class -middle class who upheld interests of ruling class; economic managers of materials and goods; businessmen

A Modernized Cue for Treason? “Shakespeare in Love” ??? Well it’s not a modernized version but there are certainly similarities and allusions to Trease’s works! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovAPEY2P4 1Q

Plot line of “Shakespeare in Love” “Will Shakespeare is a known but struggling poet, playwright and actor who not only has sold his next play to both Philip Henslow and Richard Burbidge but now faces a far more difficult problem: he is bereft of ideas and has yet to begin writing. He is in search of his muse, the woman who will inspire him but all attempts fail him until he meets the beautiful Viola de Lesseps. She loves the theatre and would like nothing more than to take to the stage but is forbidden from doing so as only men can be actors. She is also a great admirer of Shakespeare's works. Dressing as a man and going by the name of Thomas Kent, she auditions and is ideal for a part in his next play. Shakespeare soon see through her disguise and they begin a love affair.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138097/plotsummary Bereft: out of ideas Twelfth Night: Viola- a cast-away cross dresser- she dresses up as Cesario, the servant of a Duke!!!

Some things we need to know.. What is a sonnet? The sonnet was created in 15th century Italy. In the 1590’s a sonnet craze swept through Elizabethan England. Shakespeare wrote over 150 sonnets. A Shakespearean sonnet is usually 14 lines of verse in iambic pentameter with a rhyming scheme that goes like this: ABABCDCDEFEFGG

Sample Sonnet Sonnet 18 Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day? Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd; But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou growest: So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this and this gives life to thee.

Before we begin, let’s brainstorm: What literary works did you read this year that could be considered Coming-of-Age stories? How do you know when someone has matured from a boy to a young man or a girl to a woman?