Shakespeare Review: Necessary Background on Shakespeare, His Work, and His Time

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Shakespeare ReviewNecessary Background on
Shakespeare, His Work, and His Time

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Shakespeares Life

• Little is known about
• William Shakespeares
• life because no one kept
• any records on him.
• Everything we know has
• Been pieced together
• from various sources.
• Here are the highlights

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Shakespeares Life

• I. Birth date and his family.
• 1. Born April 23, 1564
• a. in Stratford-upon Avon, England.
• 2. His parents were John and Mary
  Shakespeare.
• a. Father was a glovemaker
• 3. He was one of 8 children.
• a. Two siblings died in infancy

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Shakespeares Life

• II. Education
• 1. William went to the local grammar school
  where he studied Latin, Greek and other subjects
  (his classmates were all boys).

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Shakespeares Life

• III. William marries Anne Hathaway, November 27,
  1582.
• 1. William is 18, Anne is 26.
• 2. They had three children, the two youngest
  were twins.
• 3. We dont know the particulars, but Will ends
  up living away from home- when he dies he leaves
  his wife his second best bed.

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Shakespeares Life

• IV. Nothing is recorded about his life until he
  begins acting in London in 1592.
• 1. He joined a theater company called The Lord
  Chamberlains men, the best in London.
• 2. He worked as an Actor and Playwright.
• 3. His main theater was the Globe theater in
  London.

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Shakespeares Life

• V. As a writer
• 1. He wrote 36 plays, and at least 159 poems.
• 2. Seven years after his death, his friends
  published his plays in The First Folio. Without
  this piece, we would have lost Shakespeares
  work.
• 3. Some historians question whether or not 4 of
  his plays are his.
• VI. His later years.
• 1. Shakespeare returned to Stratford
  (1614-1616?).
• 2. He died on his Birthday, April 23, 1616.

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ONE OF THE REASONS FOR SHAKESPEARES SUCCESS IS
THE TIME IT WAS THE TIME OF THE RENAISSANCE IN
THE ARTS AND SCIENCES. HE WAS ALSO SUPPORTED BY
TWO OPEN-MINDED MONARCHS.

• 1. QUEEN ELIZABETH I
• REIGNED FROM 1558 TO
• 1603, SHE WAS AVERY
• LIBERAL-MINDED MONARCH
• WHO ENJOYED THE THEATER
• AND WROTE PLAYS FOR
• SPECIAL PERFORMANCES.
• SHAKESPEARE GAVE 32
• PERFORMANCES AT
• HER COURT.

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ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THIS RENAISSANCE IN THE
ARTS AND SCIENCES, WAS THE INTEREST AND SUPPORT
OF TWO OPEN-MINDED MONARCHS.

• 2). KING JAMES
• Reigned from 1603 to
• 1625, he wrote poems
• and plays also. He saw
• many plays performed,
• at least half of which
• were written by
• Shakespeare.

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The Theatre

• Here are some examples of how life was different
  
• A show lasted about 2 1/2 hours
• There were only afternoon shows
• The roof was open in the center because there
  were no lights
• There were no special effects like today. The
  most they had
• were trap doors to disappear from, and
  scaffolding to climb on
• There were no female actors. Guys played all the
  female parts

• There were no programs, people held up signs for
  any important information
• There were seats on the stage
• The audience yelled, spoke to and threw things
  at the actors
• Most people stood in a general admission area (I
  mean stood for 2 1/2 hours!!!)

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What the Audience wanted

• Lots of action-duels, murder, headless men,
  drinking soldiers, ghosts, etc.
• Puns, bawdy jokes, physical humor
• Good verses Evil
• Noise!!! Music, shouting, clanging, screaming,
  etc.

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THE END