William Shakespeare

1
William Shakespeare

• April 23, 1564 (?)
• -
• April 23, 1616

2
Early Life

• Born in Stratford, England
• On the banks of the Avon River
• Son of a glove-maker
• Christening April 26, 1564
• Third of eight children
• Nov. 1582- Married Anne Hathaway
• 8 years older than he
• May 1583 child Susanna baptized
• (you do the math)
• Living in London (1589)

3
Popular Entertainer

• Actor
• Director
• Writer
• Partner

• Contemporaries recognized his genius
• Modern-day examples of people who act, direct,
  write, and own Mel Brooks, Robert Redford, Tyler
  Perry, Kevin Smith

4
Business Man

• Acting, writing, directing paid the bills
• Real wealth his share of the ticket receipts.
• Part owner of the acting company
• Part owner of the theater (Globe)
• (think Houston Astros owner)
• - did send money home to his wife
• - bought one of the largest homes in Stratford
  for his family
• - bought respectability coat-of-arms

5
Criticisms of Shakespeare

• Education was limited
• - had church bells (not invented until medieval
  times in Rome)
• Didnt travel and see the world
• Never visited Italy mistakes in plays
• Knew little of foreign languages
• Commoner
• Wrote of intimate details that would have been
  unknown to him

6
Popular Entertainment

• No cinema, no television, no football
• Wealthy people hired musicians, actors, dancers
  and fencers
• Everyone else had to find entertainment In
  London, it was
• Theater
• Today Go to a movie, then a bar or nightclub
• Then Go to a play, then a tavern

7
Wrong Side of the River

• The lifestyles of the rich and famous
• Fun to watch and read about
• Theaters were disreputable
• Banned from London
• Built outside city limits (across the Thames
  Rivers)
• Southwark (Red-light district)
• Prostitutes, charlatans, actors
• Women prohibited from acting immoral
• Boys played female characters

8
The Globe

• First Globe burned in 1613Second Globe torn down
  by Puritans in 1644Circular outdoor theater
  100 feet acrossWooden OStage 50x25, jutted
  out into audienceGroundlings those who stood
  on the ground around the stage paid the
  leastGalleries seats that formed the walls of
  the theater extra feeBox seats cost even
  more3,000 attendeesMost money spent on
  costumes, not set

9
Understanding Shakespeare

• Understanding his world helps to understand his
  plays

10
Wills World

• Themes
• Central themes are universal and unchanging
• Lust, greed, ambition, jealousy, cowardice,
  loyalty, honor, love, pride, basic human emotions
• Attitudes about royalty and birthright today are
  different however.

11
Wills World

• Religion
• Today, separation of church and state
• Then, the two are not easily separated
• integral role as background in Wills plays
• Shakespeare was born in a newly protestant
  country that was rooted in Catholicism
• Buried in a church, rare for actor

12
Wills World

• Natural Order (theory)
• Kings were kings peasants were peasants
• Born into a class married within your class
  lived your life by your class
• Might move up slightly if extremely successful
• Social position a consequence of birth

13
Wills World

• Natural Order, continued
• In practice, change did occur, but large-scale
  changes invited disaster
• Marriages were arranged
• Marriages for politics, avoid war, not for love

14
Wills World

• Natural Order, continued
• If you mess around with Natural Order, expect
  earthquakes, plagues, and storms (often an omen
  in plays)
• Kings were to act as kings servants as servants

15
Wills World

• Natural Order (continued)
• God
• Angels
• Mankind
• Kings
• Princes
• Gentry
• Merchant (middle)
• Peasants
• Slaves
• Animals

Kings received their right to rule from God to
oppose the king was to oppose God.
Plays often centered around desire of dukes,
earls, etc. not peasants (upset the natural order
too much)
16
Wills World

• Titles of Nobility
• King/Queen
• Princes/Princesschildren of monarch
• Duke/Duchess next highest
• Earl, Thane, Count/Countess ruled a county
• Baron/Baroness - Lord or Lady
• Knight lowest member of aristocracy

17
Wills World

• Nature versus nurture
• Some behavior was inborn
• Birth fixed your social status and your character
  traits
• Astrology was a part of everyday life
• Bastards
• People of noble birth acted nobly
• People born illegitimately acted illegitimately.

18
Wills World

• Body and Mind
• Medicine was simplistic believed in humors
• Black bile phlegm blood, yellow bile
• Good health required a balance of the four
• Imbalance of the four dictated ones personality
• Melancholic, phlegmatic (lethargic), sanguine
  (Jovial), or choleric (angry).
• Hes in a bad humor.

