Shakespeare AP English Literature

William Shakespeare (1563-1616)

All About Shakespeare William Shakespeare, often referred to as the Bard, was born on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon, England. Shakespeare’s birthplace:

Shakespeare’s family of origin • Parents were John and Mary Arden Shakespeare • 7 brothers and sisters

Shakespeare’s Youth William Shakespeare’s father owned a glovemaking shop and was at one time, mayor of Stratford-on-Avon.

Because of his father’s social standing, William was able to attend Stratford Grammar School from age 7 until the age of 14.

Stratford Grammar School At grammar school, William Shakespeare would have learned: • Latin and Greek • The classic 5-act play format

During Shakespeare’s lifetime, England had only two universities: ______ and _______, and it’s very unlikely that anyone from Shakespeare’s SES would have attended them.

Shakespeare’s family Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway when he was only 18 years old. She was 26 years old, which would have been unusual.

Shakespeare’s family, continued • Had 3 children: daughter Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith • Hamnet died at age 11 and was buried in Stratford in 1596. • Susanna and Judith both lived to adulthood in Stratford-on-Avon.

A climate of loss During the decade before Shakespeare was born, the plague and other diseases took 6% of England’s population--in London, as many as a quarter of the citizenry died. Son Hamnet dies of the plague; in the same year (1596) Shakespeare writes these lines in the history play King John: Grief fills the room up of my absent child, Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me, Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words, Remembers me of all his gracious parts, Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form.

Lost Years After the birth of his children, there are no historical records until he shows up in London several years later. These are known as the “Lost Years”. Historians assume he was perfecting his playwriting skills and gathering plot ideas during this time.

Shakespeare in London • Went to London to be an actor and playwright in 1592 at age 28 • He was also part-owner of the Globe Theatre

Shakespeare Prospers • 1598-99 the Globe Theatre is built • Shakespeare owns 10% of it • Father is granted a coat-of-arms, made a gentleman (Not without right)

Globe Theatre Elizabethan theatre did not use elaborate stage sets. Instead, playwrights relied on dialogue to give the audience a sense of the setting.

Globe Theatre, continued The Globe Theatre, like most theatres of its day, had a flag on the top of it, which indicated to people that there would be a play that day. Plays were performed during the afternoon because they needed to take advantage of the sunlight.

Globe Theatre, continued • Construction of new Globe Theatre in 1994 • “You need a good story in the Globe. If you’re not wondering what’s going to happen next, you become aware that you’re standing, or sitting on a bench.” –Mark Rylance in the Sunday Mail 25 July 1999.

The experience Food for sale: apples, pears, gingerbread, nuts, bottles of ale, tobacco (which cost 3 pence, more than admission) To an Elizabethan audience, a play was not an emotionally remote account of something long since done, but was perceived as a kind of mirror reflecting present conditions.

Recognized as a genius in his own time • Queen Elizabeth dies in 1603 and King James takes the throne. •Shakespeare’s theatre company becomes The King’s Men •Male actors played the parts of both women and men; there is a long tradition in King Lear productions to use the same actor for the Fool and Cordelia (they are never on stage at the same time).

Theatres Closed Due to Plague During the years of the plague, Shakespeare wrote poetry when the theatres were intermittently closed. The Elizabethans considered poetry more important than plays.

Shakespeare was prolific! • (By our standards) Wrote 37 plays • Shakespeare wrote plays in 3 genres: comedies, tragedies, and histories

Shakespeare in an age of transition • Moving from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance •The age was brutal but clothing was elaborate and ornate; manners were important • Language was growing fast; middle class growing

Plays in 16th-century England • Playwrights were practical men, bent on making a living • Plays were meant to be acted, not read • After a playwright sold a manuscript, he had no personal right to it

Death and Burial at Stratford-on-Avon • 1610 Shakespeare retires from the theatre • 1613 the Globe burns down (Shakespeare loses much money but remains wealthy and helps rebuild it) • Dies April 23, 1616 at age 52. (Buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-on-Avon)

Shakespeare He is considered the greatest dramatist in the world. Why?

Shakespeare • He had a clear understanding of human nature. • He created dramatic situations that relate to all human beings. (Universality).

Fold your paper in half. Write First Folio at the top. • Assembled in 1623 by Shakespeare’s friends and theatrical colleagues as a tribute. • Contains 36 plays, 18 of which had been previously published individually. Fold your paper in half again. Write Quarto Editions at the top. • Some of these were authorized, but a handful weren’t and may have been cobbled together from script pages plus actor’s memories. • A quarto is a printed version of a single play.

Directors of King Lear have two versions of the text to work with: the Folio and the Quarto. The Quarto has 300 lines not found in the First Folio, while the Folio has 100 lines not found in the Quarto. In the Quarto, the final words of the play are given to Goneril's husband, the Duke of Albany, but the editors of the First Folio chose to have them spoken by Edgar.

Sources Martin, Reed and Tichenor, Austin. Reduced Shakespeare: the Complete Guide for the AttentionImpaired. New York: Hyperion. 2006. Print. http://www.rsc.org.uk/explore/shakespeare/plays/king-lear/did-you-know.aspx Bryson, Bill. Shakespeare: The Illustrated and Updated Edition.