1. 1 William Shakespeare The World's Most Famous Writer

2. 2 Shakespeare is considered the world's greatest dramatist. Born – April 23, 1564 Died – April 23, 1616 Stratford-upon-Avon, England Middle-Class parents Shakespeare was 3 rd of 8 children

3. 3 Great Britain, including England, Shakespeare’s home

4. 4 England

5. 5 Stratford-Upon-Avon, where Shakespeare was born and raised London, where Shakespeare’s reputation was born (and where his was located)

6. 6 1571 – Shakespeare probably (records lost) began attending the King's New School, a grammar school of good quality in Stratford Teachers at the school were graduates of Oxford University and were very strict with students

7. 7 1582 – Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway – he was 18, she was 26. She gave birth to a daughter the next year. Little is known about the next 8-10 years of Shakespeare's life – few records exist (Scholars call this period The Lost Years) Most likely he was in London trying to succeed in the theatre

8. 8 Anne Hathaway’s Home

9. 9 1592 – First evidence that Shakespeare had moved to London and was working in the theater mid-1592-1594 – outbreak of plague closed the London theaters, so… Shakespeare began to write poetry and Became well known for a 14 line poem called a sonnet

10. 10 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd; But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou growest: So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this and this gives life to thee. Sonnet 18

11. 11 1594 – Shakespeare was part of a group that founded the company of players called Lord Chamberlain's Men (later called the King's Men ) Lord Chamberlain's Men was a very successful company of players (actors) – by the turn of the century, they had the: –best actor, Richard Burbage –best theater, The Globe –best playwright, W. Shakespeare

12. Only men were allowed to work as actors at the time, so women’s roles in plays were usually played by boys & young men. Because of this, playwrights often limited female characters’ lines and stage time as much as possible. We often overlook this fact when considering Shakespeare’s plays, but it’s something to keep in mind when you imagine the portrayal of his female characters. 12

13. 13 1594-1608 – Shakespeare worked in London as a playwright and actor. (Age 30-45) This is the period when he solidified himself as the most popular playwright in London. He did not gain recognition as an unrivaled genius until later generations studied his works more closely.

14. 14 1599 – Shakespeare and his partners built a new theater in a suburb of London. It was called The Globe - his 10-12% ownership in this theater helped Shakespeare make his fortune The Globe was one of the largest in the London area – held 3,000 spectators (for reference, there are about 1,300 students at North)

15. 15 The Globe (This is a modern recreation of the theater.)

16. 16 The first play ever performed at The Globe was Shakespeare’s own “Julius Caesar”. The Globe later burned down during a performance of “Henry VIII”. A cannon was fired for special effect in one of the scenes. Some of the sparks landed on the thatch of the roof and created a monstrous fire.

17. 17 1599-1608 – Period in which Shakespeare wrote the plays which made him famous: comedies Much Ado About Nothing and Twelfth Night; the history Henry V, and great tragedies Antony and Cleopatra, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth, and Othello 1608-1616 – Shakespeare most likely split his time between Stratford and London

18. 18 Shakespeare wrote only 4 plays during the last 8 years of his life April 23, 1616 – Shakespeare died and was buried inside the Stratford parish church Shakespeare wrote 37 plays, which have been divided into comedies, histories, and tragedies

19. 19 Trinity Church, burial site of Shakespeare

20. 20 Burial site, inside the church

21. Shakespeare’s grave reads: “Good friend for Jesus sake forbear, To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man who spares these stones, And cursed be he who moves my bones.” 21

22. 22 Reason for his appeal? 1) understanding of human nature 2) knew people's motivations, desires, fears – still valid 400 years later 3) had to make great use of language because of the conditions of the theater at that time: no lights, no scenery

23. 23 4) produced characters that have meaning beyond the time and place of his plays (timeless) 5) created remarkably individual characters for his plays. Kings, pickpockets, drunks, generals, hired killers, shepherds, and philosophers all mingle in Shakespeare's plays 6) was a master of language and symbolism

24. Significance today Shakespeare's plays are still extremely popular today Many have been made into movies – some several times –Plays are still read, debated and discussed: 400 years after he wrote them 24

25. Have you seen these Shakespeare movies? “West Side Story” – (Romeo and Juliet) “10 Things I Hate About You” – (Taming of the Shrew) “She’s The Man” – (Twelfth Night) “Much Ado About Nothing” “The Lion King” – (Hamlet and Richard III) 25

26. Significance today Most serious actors still consider performing Shakespearean plays to be the toughest test of an actor’s skills Ralph Fiennes Alan Rickman Maggie Smith Michael Gambon Emma Thompson Glenn Close Judi Dench Mel Gibson Ethan Hawke Ian McKellen Keanu Reeves James Earl Jones John Lithgow 26

27. Significance today Shakespeare "invented" many words & phrases that are still used today: lonely academe leapfrog assassin swagger All that glitters is not gold All's well that ends well Brave new world Break the ice Come what may For goodness' sake 27 Good riddance Heart of gold It was Greek to me Kill with kindness Love is blind Naked truth Full circle

28. Significance today Neither rhyme nor reason Not slept one wink Laughing stock Lie low Melted into thin air Own flesh and blood Seen better days Send packing A sorry sight Spotless reputation There's no such thing Wear my heart upon my sleeve What's done is done Wild-goose chase The world's my oyster 28