Introducing WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Ironically, even though Shakes- know that he eventually left his family and
peare was one of the most prolific
writers of all time, very little is writ-
ten about his life. Even his exact birth date
is unknown. However, there is record of his
baptism at Holy Trinity Church on April
26th, 1564, in a town called Stratford-upon-
Avon. Because children were baptized
within days of their births, most scholars
have agreed that April 23rd is a good guess
for his birth date.
moved to London in the mid 1580’s,
leaving his family behind.
By the early 1590’s, he was working as an
actor and a playwright, often performing
for Queen Elizabeth. The theatres were
closed in 1593 because of the plague,
and at this time, Shakespeare concen-
trated on writing his narrative poems and
sonnets.

Shakespeare’s father, John Shakespeare, In 1594, he became a shareholder in an

wed Mary Arden, the daughter of a well-to- acting company, the Lord Chamberlain’s
do farmer. John was a leatherworker, an Men. The company later changed its
alderman and a bailiff. Because John was a name to The King’s Men after the
prominent citizen of Stratford, it is ass- coronation of King James in 1603. In
umed that William attended the town’s 159 , Shakespeare built his own theater,
school, King Edward VI Grammar School, which he called The Globe. He enjoyed a
until he was fifteen. There he would have prosperous career as both a playwright
studied Latin, classic literature, grammar, and a business man.
logic, rhetoric, arithmetic and astronomy.
When Shakespeare died – on his birthday
His father, at the time, was having financial
difficulties, so Shakespeare did not attend - in 1616, he left most of his estate to his
university. eldest daughter, Susanna, as his son had
already passed away. He did not leave his
When he was eighteen, William married an wife with nothing, however, for he left her
older woman, Anne Hathaway, who was his “second-best bed.”
twenty-six and expecting their first child,
Susanna. They later had twins, Judith and He left the world with a great deal more,
Hamnet. Hamnet died when he was penning two narrative poems, thirty-eight
eleven. His only surviving descendant, a plays and one hundred and fifty-four
granddaughter, died childless in 1670. So sonnets. He is known as “The Bard of
Shakespeare has no living descendents England” because he is widely
today. acknowledged as the greatest poet from
that country. As his contemporary Ben
The seven years following the birth of his Johnson stated, “He was not of an age,
children are known as the “lost years,” but for all time.”
because there is not much known about
Shakespeare’s activity at that time. We do
 Introducing WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Fill in the following, using the resources at Introducing Shake-
speare station:
MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY:
HIS BIRTH DATE: FATHER: John Shakespeare
MOTHER Mary Arden
WIFE: Anne Hathaway
Susanna, Judith, and Hamnet
CHILDREN

WE AREN’T SURE BECAUSE:

Very little was written about HIS EDUCATION:
his life. NAME OF HIS SCHOOL:
King Edward VI Grammar School
BIRTHPLACE:
HE STUDIED::
Stratford-upon-Avon

TIMELINE: Latin, classic literature, grammar, logic, rhetoric,

Record what you learn about
the following years:: arithmetic, and astronomy
1582: HE DID NOT ATTEND UNIVERSITY BECAUSE:

Left his Wife and kids

His father didn’t have enough money
@1585:

1593:
Concentrated on writing HIS LEGACY
narrative poems and sonnets WHAT DID HE LEAVE HIS WIFE?
His second best bed
1594: WHAT DID HE LEAVE THE WORLD?
He became a Penning 2 narrative poems, 32 plays, and 154 sonnets
shareholder in an
acting company,
1603: WHY IS HE CALLED “THE BARD”?

The company Because he is widely acknowledged as the

changed its name to greatest poet from that country
The King’s men
HIS DEATH: BEN JOHNSON SAID OF HIM:

