“A man for all time.” – Ben Jonson

www.classes.southcoservices.com/Shakespeare.ppt

William Shakespeare

His Lifeborn April 1564 (St. George’s Day)Stratford-upon-Avondied April 23, 1616parents

John Shakespeare and Mary Ardenparents wealthy and successful

third child of eightJoan, Margaret, William, Gilbert, Joan, Anne

Stratford-upon-AvonShakespeare’s birthplace

Stratford-upon-AvonPresent Day

Shakespeare’s Townhome

His Life (cont)married Anne HathawayNovember 27, 1582Anne was 26, Will was 18children

Susanna (1583) – oldest and Will’s favoritetwins (1585) – Hamnet and Judith

grandchildrenSusanna Hall’s children – Elizabeth (1608)Judith Quinney’s children – Shakespeare,

Richard, and Thomas

His Careerwrote 37 plays and about 154 sonnets

Histories, Comedies, and Tragediesstarted out as an actor

Lord Chamberlain’s Men (London theater co.)

principal playwright for Lord Ch. Co.1599 – Lord Ch. Co. build Globe

Theater where most of Shakespeare’s plays were performed.

Elizabethan Eranamed for Queen Elizabeth (1558-

1603)The “Renaissance” Period

“Renaissance” means REBIRTHrebirth of Humanismrebirth of cultural achievementsrebirth of music, literature, plays, art, other talents

Queen Elizabeth

The Elizabethan StagePlays produced for general publicopen air theaters – rooflessplays performed during afternoon

or early eveningno artificial lighting

courtyard surrounded by 3 levels of galleries

Staging Areasstage – platform extended into the

pitdressing and storage rooms in

galleries behind and above stagesecond-level gallery – upper stage

famous balcony scene in R & Jtrap door

ghosts“heavens”

angelic beings

Audience/Spectatorswealthy got benches“groundlings”

lower class stood and watched from the courtyard (pit)

all but wealthy were uneducated/illiterate

audience interacted

Actorsconsidered indecent

(inappropriate) for a woman to appear on stage

only men and boysyoung boys whose voice had not

changed played women’s roles

Some Famous Quotes“To be or not to be,--that is the question.” ---Hamlet“All the world’s a stage.”---As You Like It"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any

other name would smell as sweet".---Romeo and Juliet"Off with his head!“---King Richard III"Good Night, Good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow,

that I shall say good night till it be morrow.”---Romeo and Juliet

"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them".---Twelfth Night

"But, for my own part, it was Greek to me".---Julius Ceasar

"This above all: to thine own self be true". ---Hamlet

For more information:www.william-shakespeare.infowww.shakespeare.com

study guidesquotesbiography

www.bardweb.netbiography

www.absoluteshakespeare.comquotesfactssummaries