1. William Shakespeare
The man
The Legend

2. Basics Born: 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon Son of Mary and John
One of 8 children
Died: 1616 in Stratford-upon-Avon
Married: Anne Hathaway in 1582 in Stratford-upon-Avon

3. A Man of Mystery… Not much is known about Shakespeare
Between 1587 and 1592 there are no records or documents or ANYTHING that tells us what was going on: The Lost Years
In 1592, he shows up in London as an actor and a writer.

4. The Works of Shakespeare
37 plays (between 1590 and 1614)
Many poems and sonnets. His sonnets are quite famous.
There is a lot of debate currently surrounding Shakespeare and his plays.

5. The Setting: Playhouses
Plays were THE places to be
Catered to all classes
Poor stood on the floor
Rich had seating, stadium style
Indoor halls and outdoor amphitheatres
Not a ton of scenery (props)

6. The Globe Built in 1599 Open-air amphitheatre
Owned by Lord Chamberlain’s Men
Burned down in 1613 during performance of Henry VIII
Rebuilt and could hold 3,000

7. Companies of Players Player = Actor No women allowed
Often times, writers would write plays for different companies of players
The Queen, Elizabeth 1 demanded that players be licensed
Examples
Queen’s Men
Admiral’s Men
Lord Strange’s Men
Lord Chamberlain’s Men
King’s Men

8. Romeo and Juliet A tragedy Star-Crossed Lovers
Romeo’s family hates Juliet’s family…this is the story of how they come together despite that
Capulets vs. Montagues