He was not of an age but for all time

April 23, 1616
 The World of SHAKESPEARE
Queen Elizabeth reigned over Life was hard and often short. Outbreaks of
England for forty-five years, the plague, or the Black Death, were
from 1558 – 1603. Only twenty- common. The city of London was teeming
five when she ascended the throne, Eliza- with life and change – and filth. There was
beth had already survived a great deal of no sewage system and waste was dumped
scandal and danger. England was bankrupt out windows and into the Thames River.
and in a constant state of religious upheaval, People lived in close contact with each
as the Protestants and Catholics battled for other – and with the fleas and rodents that
religious control. Under her, England spread this cruel and fatal disease. Shake-
became Protestant again, but she granted speare was said to be terrified of the
concessions to the Catholics, in the hopes of plague – and for good reason. Outbreaks
preventing rebellion. It was not illegal to be would shut down the playhouses and kill
a Catholic, but it was illegal to attend mass. thousands.
Therefore, Catholics had freedom of belief,
but were restricted in their practice. The Elizabethans entertained themselves
nonetheless. The theatre was very popular,
England enjoyed a period of prosperity but so too were dances and feasts, cock
under Elizabeth's reign. It became a fights and public executions. The upper
commercial center while sailors, like Sir classes participated in fencing tournaments
Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh, and hunting, and all classes enjoyed bear
explored the new world, bringing great baiting. For this “sport,” a bear was
wealth to the country. The middle class was chained to a post and fighting dogs were
on the rise, as was capitalism. It was now set upon it to fight to the death. Spectators
possible for someone who was not born into would bet on the outcome. Queen Eliza-
the nobility to improve his station. beth loved the sport so much that she
forbid the performance of plays on
Elizabeth’s England also experienced a Thursdays, a day that was popular for bear
revolution in education and literacy. With the baiting.
invention of the printing press the previous
century, books became less expensive and King James, the reigning monarch of
more plentiful. Schools were better funded, Scotland, took over the throne of England
and more children from the less wealthy upon Elizabeth’s death in 1603. A lover of
families went to school. Still, it was mostly theatre as well, he became a patron of
the middle and upper classes who became Shakespeare's company, which changed its
literate. Only the girls of the nobility were name to The King’s Men. Like many people
educated. of the time, James was very superstitious,
and took a particular interest in the study of
Elizabeth was a great patron of the arts and witchcraft. He wrote a book on the subject
a particular fan of the theatre. In fact, during called Daemonologie. Shakespeare’s first
her reign, professional theatres were built for play under James’s reign, Macbeth,
the first time. includes witches and other references
designed to impress his new king.
 The World of SHAKESPEARE
Read the handout and make notes below:

THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH: THE BLACK DEATH:

FROM:
Fleas and rodents would spread this disease.
1558-1603
People were in very close contact making them
TO: easier to catch the disease.

WHAT PROBLEMS DID SHE HAVE?

Catholics couldn’t
practice their religion/
go to mass
ENTERTAINMENT:
Theatre were popular but dances and feasts were
more popular. They were for upper classes to enjoy.
They could hunt and fence or “bear bate”

HOW DID ENGLAND FLOURISH

UNDER HER?

More lower class kids were

getting an education.
England had a period of
prosperity

KING JAMES:

He became a patron of Shakespeare company, which

changed the name to The Kings Men. He was interested in
witchcraft and wrote a book called Daemonologie.
Shakespeare then wrote Macbeth that includes witches to
impress the new king.
 The works of SHAKESPEARE
154 SONNETS A SHAKESPEAREAN
SONNET
38 PLAYS is a fourteen line poem

COMEDIES
Some of his comedies are:
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
HISTORIES
written in iambic pent-
ameter. Sonnets have the
following rhyme scheme:
ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
SHAKESPEARE WROTE
two narrative poems when the theatres were closed
in 1593: The Rape of Lucrece and Venus and Adonis.

Some of his histories are:

HENRY THE IV PART ONE & TWO
HENRY THE VI PART ONE-THREE
AN IAMB
IS A METRICAL FOOT
Penta is
Greek for five. There are
five iambs in a line of
iambic penta-

RICHARD II & RICHARD III OF ONE STRESSED & meter.

TRAGEDIES
Some of his tragedies are:
UNSTRESSED SYLLABLE
IAMBIC PENTAMETER
ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA
ROMEO AND JULIET
JULIUS CAESAR
MACBETH
HAMLET
WORDSMITH
Shakespeare is said to be responsible
for the introduction of 1700 new words
into the English language. Words like
THE FIRST FOLIO
published in 1623, seven years after his death,
amazement, eventful, majestic, hurry, was the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s
generous and lonely originated with works. It contained thirty-six plays, and eighteen
The Bard. He also created many phras- of these had never been published before. The
es that are still in use today. Some ex- publishers, John Hemminge and Henry Condell,
amples are: all that glisters is not gold, separated the plays into Histories, Comedies
catch a cold, naked truth, leap frog, and Tragedies.
breaking the ice, and fair play.
 The works of SHAKESPEARE
SONNETS A SHAKESPEAREAN
SONNET
PLAYS is a ____ line poem written in

COMEDIES
_______Sonnets have the
following rhyme scheme:
Some of his comedies are:

SHAKESPEARE WROTE
HISTORIES
two narrative poems when the theatres were closed
in 1593:

Some of his histories are:

AN IAMB
IS A METRICAL FOOT
Penta is
Greek for five. There are
five iambs in a line of
iambic penta-
OF meter.

