William Shakespeare

1
William Shakespeare 1564-1616
2
Birth

• Born April 23, 1564
• Stratford-on-Avon, England
• John and Mary Arden

3
Marriage

• Anne Hathaway
• Nov. 28, 1582
• He is 18 yrs old
• She is 8 years older

4
Children

• Susanna baptized May 1583
• Twins 1yr and 9 months later
• Hamnet and Judith

5
Death

• April 23, 1616
• Buried before the alter of Trinity Church
• Last descendent Elizabeth Hall
• Who died in 1670

6
Actor and Playwright

• 1591 published first play
• Comedy of Errors
• Wrote 37 plays total
• 18 were published in his lifetime

7
Life in London

• 1594 acted before Queen Elizabeth I
• 1594-1595 Shareholder in Lord Chamberlains
  Company

8

• 1597 published Romeo and Juliet
• Based on The Tragical History of Romeus and
  Juliet by Arthur Brooke in 1562 which is a 3,000
  line poem that takes place over nine months.

9
Globe Theater

• 1599 Shakespeare is 1/10 owner of the Globe
  Theater
• It was built across the Thames River from London.
• It was built with stolen lumber.
• Octagonal in shape with the center open to the
  sky.

10
(No Transcript)
11
Globe Theatre

• Plays were given in the afternoon during good
  weather. A flag flying from the theatre
  indicated that a show would happen that day
• During a performance in 1613 of Henry VII a fire
  caused by one of the cannons caused the Globe to
  burn to the ground. It was rebuilt the following
  year.

12
(No Transcript)
13
Life in London Cont

• 1603 King James I made Shakespeare and company
  the Kings Men
• 1608 purchased Blackfriars theatre which was a
  converted monastery lighted by chandeliers of
  candles.

14
Drama

• is a story that is written to be acted out in
  front of an audience
• Four types

15
1. History

• Covers the life of one important historical
  figure
• Example Henry VIII

16
2. Tragedy

• Depicts serious and important events in which the
  main character comes to an unhappy end.
• The main character is usually dignified and
  courageous. His downfall may be caused by a flaw
  or fate. Usually wins self knowledge and wisdom
  even though he is defeated.

17
Examples

• Romeo and Juliet
• Julius Caesar

18
The Tragic Structure

• Act 1 Exposition
• Act 2 Rising Action
• Act 3 Turning Point
• Act 4 Falling Action
• Act 5 Catastrophe

19
3. Comedy

• A story that ends happily
• The main character is an ordinary person who
  overcomes a series of obstacles that block what
  he wants.
• Example Taming of the Shrew

20
4. Romance

• Is a story of adventure and love.
• Example The Tempest

21
Recurring Patterns and Devices

• 1. Contrasting Worlds
• In Romeo and Juliet it is Day vs. Night and
  Montague vs. Capulet
• In Julius Caesar it is Public life vs. Private
  life

22
2. Rise of one person at the expense of another

• In Romeo and Juliet it is Romeo over Paris
• In Julius Caesar it is Brutus and Cassius over
  Caesar

23
3. Disguises

• In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo uses one at the ball
• In Julius Caesar Brutus and Anthony disguise
  their feelings

24
4. Supernatural

• In Julius Caesar it is Caesars ghost Comets
  Ides of March
• In Romeo and Juliet it is fortune and rising
  from the dead

25
5. Redemption

• In Romeo and Juliet it is the ending of the feud
• In Julius Caesar it is an honorable burial for
  Brutus

26
Other patterns

• Eavesdropping
• Comic relief scenes
• Disorder Yields to order
• Parallel characters or foils

27
Special Features of Plays

• Dialogue The speaking parts of a play.
• Prologue This is an introduction. It gives the
  reader important background information. It can
  also set the tone and mood of the drama.

28
Special Features of Plays

• Chorus The role of the chorus is to comment on
  the action of the play. This chorus is
  considered a character in the drama. Its role is
  somewhat like that of an announcer or narrator.

29
Special Features of Plays

• Stage Directions The stage directions are
  instructions for the actors. These are written
  in italicized type throughout the play. They
  tell who is entering or exiting during a scene.
  They also describe the actors gestures,
  movements or tone of voice.

30
Special Features of Plays

• Acts and Scenes A play is divided into acts and
  acts are divided into scenes.
• Footnotes These will help you understand what
  is going on in the play. They may be located in
  the margins, bottom or the end of the text.

31
Theatre Differences

• Stage was a platform that jutted out to the first
  row of seats.
• No curtains-had to write in action to clear the
  stage
• Curtained area on stage used as an inner room or
  tomb

32
Theatre Differences

• Balcony
• Trap doors
• Women were played by men

33
(No Transcript)