Shakespeare 101

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Shakespeare 101
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The Elizabethan Stage

• Basic Information Theater
• Physical Aspects of Globe
• The Sets and Effects
• The Actors
• Audience Information

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Basic Information

• Plays were performed wherever they could find
  space, usually in court yards
• First permanent theater was bulit in 1576 outside
  of London by James Burbage, named The Theater
• 1599 rent was raised on the land on which the
  the Theater was built because of increase
  Burbages son dismantled the theater and rowed it
  across the river
• Later the reconstructed theater was named THE
  GLOBE

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Elizabethan Courtyard of Inn
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Physical Aspects of the Globe

• described as the Wooden O
• open space - 65 in diameter
• surrounded by a circular building..30 high with
  3 tiers of seats
• stage 5 high, 40X30 rectangle
• small curtained inner stage located at the back
  of the large stage-
• The Heavens
• front part of the stage equipped with a trap door

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The Globe
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New Globe Theater Stage
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The Sets and Effects

• stage bare however flags, banners, and musicians
  used
• actors lowered from heavens by cranes
• sound effects (a cannon) - a spark of a cannon
  was the cause of the fire that destroyed The
  Globe
• torches were used to depict night

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The Elizabethan Actor

• Fencing Audience loved duels!!!
• Tumbling Lots of movement!!!
• Dancing Most plays ended with dancing!!!
• Elocution Words were very important!!!
• Acting Doubled in many roles, females roles
  easily played by young boys due to the use of
  wigs and heavy makeup
• Music Played throughout!!!

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The Elizabethan Actor

• all actors were male - men played all parts both
  male and female
• actors held in disrepute
• considered rogues, vagabonds, sturdy beggars,
  common players

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Audience Information

• Audience usually stood, seats were for those who
  paid
• Local officials were always trying to close
  theaters because they felt the people wasted
  their time there
• 1592-1594 London theaters were closed during the
  plague years for officials felt the disease was
  too easily spread throughout the audience

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Black Death
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William Shakespeares Life (1546-1616)

• Lived from 1564-1616 during the days of Queen
  Elizabeth
• Worlds greatest and most famous poet, playwright

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William Shakespeares Life (1546-1616)

• What was his genius?
• Had an understanding of people
• Skilled in words
• Everyone should know about Shakespeare for the
  English language and the theater has never been
  the same since

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William Shakespeares Life (1546-1616)

• 1564 born in April 23 in Stratford-on-Avon, he
  died on that date in 1616 (age of 52)
• 1564 baptized April 26 1 of 8 children
• 1582 married Anne Hathaway

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William Shakespeares Life (1546-1616)

• 1583 first child born, Susanna
• 1585 twins born, Hamnet and Judith
• 1592 became a famous playwright and actor his
  rival was Robert Greene

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William Shakespeares Life (1546-1616)

• Was an actor for 20 years from 1585-1605
• 1594 Charter member of Lord Chamberlains men,
  1603 it became known as the Kings Men
• Wrote 154 sonnets, 37 plays, 2 book length
  narrative poems Masterpieces Hamlet, Othello,
  Macbeth, and King Lear

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William Shakespeares Life (1546-1616)

• All plays were written for kings paid 40 per
  play plays were popular and please audiences
  characters were real people (historical figures
  in many cases)
• Shakespeare got his ideas from other plays and
  poems rather than his own personal experiences or
  current events from local material
• His plays were published 7 years after his death
• 1623 First Folio published true original
  copies of all of his plays

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William Shakespeares Life

• Why does he appeal?
• He speaks words that we wish we had said. People
  are always quoting him. (examples It was Greek
  to me, in a pickle, a sorry sight, to be or not
  to be, all that glitters is not gold, elbow room,
  the long and short of it)
• He appeals to all kinds of people in all times,
  nations, ages, and levels.
• He is serious, funny, angry, ironical

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William Shakespeares Life

• Why does he appeal?
• He does not make moral judgments.
• He captures in words and actions all the great
  problems that have tormented human beings
  throughout the ages. We take comfort in the fact
  that the hero has flaws and is NOT PERFECT!
• AND THE OLD GUY DID ALL
• THIS, PLAY AFTER PLAY,
• YEAR AFTER YEAR