William Shakespeare and His Theater

Actor ~ Businessman ~ Writer ~ Legend

What do you already know about Shakespeare, his works, culture, and his history?

Actors in Shakespeare’s DayConsidered immoral, irresponsible, and rowdy.

Believed to promote disturbances.Called sacrilegious for boys playing female roles (cross-dressing).

Functioned on a Repertory systemRarely acted the same play two days in a row

CostumesLavish and expensive costumes

Bright in color

Contemporary clothing

Most prized possession

Usually donated by nobles

Main characters wore historically accurate costumes

Costumes

The Theatera polygonal structure

made of wood thatched roof only

over the galleries and the stage

center open to the skyno curtain with a stage

jutting into the yard

Many theaters burned down.

The Theater cheap seats = standing room only on the floor (the “yard” or “pit”)Also called “penny seats” and groundlings

expensive seats = galleries above

very few set pieces and some small props

yelling from audience members = allowed

Threats to English TheaterFires

Bubonic Plague

Puritan MovementEnded the golden age of English theater 1642

Disapproval by Church and London

Theaters . . . were located in “bad” areas – prostitution, blood sports, disreputable taverns, beggars (but London officials wouldn’t allow them elsewhere).

caused traffic problems (since thousands of people attended).

supposedly caused violence and lawlessness.

Disapproval by Church and London

Theaters were . . . blamed for spreading the plague.attended by apprentices who skipped work.the sources of “curses” (fire, sickness, natural disasters, etc.) from God for the immorality and violence on stage.

WritersModest backgrounds

Paid in increments

Wrote 1 to 2 plays a year

Actors and Shareholders

Who was Shakespeare?

Shakespeare’s Childhood

Birth: April, 1564 (exact date unknown)Parents: John and Mary ShakespeareBirthplace: Stratford-upon-Avon, an important agricultural and market center

Shakespeare’s Education

Most likely attended

Stratford’s grammar school

Subjects – English classics

and Latin grammar

Apprentice to his father

(who worked in leather and

agricultural goods)

Shakespeare’s Marriage and Children

Marriage: November 28, 1582 to Anne Hathaway (eight years older than 18 year old William)

Children: Susanna, Judith, and Hamnet

“The Lost Years”No records exist after his children were born in 1585 until his appearance in London in 1592.

Legendspoached deer and escaped to Londonworked for an attorney joined a theater group and went to Londonwent to Italybecame a schoolmaster

Shakespeare’s Early CareerWell known by 1592 in the theater businessPlaywright, play mender, poet, shareholder, and

actor involved with many acting companiesBy 1594 - member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men,

an acting company that had the honor of playing for the queen that year.

Shakespeare’s Growing SuccessLate 1590s: author of numerous plays and manager for the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the most popular company in London

1599: Globe Theater, the most famous playhouse in London

Shakespeare’s Later Years1603 - Lord Chamberlain’s Men became the King’s Men (James I - new patron)

Era of greatest tragedies, including Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, and King Lear

Financial success wealthy in retirement

Shakespeare’s Retirement & Death

Returned to Stratford in 1612 and died in 1616

Buried in Holy Trinity Church (curse on gravestone)

Good friend for Jesus’ sake forebear, To dig the dust enclosed here;Blessed be the man that spares these stones,And curst be he that moves my bones.

Shakespeare’s Legacy

154 sonnets and poemsNearly 40 plays

(scholars know of at least one lost play, Cardenio), all of which are still performed in theaters or on the big screen

Numerous new words or new forms of words

• Eaten out of house and home • Pomp and circumstance• Foregone conclusion• Full circle• The makings of• Method in the madness• Neither rhyme nor reason• One fell swoop• Seen better days• It smells to heaven• A sorry sight• A spotless reputation• Strange bedfellows• The world's (my) oyster

• Amazement • Assassin• baseless• clangor• countless• dishearten• dwindle• eventful• gnarled• laughable• monumental• obscene• premeditated• submerge

Shakespeare coined countless English words/phrases, including:

