1. William Shakespeare
An Introduction

2. William Shakespeare Born April 23, 1564
Baptized three days after birth
Plague
People died by the thousands
Third child of John and Mary Shakespeare
First two children died in childhood
John—leatherworker
Became high bailiff

3. As a Young’n Shakespeare watched “Traveling Players”
Traveling theatre
Childhood memories inspired plays
Did not go to college
“Lost Years” – Shakespeare’s 20s
No record of Shakespeare during this time

4. Married Life Married Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582
Had three children
Hamnet
Suzanna
Judith
Not this Anne Hathaway.

5. Professional Life Began writing in Stratford Upon Avon Moved to London
Became playwright
1592: Actor and Writer
“Two Gentlemen of Verona”
Became very famous
All plays were written and performed in English
Blank Verse
Poetry written in regular metrical but unrhymed lines
Almost always iambic pentameters

6. Shakespeare’s Writing
Wrote vast range of material
Sonnets
Early comedy
History
Classical plays
Narrative poems and essays
Tragedies

7. Theatre Was always working on a deadline Rehearsed in morning
Acted in afternoon
Spent time working in Pubs

8. Plague People with symptoms had a 70% chance of dying. Summer of 1596
Has killed over 25 million people since the 1300s.
Summer of 1596
Hamnet died

9. Globe Theatre Partly owned by Shakespeare Won great acclaim No scenery
Open light
Simple costumes
Relied on imaginations
All women’s parts were played by men
Was not proper for women to act in public

10. Later in Life 1603 1604-1607 1613 Became King’s men Now a gentleman
“Othello”
“Macbeth”
“King Lear”
1613
Globe Theatre destroyed
Burned to ground
End of career
Returned to Stratford
Wealthy man

11. April 23, 1616 Died at age of 52 Wrote own epithet
Literally, it was his birthday.
Wrote own epithet
Left everything to Suzanna and her husband
Left wife, Anne, the second best bed

12. List 1 List 2 List 3 Pernicious Augment Covert Grievance Transgression
Heretics
Disparage
Prodigious
Consort
Cunning
Procure
Vile
Predominant
Intercession
Sallow
Waver
Lament
Unwieldy
Devise
Gallant
Fray
Martial
Exile
Eloquent
Vanished
Fickle
Pensive

13. Prologue Original Text Modern Translation
Two households, both alike in dignity (In fair Verona, where we lay our scene), From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life, Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-marked love And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove, Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage— The which, if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
In the beautiful city of Verona, where our story takes place, a long-standing hatred between two families erupts into new violence, and citizens stain their hands with the blood of their fellow citizens. Two unlucky children of these enemy families become lovers and commit suicide. Their unfortunate deaths put an end to their parents' feud. For the next two hours, we will watch the story of their doomed love and their parents' anger, which nothing but the children’s deaths could stop. If you listen to us patiently, we’ll make up for everything we’ve left out in this prologue onstage. © No Fear Shakespeare