William Shakespeare

1
William Shakespeare

• Background Notes

2
Shakespeare

• William Shakespeare is the most famous playwright
  in history. He never gave an interview or wrote
  an autobiography, so we have very little
  first-hand information about him.

3
Background

• Born 1564
• Church records show Shakespeare was baptized on
  26 April, 1564
• Custom was to baptize babies on the 3rd day after
  birth. (so we assume he was born on 23 April).
  
• Died 23 April, 1616 (on his birthday, age 52)

4
Family

• Shakespeares father was an important person in
  Stratford-upon-Avon
• a glove maker and grain dealer
• at one timemayor

5
Shakespeares education

• Education grammar school. (Would have learned
  Latin)
• Why is this important? Because Shakespeare had
  only a basic educationhe didnt go to
  universityand yet he wrote poems and plays that
  have been read, watched, and studied for 400
  years.

6
Family Life

• 1583 age 18 married Anne Hathaway (she was
  26)
• 3 children Susannah (1583) twins Hamnet and
  Judith (1585)
• Hamnet died in 1596 (age 11) of the Bubonic
  Plague
• Susannah had a daughter named Elizabeth, who had
  no children
• Judith had 3 sons, all of whom died by the age of
  21
• Shakespeares line of direct descendants died out
  with his 4 grandchildren

7
Between 1585 1591 Shakespeare moved to London.

• Became an actor and playwright
• Became one of the chief stockholders in the most
  important theatre company of the time The Lord
  Chamberlains Men
• Became part-owner of the Globe theatre
• Bought a coat of arms, giving himself the
  official status of gentleman
• Returned to Stratford to live in 1612 (unknown
  why)

8
Rulers of the time

• Elizabeth I (1558-1603) period called the
  Elizabethan period
• James I (1603-1625) was first to be ruler of
  both England and Scotland. Mother was Mary,
  Queen of Scots
• James I became the patron of Shakespeares acting
  company name was changed to The Kings Men.

9
Shakespeares London

• Population was about 200,000
• Goods were imported from many foreign countries
• Newspapers were broadsides1 page sheets
  printed on both sides. Reported news (especially
  murders, fires, deaths of important people,
  disasters). Sold for ½ penny on almost all
  street corners.
• London was a noisy place. People and shops
  everywhere (even on the bridges)

10
Entertainment of the Time

• water games on the Thames
• zoo in the Tower of London
• cock (rooster) fights
• bear baitings
• public executions
• plays

11
Shakespeares Theatre

• Inn-yards were popular as makeshift theatres.
  They were long and narrow, with seating around
  the balconies.
• Theatres were built outside the city walls to
  pacify the Puritans (across the Thames in
  Bankside). The basic architecture was similar to
  inn-yards.
• Performances usually started around 200 p.m. (no
  electricity no lights!)

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• ALL actors were male. All womens roles were
  played by boys or young men.
• Fight scenesactors had to be expert swordsmen.
  Needed technical skills and training along with
  excellent physical conditioning.
• Audiences expected bloody deaths and mutilations
  (but actors still had to perform the next
  day!)used sheeps blood for special effects.
• Often was a great deal of interaction between
  audience and actors. Sometimes audiences became
  quite violent. (Young men often sat around the
  edges of the stagegot involved in sword fights.)

13
The Globe Theatre (Shakespeares Theatre)

• Built in 1599.
• Octagonal shape with thrust stage (audience
  surrounded the actors on 3 sides)
• 3 levels of balconies open pit in the middle
• floor of stage had a trapdoor
• Burned down in 1613 (thatched roof caught fire
  when a cannon was fired during a performance)
  rebuilt in 1614, but demolished in 1644 by the
  Puritans
• Has now been rebuilt near the site of the
  original theatre. Spent years researching
  building techniques and materials from
  Shakespeares time to re-create the building as
  accurately as possible. Has a thatched roof
  again, but now is fire-proof (by London fire
  laws).

14
Audiences in the Public Theatres

• Audiences were noisy, boisterous, rough
• Groundlings stood on the ground (cheapest
  admission)
• People with money sat on benches in the balconies
  (cost more to sit up higher)
• Some rented stools on the stage.
• Nobility usually arranged to have plays performed
  in their own homes