William Shakespeare

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William Shakespeare

• Created
• By
• Elyse Rhodes

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Who is William Shakespeare?
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In the beginning

• William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564 in
  Stratford-upon-Avon.
• Father is John Shakespeare, a glove maker and
  wool dealer
• Mother is Mary Arden Shakespeare

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Shakespeares Birthplace

• William and his siblings were born and raised in
  their home on Henley Street in Stratford
• The home still stands and is the site of the
  Shakespeare Birth Place Trust. Today thousands
  visit Shakespeares home

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Williams School Days

• Schoolboys had to endure a long, unvaried, taxing
  day, from Monday to Saturday, beginning at 6 or 7
  in the morning and continuing until 5 or 6 in the
  evening. Although there was a break of a couple
  of hours in the middle of the day, there was no
  physical exercise or play included in the
  timetable and no vacations beyond the occasional
  day's holiday. Discipline was harsh. On the
  seventh day of the week, the boys were still not
  at liberty since they were obliged to attend
  lengthy church services, again under the watchful
  eye of their schoolmaster

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William Weds Anne Hathaway

• In November 1582 William married Anne Hathaway,
  the daughter of Richard Hathaway, a local farmer.
  Her home, now known as Anne Hathaway's Cottage,
  still stands in the village of Shottery, a mile
  from Stratford. At the time of their marriage
  William was eighteen and Anne was twenty-six.
  Their first-born child, Susanna, was baptised on
  26 May 1583. Two years later twins followed,
  Hamnet and Judith.

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The Works of William Shakespeare

• Shakespeare's earliest plays included the three
  parts of Henry VI, The Two Gentlemen of Verona,
  and Titus Andronicus.
• Shakespeare's first printed works were two long
  poems, Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape of
  Lucrece (1594). These were both dedicated to the
  Earl of Southampton, a young courtier and
  favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, who had become
  Shakespeare's patron. Most of the Sonnets were
  probably written about this time, too, although
  they were not published until 1609.

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Shakespeare in London

• Drama was a nation-wide activity in Shakespeare's
  time but only in London were there buildings
  designed specifically for performing plays. Most
  public theatres were tall, roughly circular
  structures, open to the sky, with a cover over
  part of the stage and a roof running round the
  edge to protect the galleries. Performances took
  place in the afternoons, with the actors playing
  on a raised stage which projected halfway into
  the theatre. All the women's roles were performed
  by boys. The audience, which either stood in the
  yard around the stage or sat in the galleries,
  represented a wide social mix of people.

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The Globe Theatre

• In 1599 the acting company with which Shakespeare
  was involved, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, built a
  new theatre, the Globe. Situated on the south
  bank of the Thames, in the suburb of Southwark,
  it is the theatre most closely associated with
  Shakespeare's plays, and he was one of the
  shareholders in the enterprise. Two of his plays,
  Henry V and Julius Caesar, were almost certainly
  written during the year in which the Globe
  opened. In 1613, during a performance of Henry
  VIII, a fire broke out and destroyed the Globe,
  but it was rebuilt the following year.

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The Death of the Bard

• Shakespeare died in Stratford, aged fifty-two, on
  23 April 1616, and was buried in Holy Trinity
  Church two days later. Within a short time a
  monument to him was put up, probably by his
  family, on the wall close to his grave.
• His widow, Anne, died in 1623 and was buried
  beside him. Shakespeare's family line came to an
  end with the death of his grand-daughter
  Elizabeth in 1670.

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Romeo and JulietByWilliam Shakespeare
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Romeo Montague

• A Chorus introduces two feuding families of
  Verona, the Capulets and the Montagues. On a hot
  summer's day fighting by the young men of each
  faction is stopped by the Prince who threatens
  the law. Capulet plans a feast to introduce his
  daughter, Juliet, who is almost fourteen, to the
  Count Paris who seeks to marry her. By a mistake
  of the illiterate servant Peter, Montague's son,
  Romeo, and his friends Benvolio and the Prince's
  cousin Mercutio, hear of the party and resolve to
  go in carnival disguise. Romeo hopes he will see
  his adored Rosaline instead he meets and falls
  instantly in love with Juliet.

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Juliet Capulet

• The Montagues are recognised by Juliet's cousin
  Tybalt and are forced to leave the party just as
  Romeo and Juliet have each discovered the others
  identity.

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Romeo and Juliet Marry

• Romeo lingers near the Capulet's house and talks
  with Juliet when she appears on her balcony. With
  the help of Juliet's Nurse the lovers arrange to
  meet next day at the cell of Friar Lawrence when
  Juliet goes for confession, and there they are
  married.

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Romeo is Banished

• Tybalt picks a quarrel with Mercutio and his
  friends and Mercutio is accidentally killed as
  Romeo intervenes to try to break up the fight. In
  anger Romeo pursues Tybalt, kills him and is
  banished by the Prince for the deed. Juliet is
  anxious that Romeo is late meeting her and learns
  of the fighting from her Nurse. With Friar
  Lawrence's help it is arranged that Romeo will
  spend the night with Juliet before taking refuge
  at Mantua.

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Juliet Engaged to Paris

• To calm the family's sorrow at Tybalt's death the
  day for the marriage of Juliet to Paris is
  brought forward. Capulet and his wife are angry
  that Juliet does not wish to be Paris's bride,
  not knowing of her secret contract with Romeo.
  Friar Lawrence helps Juliet by providing a
  sleeping draught, and when the wedding party
  arrives to greet Juliet next day they believe she
  is dead. The Friar sends a colleague to warn
  Romeo to come to the Capulet's family monument to
  rescue his sleeping wife.

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The Suicide

• The message miscarries and Romeo, hearing instead
  that Juliet is dead, buys poison in Mantua. He
  returns to Verona and goes to the tomb where he
  surprises and kills the mourning Paris. Romeo
  takes his poison and dies just as Juliet awakes
  from her drugged sleep. She learns what has
  happened 'from Friar Lawrence but she refuses to
  leave the tomb and stabs herself as the Friar
  returns with the Prince, the Capulets and Romeo's
  lately widowed father. The deaths of their
  children lead the families to make peace,
  promising to erect a monument in their memory.

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The funeral

• Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's earliest
  tragedies and was probably written in 1594 or
  1595. It was 'often played publicly before it was
  printed in 1597.

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The End