And even…Yes…That’s right…SWAG

Types of Plays

1. History

2. Tragedy

3. Comedy

4. Romance

Structure of a Tragedy Act I: The first act serves to introduce the conflict(s), set the

scene and mood, introduce the principal players, and set the plot in motion. (Setting and Exposition, Conflict)

Act II: The second act serves to add complications to the conflict(s) and to develop both characters and plot lines. (Rising Action)

Act III: The third act should continue the building of complications until the action comes to a climax, which is the turning point of the play. Actions after the climax are irreversible. (Climax)

Act IV: The fourth act contains the events after the climax. It shows the consequences of characters’ actions. (Falling Action)

Act V: The fifth act is the end of the play. The conflict(s) is/are “resolved” and the play ends. (Resolution/Denouement)

Shakespeare’s Language

Blank Verse- Iambic Pentameter

- 10 syllables in a line - unstressed/ stressed

- A horse/ a horse/ my king/ dom for/

a horse !

Prose - For common people

- Ordinary setting

Poetry- Shows heightened

emotion

- Royalty/magical

- Scene change

Terms used in ShakespeareIn addition to the figurative language terms you have already learned about, Shakespeare also employs the following literary terms.

Soliloquy – A monologue onstage where the character is alone – shares inner thoughts and feelings

Aside – The character is speaking to himself or the audience, but the other characters do not hear him/her. Inner thoughts and feelings

Monologue – A long speech by a character. Other characters are on stage with him/her.

Foil – A character who highlights certain traits of another character by having contrasting traits

Allusion – a reference to an important person or event in history, mythological, Biblical the author assumes the audience knows

Supernatural – Things that don’t occur naturally – weather, witches, etc.

PunA play on words

If someone steals someone’s coffee, they are “mugging” them.

Don’t go to Starbucks or you could be latte for work!

Tragic Hero – A fortunate or privileged person (god, demi-god, hero, high ranking official) who is generally brought down by a tragic flawA fundamental character weakness such as destructive pride, ruthless ambition, or obsessive jealousy

An Elizabethan tragic hero generally brings about his own downfall

Conflict – The problem in the story. Internal and external

Dynamic Character – A character that changed throughout the story.

Static Character - A character that doesn’t change throughout the story.

Foreshadowing When authors give clues to something that is going to

happen next. The ominous clouds foreshadowed something bad was on its

way.

Irony When something unexpected happens. Dramatic

The audience knows something the characters do not. Verbal

A play on words; a pun Situational

When we don’t expect the event to happen.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999) from The Taming of the Shrew

She’s the Man (2006) from Twelfth Night The Lion King (1994) from Hamlet O (2001) from Othello West Side Story (1961) from Romeo & Juliet Shakespeare in Love (1998)- fictional story based on

Shakespeare’s romance while writing Romeo & Juliet

Pop Culture

“Love Story”- Taylor Swift “Romeo and Juliet”- Indigo Girls “Miss MacBeth”- Elvis Costello “Sister Moon” and “Be Still My Beating Heart”- Sting “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”- Blue Oyster Cult “Get Over It”- The Eagles

Shakespeare-inspired music

Has Shakespeare impacted your lives? Have you seen any of these movies or heard any of these songs? Have you used any of these words, sayings, or notable phrases? Can you think of any other examples?

Your Turn

Please rise

OWe are going to say this word. A lot.

(Read “O” with the emotion in parenthesis)

O(Surprise)

O(Disappointment)

O(Fear)

O(Confusion)

O(Discovery)

O(Frustration)

O(holding a puppy)

O(Shock)

O(Condescending)

O(desire)

I didn’t say he killed our king.

I didn’t say he killed our king.

I didn’t say he killed our king.

I didn’t say he killed our king.

I didn’t say he killed our king.

I didn’t say he killed our king.

I didn’t say he killed our king.

I didn’t say he killed our king.

Beowulf - Old EnglishCanterbury Tales - Middle English

Hamlet summary