1. Our World’s Greatest Playwright
William Shakespeare
Our World’s Greatest Playwright

2. In the beginning. . . Born late April 1564 Born in Stratford-upon-Avon
Baptized April 26, so probably born 3 days earlier on April 23

3. Parents
Father: John glove maker, wool merchant, and “High Bailiff” mayor; died 1601
Mother: Mary Arden, daughter of a successful farmer; died 1608
3rd of 8 children
First born son
Shakespeare’s birthplace
in Stratford-upon-Avon

4. Education Began at about age 5 Stratford grammar school
Long days: 6 a.m.-early evening
Year-round school (except major holidays)
Shakespeare’s School Room, King Edward VI School

5. Anne Hathaway’s Cottage
Marriage
Anne Hathaway
Nov. 1582
He was 18; she was 26 and pregnant
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

6. Children
Susanna: born May 26, 1583; married Dr. John Hall in 1607; had one child Elizabeth; died 1649
Hamnet: a twin born February 2, 1585; died at age 11 and buried on August 11, 1596
Judith: a twin born February 2, 1585; married Thomas Quiney and had 3 children (none lived to be older than 21); died 1662

7. Shakespeare’s Genealogy

8. Daughter, Susanna’s home
Places to See
Mary Arden’s house
(where his mother grew up)
The Gardens at the New Place
Nash’s House and
New Place
(His granddaughter Elizabeth’s home. He built his retirement home next to hers.)
Hall’s Croft
Daughter, Susanna’s home

9. The Lost Years 1585-1592 Theories: traveled to Italy
fought in Low Countries
studied law / medicine
worked as an apprentice actor/writer
By 1592, Shakespeare had a successful career in London

10. The Theater Actor Playwright
Part owner of the acting company he wrote for, Lord Chamberlain’s Men
LC’sM renamed King’s Men after James was king in 1603
He became rich from acting company rather than sale of plays

11. The Globe First opened in 1599 Destroyed by fire in 1613 today
1614 reconstruction

12. Plays, Sonnets, and More Over 37 plays: comedy, history, tragedy
Over 150 sonnets
2 lengthy narrative poems
Comedy History Tragedy
All’s Well That Ends Well Henry IV, pt 1 Antony and Cleopatra
As You Like It Henry IV, pt 2 Coriolanus
The Comedy of Errors Henry V Hamlet
Cymbeline Henry VI, pt 1 Julius Caesar
Love’s Labours Lost Henry VI, pt 2 King Lear
Measure for Measure Henry VI, pt 3 Macbeth
The Merry Wives of Windsor Henry VIII Othello
The Merchant of Venice King John Romeo and Juliet
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Richard II Timon of Athens
Much Ado About Nothing Richard III Titus Andronicus
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Taming of the Shrew
The Tempest
Troilus and Cressida
Twelfth Night
Two Gentlemen of Verona
Winter’s Tale

13. Our Language, Thanks to Shakespeare
Words that first appeared in his plays:
Admirable attorney bedroom
Distasteful fashionable frugal
Laughable mimic successful
Phrases:
“at one fell swoop” or “sick at heart”
Sentences:
“all the world’s a stage”
“to thine own self be true”
“the course of true love never did run smooth”

14. More Words and Phrases . . .
Of the 17,677 words that Shakespeare used in all of his plays and sonnets, he was the first to use over 1,700 of them. He wrote many of the words and phrases that we consider clichés today. Which of the following words and phrases do you think Shakespeare coined?
Heartsick Heart of gold
One fell swoop Long-haired
Naked truth Foregone conclusion
Break the ice It’s Greek to me
Hot-blooded Eat out of house and home
Leapfrog Too much of a good thing
Fancy-free Wear one’s hear on one’s sleeve
Live-long day The milk of human kindness

15. Even More Words and Phrases
Some of the words we write and speak today in the English language many not have come into use without Shakespeare. The following is a list of some of the words he was first to write:
gnarled frugal bump
countless lonely eventful
dwindle radiance control
laughable misplaced impartial
amazement obscene generous
hurry road critic
Which of these words do you use most in your daily vocabulary? What would you say instead if Shakespeare had never written these words?

16. William’s Will Dated March 25, 1616
10 pounds to “the poor of Stratford”
Money to 3 actors of his company
150 pounds to Judith (another 150 pounds 3 years later)
Most to his daughter Susanna
Wife, Anne, afterthought, “Item, I give unto my wife my second best bed with the furniture”

17. His Gravesite Died April 23, 1616
Shakespeare is buried at Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford
An inscription on his tombstone reads:
Good friend, for Jesus´ sake forbeare To digg the dust enclosed here! Blest be ye man that spares thes stones And curst be he that moues my bones.

18. First Folio Written by John Heminges & Henry Condell (actors)
Published in 1623
36 of his plays included (18 for the first time)
“to keep the memory of so worthy a friend and fellow alive”