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

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

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

Education • Probably attended King’s New School in Stratford • Educated in: • Rhetoric • Logic • History • Latin

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

Married Life • Married in 1582 to Anne Hathaway, who was pregnant at the time with their first daughter • Had twins in 1585 • Sometime between 1585 -1592, he moved to London and began working in theatre.

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

Theatre Career • Member and later part-owner of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later called the King’s Men • Globe Theater built in 1599 by L. C. M. with Shakespeare as primary investor • Burned down in 1613 during one of Shakespeare’s plays

The Rebuilt Globe Theater, London

The Globe Theater

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

The Poetry • 154 Sonnets • Numerous other poems

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, ”

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

Elizabethan Theatrical Conventions

A theatrical convention is a suspension of reality. v No electricity v Women forbidden to act on stage v Minimal, contemporary costumes v Minimal scenery These control the dialogue.

v Soliloquy v Aside v Blood 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)