Video: William Shakespeare – Legendary Wordsmith

Watch the following video about playwright William Shakespeare and his life
(use the link or the QR code on the right):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUHEPo_g0AQ&t=31s
Tick ( ) the right answer while watching the video.

1 William Shakespeare was born in… a) Burton upon Trent.

b) Newcastle upon Tyne.

c) Stratford upon Avon.

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2 His actual birth date is… a) uncertain but believed to be 23 April 1564.
th
b) well known: 4 July 1576.
th
c) often mistaken: 7 September 1533.

3 Shakespeare attended King Edward VI Grammar School. After that,… a) he never attended university.

b) he studied at Oxford University.

c) he studied at Eaton College.

4 Shakespeare was married to… a) Anne Boleyn.

b) Anne Hathaway.

c) Anne of Cleves.

5 The couple … a) was childless.

b) adopted a son.

c) had a daughter and a pair of twins.

6 The couple had to deal with tragedy when… a) their house burned down.

b) their son Hamnet passed away.

c) Shakespeare’s wife became very sick.

7 In the late 1580s, Shakespeare moved to… a) Liverpool.

b) London.

c) Manchester.

8 In addition to being a great playwright, Shakespeare was said to be a very good… a) businessman.

b) swordsman.

c) sailorman.

Texts + tasks by Bend_it_like_Buela 2020

Pictures: William Shakespeare portrait: [https://pixabay.com/de/photos/shakespeare-dichter-schriftsteller-67698/] (20.09.2020).
Masken Drama: [https://pixabay.com/de/vectors/drama-kom%C3%B6die-und-trag%C3%B6die-theater-312318/] (07.10.2020).
 9 In 1589, Shakespeare opened the largest open air theatre in London, called … a) the Globe.

b) the National Theatre.

c) the Apollo.

10 In 1603, Shakespeare’s acting company changed its name to… a) The Lord Chamberlain’s Men.

b) The Captain’s Men.

c) The King’s Men.

11 Shakespeare and his plays are well known for… a) the use language and the creation of new words.

b) the dancers and the fireworks after the show

c) the scenery and props on stage.

12 Shakespeare’s plays can be separated in… a) comedies, tragedies and musicals.

b) comedies, tragedies and history plays.

c) comedies, tragedies and melodrama.

13 A play mentioned, telling about a king dividing his kingdom between his two daughters, is: a) King Lear

b) King Henry

c) King James

14 Shakespeare was also a poet out of economic necessity, as theatres… a) were banned by the king.

b) were closed because of the

plague.
c) were too small to make a fortune.

15 As a consequence, besides his famous plays, he wrote a lot of… a) novels.

b) short stories.

c) sonnets.

16 Shakespeare’s death remains another mystery and he is said to have died… a) on Christmas Day 1616.

b) on his birthday 1616.

c) on New Year’s Eve 1616.

Further tasks:
1. Name at least five plays by William Shakespeare.
2. Why did Shakespeare’s company change their name? Explain the system of patronage in your own words.
3. When it comes to Shakespeare’s legacy, some skeptics questioned the authorship of the great playwright’s
works. Outline and explain possible reasons.
4. We and Shakespeare: Why do people still care about Shakespeare and why is he still relevant today? Give a
personal comment on these questions (about 300 words).

Texts + tasks by Bend_it_like_Buela 2020

Pictures: William Shakespeare portrait: [https://pixabay.com/de/photos/shakespeare-dichter-schriftsteller-67698/] (20.09.2020).
Masken Drama: [https://pixabay.com/de/vectors/drama-kom%C3%B6die-und-trag%C3%B6die-theater-312318/] (07.10.2020).