Who is William Shakespeare?

He lived In England in the 1500s

● Trade during the 1300s and 1400s had created a more global society

○ Countries knew more about each other

○ Cultures were being shared in the Eastern Hemisphere

● Time Period is called the Renaissance - focus on trade, science, and art

○ Copernicus/Galileo - world was round and circled the sun

○ Christopher Columbus/Ferdinand Magellan explored

He lived during this Renaissance Period

● Michelangelo/Da Vinci painted and sculpted lifelike human beings

● Shakespeare and others wrote about complex human personalities

● Civil War in England (Shakespeare’s home) brought the Renaissance late

○ From Henry the VII (great guy) to Henry the VIII (troubled guy) England saw changes.

○ Henry the VIII had a daughter, Elizabeth who reigned from 1558 - 1603

Her reign became known as the Elizabethan Era

● Referred to as the Golden Age

● Elizabeth was moderate and frugal - bringing economic stability to England

● Commerce and therefore Culture thrived

○ Mapmaking, inventions, transportation, craftwork (wares), music, art, and drama all thrived

● London becomes busy center of commerce (River Thames - Tehms)

● Attracted immigrants and travelers

● Class system more fluid - women had more rights

Shakespeare’s Theater in the Round

● Audience included all levels of society

● Shakespeare used Greek and Roman Storylines

● In 1599, a large successful theater, called The Globe, was built outside London

○ Round/octogonal

○ State in center, open to sky

○ Stretched to the pit - lower class stood there to watch

○ Galleries were for the upper class to sit

Staging

● The area right behind the stage was where actors entered and exited

○ trap door for unusual entrances - ghosts, witches, etc.

● a second stage for scenes like the famous Romeo and Juliet

● No artificial light - performances were in daylight

● No set changes. Set was told during dialogue or monologue

● Special effects simple - smoke, for example, to cover sudden disappearances

● Costumes are elaborate - colorful and fun

Shakespeare’s Life 1564 - 1616● Stratford, England

○ Market town, 75 miles north of London

● His mother, Mary Arden, was the daughter of a wealthy farmer

● Shakespeare would have gone to elementary school

○ studied Latin and Greek, English, History

● Shakespeare, age 18, married Anne Hathaway, a woman 10 years older than he

○ She was pregnant when they married. They have 3 children. Two girls and a boy. One of

the girls and the boy were twins.

Much of Shakespeare’s Life is Mysterious

● His family stays in Stratford, but he goes to London and becomes an actor

○ 1592

● Quickly begins writing and hanging around the theater crowd.

○ Many comedies and romances at this time

● Became part owner of the theater company.

○ Three sources of money: acting, writing, owner

● Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, dies at a young age

○ Shakespeare’s plays turn darker, more depressing

Words and phrases created by or popularized by WSAs good luck would have it - The Merry Wives of WindsorAs merry as the day is long - Much Ado About NothingBated breath - The Merchant of VeniceBrave new world - The TempestBreak the ice - The Taming of the ShrewRefuse to budge an inch - Measure for Measure and Taming of the ShrewDead as a doornail - Henry the VI, Part 2Eaten me out of house and home - Henry the VI, Part 2Faint-hearted - Henry the VI, Part 1Fancy free - A Midsummer Night’s DreamForever and a day - As You Like ItFor goodness’ sake - Henry the VIIIGood riddance - Troilus and CressidaHeart of gold - Henry the VKnock, knock. Who’s there? - Macbeth