William Shakespeare

What everyone should know about

The Bard of AvonWhat everyone should know about

The Bard of Avon

Writer and Actor Successful actor in London Leading poet Member of a reparatory

group – The Chamberlain’s Men

Wrote 36-37 plays, 154 poems

Retired to Stratford Died on his birthday 1616

“He was not of an age, but for all time” Ben Jonson

Understanding of people◦ he knew what his audiences

wanted to see Skill with words

◦ He could play with the language better than almost anyone

Sense of drama◦ When to make them laugh, cry,

and cringe

Perfect Timing!

M an y Th ea te rs P eop le w ithm on ey tosp en d on

en te rta in m en t

L on d on

Q u een E lizab e thL oved Th ea te r

V ery S tron g R u le r

K in g Jam es IW ro te p lays h im se lf

L oved th ea te r

Th e R u le rs1 0 0 years earlie r o r la te r

h e cou ld n 't h ave p rod u cedth e w ork h e d id

R en a issan ceR eb irth in in te res t o f th e c lass ics

G en era l in te res t in kn ow led g e an d lea rn in g

S h akesp earew e ll ed u ca ted , p u b lica lly accep ted

au th or

Shakespeare’s Poetry Credited with 154 Sonnets Always worked within established

modes. Sonnets written 1593-1596--the height

of vogue for sonneteering. Usual themes:

◦The beauty of his lady & his love for her

◦His assurance of immortality for her through his verses

Some of his sonnets are direct at and dedicated to a young man called W.H.

Others are direct to a "Dark Lady" The excellence of his poems lies not in

what is said, but in how it is said.

Shakespeare’s Poetry

We Don’t Know Shakespeare

Look closely at the most famous portraits of Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth. They are essentially the same face. We don’t really know what Shakespeare looked like or much about his life.

Was Shakespeare a Thief?

Most plays based on historical events or OTHER plays.

No COPYRIGHT laws in those days

Took ordinary stories and made them EXTRAORDINARY

Shakespeare's Contribution to the English Language

Common sayings: catching a cold

disgraceful conduct

elbow room

fair play blood-stained

Laughing stock

into thin air

Knock, knock! Who’s there?

Good riddance

Words:

assassination

barefaced

bumps

countless

critical

radical

homicide

hurry

Lonely

majestic

dwindle

exposure

gloomy

monumental

suspicious

Excellent

obscene

Gust

hint

Aerial

Brittle

Submerge

summit leap-frog

snow-white hoodwink

Actors need the following…

Fencing Tumbling Dancing Elocution (speaking) Acting (duh!) Music

Shakespeare probably made more money as an ACTOR and PRODUCER

than as a PLAYWRIGHT.

Hamlet sees his father’s ghost

Repertory Theater

A leading man may have 800 lines to memorize per day, seventy roles in three years.

A theater that puts on a variety of different shows rather than one show continuously

Prevents the audience from getting bored and keeps them coming to YOUR theater

Helped stifle MEMORIZERS who would come to performances and steal your show.

Actor Jon Finch as Macbeth

Outside View- This is a recreation of the Globe Theatre located in Odessa, Texas.

• Weren’t allowed to advertise.

• Used Flags to above building to tell of impending play.

• Black=Tragedy

• White=Comedy

• Red=History

Front of Theatre- The point where the audience would enter.

London’s Globe – This recreation is in London, England near the location of the original.

• Open air theatre

• Held about 3000

• Plays run every day but Sunday

• Afternoon so that sunlight wouldn’t bother audience or players

Groundlings’ Area- Standing room only! The commoners would gather on the floor of the theater for performances.

• Audience would drop admission into a box on way in (hence “box office”)

• Vendors offered beer, water, oranges, gingerbread & apples (often thrown at players)

• Hazelnuts were the equivalent of Raisinets.

The Balconies-

Royalty and the rich would have a seated view above the commoners. Theater is open air, exposing the actors and the groundlings to the elements.

A Show lasted about 2 ½ hours

No “acts” but frequent intermissions

No Scenery Lots of effects (trap

doors, winches, etc.) No Actresses No “programs”

Elizabethan World View

GOD

Angels

King

Man

Wife

Children

Animals

Great Chain of Being

The cast of “Jersey Shore”