William Shakespeare

The manThe Legend

Basics

• Born: 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon

• Son of Mary and John• One of 8 children• Died: 1616 in Stratford-

upon-Avon• Married: Anne

Hathaway in 1582 in Stratford-upon-Avon

A Man of Mystery…

• Not much is known about Shakespeare

• Between 1587 and 1592 there are no records or documents or ANYTHING that tells us what was going on: The Lost Years

• In 1592, he shows up in London as an actor and a writer.

The Works of Shakespeare

• 37 plays (between 1590 and 1614)

• Many poems and sonnets. His sonnets are quite famous.

• There is a lot of debate currently surrounding Shakespeare and his plays.

The Setting: Playhouses

• Plays were THE places to be

• Catered to all classes– Poor stood on the floor– Rich had seating,

stadium style• Indoor halls and

outdoor amphitheatres• Not a ton of scenery

(props)

The Globe

• Built in 1599• Open-air amphitheatre• Owned by Lord

Chamberlain’s Men• Burned down in 1613

during performance of Henry VIII

• Rebuilt and could hold 3,000

Companies of Players• Player = Actor• No women allowed• Often times, writers would

write plays for different companies of players

• The Queen, Elizabeth 1 demanded that players be licensed

• Examples– Queen’s Men– Admiral’s Men– Lord Strange’s Men– Lord Chamberlain’s Men– King’s Men

Romeo and Juliet

• A tragedy• Star-Crossed Lovers• Romeo’s family hates

Juliet’s family…this is the story of how they come together despite that

• Capulets vs. Montagues