Transcript The World of Shakespeare

The World of Shakespeare
English IV
Shakespeare’s Life

William Shakespeare was an English
playwright from the 16th Century.

He was born 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon.

He died on April 23, 1616.

At the age of 18, he
married an older woman,
Anne Hathaway.

He had 3 childrenSusanna and twins,
Hamnet and Judith.

He left them in Stratford
to go be an actor and
playwright in London
Shakespeare’s wife
probably didn’t
look like this.
Elizabethan Theatre

When Shakespeare was in
London, Elizabeth I was the
queen (1558-1603). This was
called the Elizabethan Era.

There was an explosion of
literature and theater during
this era. It is also called the
English Renaissance
because so much great art
and culture developed during
this time.

Shakespeare first entered the theater as
an actor traveling with different acting
companies.

At the age of 27, he decided to try writing
plays.

His plays were popular when he was alive
but nowhere close to how popular they
are today.

He wrote 38 plays in total, although his
authorship is questioned (what does that
mean?)
Shakespeare’s Plays

Shakespeare looked for pre-existing stories
for inspiration. He changed many details, but
he never started from scratch when writing
plays. He was a famous “borrower” of other
people’s ideas.

His works can be traced back to various
literary sources and incidents in his life and
the world around him. His writing was
influenced by Roman and Italian authors.

Shakespeare wrote 4 types of plays:
 Comedies
 Humorous
(Obviously)
 Tragedies
 Have
fatal endings
 Histories
 Chronicle the lives of royalty
 Romances
 Weird hybrid plays (not exactly comedy or
tragedy)

He also wrote: 154 sonnets, 3 long
narrative poems, Several other poems
Theater in the Elizabethan Age

Elizabethans wanted
plays with lots of
excitement, romance,
dirty jokes, ghosts,
stabbings and sword
fights.

If they were not pleased,
the audience would
throw rotten eggs and
vegetables at the actors.

Women were not allowed to act, so men
had to play all parts. Young boys would
often play the parts of women.
The Original Globe Theater

The original theater was built in 1599 by
the acting company, Lord Chamberlain’s
Men. Most of Shakespeare’s plays were
performed here.
 The
Globe was 3 stories
high, octagon-shaped and
had an open air court in the
middle. The stage reached
into the middle area and
was surrounded by tiers of
seats that had a roof over
them.
 The
upper- and middleclass sat in the seats.
 The
poor people (called
“groundlings”) paid a penny
to stand in the center.
Acting in The Globe
There were no electric lights, sound effects,
or big sets in The Globe. All performances
took place during the day when there was
light for the audience to see.

Because all the plays took place on a bare
stage in the daytime, Shakespeare had to
use language to convey time of day,
weather, and mood. Characters who talk
about how dark it is are setting the stage
for the audience.
Hamlet
The most famous work in the English
language
 Hamlet has been performed more times than
any play ever written. There are dozens of
film versions as well.

Interesting Facts
Shakespeare’s son was named Hamnet.
Shakespeare wrote this play shortly after
his son died.
 The Ghost of Old Hamlet and his brother
Claudius are often played by the same
actor.
 Hamlet is often called the “Gloomy Dane”
because he is so depressed.

Theatrical Devices
Tragedy- the main character is brought to ruin or
suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a
consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or
inability to handle bad circumstances.
 Soliloquy- a long conversation by a person who is
talking to him or herself. It is intended
to tell the character’s innermost
thoughts. The character is usually on
stage alone.

The End
ENJOY!