Adapted from nglish_321_S2005/Introduction.ppt William Shakespeare Part I

Early Life Born 1564—died 1616 Lived in Stratford-upon-Avon Parents: John and Mary Arden Shakespeare Mary—daughter of wealthy landowner John—glovemaker, local politician 3 rd child of 8 children

Early Life

As reproduced in William Rolfe, Shakespeare the Boy (1896). Stratford-on-Avon in Shakespeare’s Time

From Stratford’s web site: Stratford-upon-Avon Today

From: Shakespeare’s Birthplace

Probably attended King’s New School in Stratford Received excellent education with heavy focus on grammar and literature Educated in: Rhetoric Logic History Latin Education

From: King’s New School

Married at the age of 18 in 1582 to Anne Hathaway (she was 26), who was pregnant at the time with their first daughter First child was a daughter, Susanna - born in 1583 Had twins Hamnet and Judith born in Hamnet dies at age 11 Married Life

From: Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Moved to London around 1591 and became an actor Member and later part-owner of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later called the King’s Men Globe Theater built in 1599 by L.C.M. with Shakespeare as primary investor Burned down in 1613 during one of Shakespeare’s plays Theatre Career

Works of Literature Along with acting, he also wrote some of the most renowned and studied literature written in the English language Poems - famous for his sonnets (he wrote approximately 154 Sonnets) Plays - Comedies, Tragedies, and Histories

The Plays 37 plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare 14 comedies 11 histories 12 tragedies Collaborated on several others His vocabulary was HUGE-somewhere between 17,000 and 34,000 words! The estimated vocabulary of an educated person today is around 15,000 words

Comedies More Known Comedies Twelfth Night Merchant of Venice Midsummer Night's Dream Taming of the Shrew Much Ado about Nothing All’s Well That Ends Well Tempest Less Known Comedies As You Like It Comedy of Errors Love's Labour's Lost Measure for Measure Merry Wives of Windsor Two Gentlemen of Verona Winter's Tale

Tragedies More Known Tragedies Hamlet Julius Caesar Macbeth Romeo and Juliet Othello King Lear Lesser Known Tragedies Antony and Cleopatra Coriolanus Cymbeline Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus Troilus and Cressida

Histories Henry IV, Part I Henry IV, Part II Henry V Henry VI, Part I Henry VI, Part II Henry VIII King John Pericles Richard II Richard III

Shakespeare's Language Shakespeare did NOT write in “Old English.” Old English is the language of Beowulf: Hwaet! We Gardena in geardagum Þeodcyninga Þrym gefrunon Hu ða æÞelingas ellen fremedon! (Hey! We have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes in the old days, the kings of tribes, how noble princes showed great courage!)

Shakespeare's Language Shakespeare did not write in “Middle English.” Middle English is the language of Chaucer, the Gawain-poet, and Malory: We redeth oft and findeth y-write— And this clerkes wele it wite— Layes that ben in harping Ben y-founde of ferli thing… (Sir Orfeo)

Shakespeare's Language Shakespeare wrote in “Early Modern English.” EME was not very different from “Modern English,”

Shakespeare's Language A mix of old and very new Rural and urban words/images Understandable by the lowest peasant and the highest noble

Works of Literature He had an amazing influence on our English language

Recognize these phrases? I couldn’t sleep a wink. He was dead as a doornail. She’s a tower of strength. They hoodwinked us. We’d better lie low for awhile. I am constant as the Northern Star. It’s all Greek to me.

The Later Years Returned to Stratford around 1610 where he lived as a country gentleman Wealthy-Owned one of the largest homes in town Died in Stratford in 1616 at the age of 52. His death was a mystery. It is rumored that he drank too much and contracted a fever or that he died from a cerebral hemorrhage.