Shakespeare: His Life and Times :Shakespeare: His Life and Times


Early Life :Early Life Born 1564—died 1616 Stratford-upon-Avon Parents: John and Mary Arden Shakespeare Mary—daughter of wealthy landowner John—glovemaker, local politician


Location of Stratford-upon-Avon :From: http://www.where-can-i-find.com/tourist-maps.html Location of Stratford-upon-Avon


Stratford-on-Avon in Shakespeare’s Time :As reproduced in William Rolfe, Shakespeare the Boy (1896). Stratford-on-Avon in Shakespeare’s Time


Shakespeare’s Birthplace :From: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/danielle.esposito/ Shakespeare’s Birthplace


Education :Probably attended King’s New School in Stratford Educated in: Rhetoric Logic History Latin Education


King’s New School :From: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/danielle.esposito/ King’s New School


Married Life :Married in 1582 to Anne Hathaway, who was pregnant at the time with their first daughter Had twins in 1585 Sometime between 1585-1592, he moved to London and began working in theatre. Married Life


Anne Hathaway’s Cottage :From: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/danielle.esposito/ Anne Hathaway’s Cottage


Theatre Career :Member and later part-owner of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later called the King’s Men Globe Theater built in 1599 by L.C.M. with Shakespeare as primary investor Burned down in 1613 during one of Shakespeare’s plays Theatre Career


The Rebuilt Globe Theater, London :The Rebuilt Globe Theater, London


The Globe Theater :The Globe Theater


The Plays :The Plays 38 plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare 14 comedies 10 histories 10 tragedies 4 romances Possibly wrote three others Collaborated on several others


The Poetry :Two major poems Venus and Adonis Rape of Lucrece 154 Sonnets Numerous other poems The Poetry


Shall I compare thee to a summer's day :Shall I compare thee to a summer's day Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date. Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd; But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st; Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st: So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. Sonnets are always 14 lines.


Shakespeare’s Language :Shakespeare’s Language Shakespeare did NOT write in “Old English.” Old English is the language of Beowulf: Hwaet! We Gardena in geardagum Þeodcyninga Þrym gefrunon Hu ða æÞelingas ellen fremedon! (Hey! We have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes in the old days, the kings of tribes, how noble princes showed great courage!)


Shakespeare’s Language :Shakespeare’s Language Shakespeare did not write in “Middle English.” Middle English is the language of Chaucer, the Gawain-poet, and Malory: We redeth oft and findeth y-write— And this clerkes wele it wite— Layes that ben in harping Ben y-founde of ferli thing… (Sir Orfeo)


Shakespeare’s Language :Shakespeare’s Language Shakespeare wrote in “Early Modern English.” EME was not very different from “Modern English,” except that it had some old holdovers.


Shakespeare’s Language :Shakespeare’s Language Shakespeare coined many words we still use today: Critical Majestic Dwindle And quite a few phrases as well: One fell swoop Flesh and blood Vanish into thin air See http://www.wordorigins.org/histeng.htm


Shakespeare’s Language :Shakespeare’s Language A mix of old and very new Rural and urban words/images Understandable by the lowest peasant and the highest noble


Slide 21:Elizabethan Theatrical Conventions


Slide 22:A theatrical convention is a suspension of reality. No electricity Women forbidden to act on stage Minimal, contemporary costumes Minimal scenery Theatrical Conventions of Shakespeare's Theatre These control the dialogue.


Slide 23:Theatrical Conventions of Shakespeare's Theatre Audience loves to be scared. Soliloquy Aside Types of speech Blood and gore Use of supernatural


Slide 24:Theatrical Conventions of Shakespeare's Theatre Use of disguises/ mistaken identity Multiple marriages (in comedies) Multiple murders (in tragedies) Last speaker—highest in rank (in tragedies)


Slide 25:Also may have been known as “The Jew of Venice” Right up there with “Hamlet” and “Othello.” Considered a comedy, but is it really? The Merchant of Venice


Questions you should ask… :Questions you should ask… How do the other characters treat Shylock? Is this treatment warranted? How does Shylock treat the other characters? Is this treatment warranted? What is your reaction to Shylock? The other characters?