TRAGEDIES IAMBIC PENTAMETER

Some of his tragedies are:

WORDSMITH
Shakespeare is said to be responsible
for the introduction of _____ new words
into the English language. Words like
THE FIRST FOLIO
published in ____, _____ years after his death,
____________________________________ was ________________ of Shakespeare’s works. It
__________________ originated with The contained thirty-six plays, and _______________
Bard. He also created many phrases of these had never been published before. The
that are still in use today. Some ex- publishers, John Hemminge and Henry Condell,
amples are: ________________________ separated the plays into_____________________
____________________________________ ______________________.
____________________________________
___________________________________.
 The theatre of SHAKESPEARE
1576 ZERO
THE NUMBER OF
COMMONERS
GENTRY
THE FIRST REAL
THEATER IS BUILT BY WOMEN ACTORS NOBLES
JAMES BURBAGE ROYALS
Women actors were
forbidden by law. Fe-
Before this, plays were
male roles were played All members of
performed in inn-yards
by boys whose voices society enjoyed go-
and homes of nobles.
had not yet changed. ing to the theatre

LORD CHAMBERLAIN’S MEN

THE PLAYING COMPANY THAT SHAKESPEARE
worked with as both a writer, actor, and theatre
manager for most of his career. In 1603, when King
James ascended the throne, they were known as

THE KING’S MEN

1593 THE GLOBE
THEATRES CLOSED

PLAGUE
BUBONIC

1603 OPEN AIR

1608 CIRCULAR
3 STORIES HIGH
The main stage was five feet

THREE THOUSAND
The number of people who would go to a play.
high. Two side doors were at
stage level. At the base of the
stage was “the pit”, where the
GROUNDLINGS
THE AUDIENCE
Shakespeare’s audience was made up
would stand to watch the play
for the cost of a penny. For
of all social classes. They would have two pennies, the more well-to-
been more rambunctious than today’s do could sit in three levels of

theatre-goers. The groundlings would
talk through performances and even
throw food at the actors. The rich, in
their seats, were protected from the
rowdiness of the crowds in the pit. The
richest nobles had the option of sitting
on a chair on the side of the stage.
Outside the theatre, patrons could
shop at open-air markets.
BALCONIES
In 1613, The Globe went up in
flames when a canon was used
for a performance of Henry VII. It
was rebuilt a year later, with the
straw roof replace by tiles. The
Puritans closed the theatre in
1642.
 The theatre of SHAKESPEARE
1576 ZERO
THE NUMBER OF
COMMONERS

THE FIRST REAL

THEATER IS BUILT BY WOMEN ACTORS
WHY?
NOBLES
Before this, plays were
____________________ All members of
____________________. society enjoyed go-
ing to the theatre

LORD CHAMBERLAIN’S MEN

THE KING’S MEN

1593 THE GLOBE
THEATRES CLOSED

1603 OPEN AIR

1608 CIRCULAR
__ STORIES HIGH
The main stage was ________

THOUSAND
The number of people who would go to a play.
THE AUDIENCE
Shakespeare’s audience was made up
of all social classes. They would have
been more rambunctious than today’s
high. Two ___________were at
stage level. At the base of the
stage was “______”, where the
GROUNDLINGS
would stand to watch the play
for the cost of ______. For two
pennies, the more well-to-do
could sit in three levels of

theatre-goers. The groundlings would
___________________________________
________________________________.
The rich, in their seats, were protected
from the rowdiness of the crowds in
the pit. The richest nobles had the
option of _______________________.
Outside the theatre, patrons could
shop at open-air markets.
BALCONIES
In ______, The Globe went up in
flames when a canon was used
for a performance of Henry VII. It
was rebuilt a year later, with the
straw roof replace by_____. The
Puritans closed the theatre in
________.