Shakespeare His Life and Times Adapted from http

Shakespeare: His Life and Times Adapted from http: //www. public. asu. edu/~muckerrm/English_321_S 2005/Introduction. ppt

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

• When was he born?

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

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

Stratford-upon-Avon Today From Stratford’s web site: http: //www. stratford-upon-avon. co. uk/index. htm

Where is Stratford upon Avon?

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

Education • Probably attended King’s New School in Stratford • His school day was long and rigorous Educated in: -Rhetoric -Logic -History -Latin • Shakespeare dropped out of ‘middle school’ when his father lost his fortune

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

What did he study at school?

Married Life • Married in 1582 to Anne Hathaway, who was pregnant at the time with their first daughter • Had twins in 1585 - Hamnet & Judith • Hamnet died from the plague at age 11 • Sometime between 1583 -1592, he moved to London and began working in theatre. • The years 1583 -1592 are know as ‘The Lost Years’ • No one know where he was, or what he was doing during those years

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

• Who was his wife? - When did he start working in the thatre?

Theatre Career • Globe Theater was built in 1599 with Shakespeare as primary investor • The theatre burned down in 1613 during one of Shakespeare’s plays

The Rebuilt Globe Theater, London

The Globe Theater

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

How many plays did he write?

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

Shakespeare’s Death • Shakespeare died on April 23 rd, 1616 • Not exactly sure what he died from – History says he drank too much wine and ate too many pickled herrings • In his will, Shakespeare left money, horses, stables, etc. to his two sons-in-law • But only left his wife one thing- the “second-best bed” – Was he trying to make a point?

Shakespeare’s Death • Shakespeare is buried in Holy Trinity Church in his birth village of Stratford. • His grave is covered by a flat stone that bears an epitaph warning of a curse to come upon anyone who moves his bones.

Where is he buried?

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 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 wrote in “Early Modern English. ” • EME was not very different from “Modern English, ” except that it had some old holdovers.

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 • A mix of old and very new • Rural and urban words/images • Understandable by the lowest peasant and the highest noble

Describe the language of Shakespeare. .

Elizabethan Theatrical Conventions

A theatrical convention is a suspension of reality. v No electricity v Women couldn’t act on stage v Minimal, contemporary costumes v Minimal scenery These control the dialogue.

v Soliloquy v Aside v Blood and gore v Use of supernatural Types of speech Audience loves to be scared.

v Use of disguises/ mistaken identity v Last speaker—highest in rank (in tragedies) v Multiple murders (in tragedies) v Multiple marriages (in comedies)

Describe theatrical conventions of Shakespeare’s theatre

Love poem…. sonnet My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Gli occhi della mia donna non sono come il sole; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; Il corallo è assai più rosso delle sue labbra; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; Se la neve è bianca, perché allora i suoi seni sono bigi; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. Se i capelli sono setole, nere setole crescono sulla sua testa. I have seen roses damask'd, red and white, Ho visto rose damascate, rosse e bianche, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; Ma tali rose non vedo sulle sue guance; And in some perfumes is there more delight E in alcuni profumi c’è più delizia Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. Che nel fiato che dalla mia donna esala. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know Amo sentirla parlare, eppure ben so That music hath a far more pleasing sound. Che la musica ha un molto più gradevole suono. I grant I never saw a goddess go, Ammetto (che) mai vidi una dea camminare, My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. Ma la mia donna, quando cammina, calca la terra. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare Eppure, in nome del cielo, penso (che) il mio amore (sia) tanto raro As any she belied with false compare. she = woman Quanto qualsiasi donna travisata da falsi paragoni.

My mistress eyes… • The poet loves the woman for her human qualities. • The poem describes the things in nature that are commonly perceived as beautiful and that this woman has not. • The poem raises the question: «what is beauty? »

What does the poem describe?