19
Wills World

• Racial Prejudice
• Not politically correct
• Jews, blacks, anyone else who did not fit the
  English mold faced discrimination
• Shakespeare grew up in this environment
• Plays reflect the society
• He did avoid stereotypes made complex characters

20
Shakespeares Play Structure

• Five Acts
• First act introduces the characters and sets up
  the story
• Second act expands the story
• Third act pivotal act.
• Fourth act action unfolds plans collide
• Fifth Act brings all the pieces together heroes
  learn their lesson

21
The Three Unities

• Aristotle's rules for playwriting
• Single plot line
• Unity of time
• Unity of space

22
Shakespeares Language
23
English

• Old English
• Anglo/Saxon German influence
• Beowulf

24
Old English5th 11th Centuries

• Hwät! we Gâr-Dena in geâr-dagumþeód-cyninga þrym
  gefrunon,hû þâ äðelingas ellen fremedon.Oft
  Scyld Scêfing sceaðena þreátum.
• From Beowulf

25
Old English5th 11th Centuries

• Lo! the Spear-Danes' glory through splendid
  achievements. The folk-kings' former fame we have
  heard of, How princes displayed then their
  prowess-in-battle. Oft Scyld the Scefing from
  scathers in numbers

26
Middle English

• Middle English
• French influence
• William the Conqueror/Battle of Hastings in 1066
• The Canterbury Tales

27
Middle English11th 15th Centuries

• Ye seken lond and see for your wynnynges, As wise
  folk ye knowen all th'estaat Of regnes ye been
  fadres of tydynges And tales, bothe of pees and
  of debaat.
• (The Man of Law's Tale)

28
Middle English11th 15th Centuries

• You seek land and sea for your winnings,As wise
  folk you know all the estateOf kingdoms you be
  fathers of tidings,And tales, both of peace and
  of debate.

29
Early Modern English

• Modern English
• Shakespeares English is considered Modern but it
  is still older than todays version
• King James version of the Bible

30
Languages Change

• Languages change over time
• Word order can be different
• Only his gift is in devising impossible
  slanders
• His only gift is in devising impossible slanders
• Words come in/out of use
• thou ye thine
• Word meaning changes

31
Formal vs. Familiar

• Three different ways to say you
• You
• Thou
• Ye
• How these words are used tells us about the
  character and relationship

32
Formal vs. Familiar

• Thou informal, used among friends, to address
  children or servants, God
• (think Bible written for the commoner)
• Thou/thee
• Dost thou knoweth who speaketh to thee?
• Do you know who speaks to you?
• You formal, to address a stranger, or someone
  of higher station
• Ye plural form (you all yall)

33
Formal vs. Familiar

• Thy thine are possessives of thou
• Thy before consonants Thy book
• Thine before vowels Thine apple
• Lovers and friends use thou
• Thee used in the objective case
• I gave the book to thee.

34
Verbs

• Thou art you are
• Thou hast you have
• With thou you add a t, st ,or est to the verb
• Thou shalt, thou canst, thou dost, thou knowest,
  thou wilt
• Shakespeare mixes his verbs
• Ist/is hath/has
• Sometime you have to add eth knoweth

35
Contractions

• Ist is it
• t it
• tis it is
• oer over
• eer ever
• neer never
• Alterd altered read the same

36
Common Words

• A he
• An, and if
• Anon soon
• Brave courageous, but also splendid
• Conceit thought
• Cousin, coz relative or close friend
• Cuckold husband of an unfaithful wife
• Cur dog
• Fain gladly
• Forsooth truth

37
Common Words

• Gaol jail
• Hap haply perhaps
• Hence away from here
• Hither here
• Mistress can be applied to any woman
• Sirrah addresses a man or boy of low station
• Tarry wait
• Thence away from here
• Troth faith
• Welkin sky
• Wench girl or young woman
• Wherefore why
• Whither where to?

38
Playing with Words

• Puns
• double meanings
• Malapropisms
• Using words incorrectly
• Slapstick
• Physical humor
• Comic Interludes
• Funny moments/scenes
• Bawdiness
• Dirty but not filthy (coarse)
• Innuendo
• Subtle jokes with a sexual connotation

39
Questions over Shakespeare

1. Where did Shakespeare grow up?
2. Why were plays performed during the day?
3. Where were many of Shakespeares plays first
   performed?

40
Questions over Shakespeare

• 4. During which period did William Shakespeare
  live and work?
• 5.Where was Shakespeare born?
• 6. What was the name of the theatrical company of
  which Shakespeare was a member?
• 7. Give me at least two attributes of the Globe
  theater.

41
Questions over Shakespeare True or False

• 8. Elizabethan audiences listened intently to the
  words of a play.
• 9. Shakespeare used words to express the setting
  and mood of his plays.
• 10. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, described
  tragedy as an illustration of art
• 11. Medieval art was deeply symbolic.