William Shakespeare and the Globe By Aliki

William Shakespeare has been called “The Greatest Writer in the English Language.”

He was born on April 23, 1564 in a small English town of Stratford-upon- Avon. It was called this because it was nestled next to the River Avon.

Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in He was 18 and she was 26. The home of Anne Hathaway.

They had 3 children. Susanna 1583 Susanna 1583 Judith 1585 Hamnet 1585

James Burbage, below, built the first public playhouse in England

In the Early 1590s,the plague in London led to theatre closings.

Shakespeare turned to poetry writing. He wrote 154 sonnets (or poems). “Shall I compare thee to a summer day... ?”-a line from Sonnet 18

Ben Jonson,a fellow playwright, called Shakespeare “Sweet Swan of Avon.” He was later nicknamed “Bard (or poet) of Avon.” Ben Jonson

The Globe Theatre opened by mid-1599

It was an Open-air Playhouse

From Shakespeare wrote 36 plays. Mel Gibson, in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Queen Elizabeth I Monarch of England (at age 25) from Her father, Henry VIII, beheaded her mother for treason Believed in a strong navy Commerce, industry, and the arts flourished A huge patron of the arts and especially of Shakespeare’s plays

The Globe burnt down in 1613, during a performance of Henry VIII.

The Globe was rebuilt in 1997 just 200 meters from the original site.

More Photos of the Globe

The River Thames

An aerial view of the Thames

London Bridge

A wherry, used in Shakespeare’s time to transport people across the river.

Credits Glatzer, P. “Shakespeare.” KIDS DISCOVER 10 (2000): praefcke.de/carthalia/uk/uk_london__theatres.htm 2.htmhttp:// praefcke.de/carthalia/uk/uk_london__theatres.htm 2.htm