William Shakespeare:

William Shakespeare:

Life During the Elizabethan Age

Who Was Shakespeare?William Shakespeare

was a playwright and poet who lived in the late 1500’s and early 1600’s (around 400 years ago)

The Great MysteryOne of the greatest mysteries of

English drama is that so little is known for sure about one of its most famous playwrights-Shakespeare

S’s biographical info was not recorded for about 100 years after his death-by then, fact was mingled with legend

How Popular Is Shakespeare?His plays are

performed all over the world in hundreds of languages, and he is known as one of the greatest writers of all time

Why Is Shakespeare So Popular?The reason his work is so popular is

that he wrote about human nature and how people behave.

That is why, although his words can be hard to understand, his ideas are as relevant now as they were four centuries ago.

Shakespeare’s WorksAt least 2 of Shakespeare’s plays have

been lost, but 38 surviveThey are divided into comedies,

tragedies, and historiesShakespeare also wrote poems,

including a series of sonnets (a type of short poem)

Shakespeare’s WorksComedies: plays that begin with trouble

and end with peace, solutions provided by last act

Tragedies: plays that begin calmly, but end in death

Histories: based on historical facts, but added to; comic relief also added

Shakespeare in Stratford

Shakespeare came from Stratford-upon-Avon, a quiet market town.

Although he made his name in London, he often went back home to see his wife and children.

Later, he bought a big house in Stratford and retired there himself.

The FamilyShakespeare’s father was a glover (maker of gloves and leather goods), also became mayor of the town

John was married to Mary Arden, a wealthy landowner’s daughter

They had 8 children, but 3 died young (flu, measles, scarlet fever)

William Shakespeare with his parents, John and Mary.

Shakespeare’s Schooldays

Shakespeare went to grammar school-studied mostly Latin-left at 15 and didn’t go to college

One schoolmaster taught 12 boys

Boys usually only went to school if their family could afford it (girls were taught at home and often didn’t learn to read and write)

Shakespeare’s SchoolingAcquired insight into nature of

man by reading classics, BibleStudied humankind, trying to

gain a better understanding of how people think, feel, and suffer

Young William would have attended the King Edward's Grammar School in Stratford.

After leaving school at around 15 it is likely that Shakespeare went to learn his father's trade in his father's shop.

A Hasty Marriage

Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582, when he was 18

She was 8 years older than him

By the time he was 20, he had a daughter and twins to provide for

Shakespeare’s New Life

Because he had a family to provide for, Shakespeare had to quickly find work

Fate brought William into contact with a traveling theatre company, and he joined it as an actor.

This picture shows the Earl of Southampton, a very rich young gentleman, to whom Shakespeare dedicated two of his earliest works, and who was an early patron of Shakespeare.

Little is known of Shakespeare's early years in London. He must have pursued his writing after his day's work, in the taverns where he was lodging.

By 1592, when he was aged 27, Shakespeare had established himself as both an actor and writer.

Shakespeare’s PersonalityFriends described him as gentleTook minor roles in his playsDid not promote himself apart

from fellow actors

London Life-Capital CityThe traveling company of actors took

Shakespeare to London in 1586. His first impressions would have been

of teeming crowds, the squalor of poverty, and the extravagance of the wealthy

City of LondonBordered by the River Thames in the

south and a 2 mile wall to the northBeyond these boundaries were London’s

suburbs, areas outside the strict control of City authorities

Elizabethan Age“Golden Age of English Literature”

The time period during which Shakespeare lived and wrote his plays

The time period during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603)

This was an age of great nationalistic expansion, commercial growth, and religious controversy outburst of lyric poetry development of English drama

Elizabethan BeliefsLife in Elizabethan England could be cruel and hard (time during which S. lived and wrote)

The poor often went hungry, disease was widespread, medical remedies often felt more like tortures, and many women died in childbirth

Through their beliefs, people found ways of making sense of the universe

ReligionAlmost everyone believed in God

and expected to go to hell or heaven after deathHamlet-In his play, Hamlet won’t

kill his stepfather, Claudius, while Claudius is praying, because he doesn’t want him to go to heaven

Social Classes in England at the Time of ShakespeareDistinct social roles and functions (each

class was distinctly based on education, dress, occupation, and income)

The bulk of playgoing audiences included: large urban artisan class (mostly in

London) class of merchants and manufacturers increasingly literate class of scholars

and clergy

The Chain of BeingA concept the Elizabethans inherited

from the Middle AgesAn attempt to give order to the vastness

of creationThe idea was that God created everything

in a strict hierarchy, or chain, that stretched from God himself down to the lowest things in existence

Chain of Being continued...MonarchsNobles, churchmenGentlemenCommonersWomen inferior to men, with the exception

of Elizabeth I (her position as monarch outweighed the fact that she was a woman)

Chain of Being continued…Accepting one’s place in the chain

was a duty that would be rewarded by God in heaven. Disrupting the chain was thought to lead to chaos, but of course many people still did challenge their position in society.

Myths and Magic

Fairies, magic, witches, spells, and prophecies all part of life

Diseases and disasters often blamed on witches (women accused of working for the devil)

Astrology-the belief that the position of the stars can foretell and influence life on Earth-was respected and popular

St. Paul’s CathedralFor many Londoners, it was more

of a meeting place than place of worshipDeals were struck, goods were

bought and sold, and thieves, prostitutes, and beggars operated within its walls

PlagueOver 100,000 people died of plague

Crowded conditions and poor sanitation made London an ideal breeding ground for plague, a fatal disease carried by fleas on rats

Entertainment in Londoninns, tavernscockfighting,

public beatings, executionstheater

Elizabethan TheatreIn Shakespeare’s lifetime, theatre became hugely popularAt first it was not considered to be a

respectable pastime, and most theaters were in rougher parts of town

Until the mid 16th century, most plays were performed outside London

Theatre CompaniesIn London, plays were put on by theatre

companies (groups of professional actors)By law, a company had to have a patron,

a rich friend who would support it financially

Companies were named after their patrons

Traveling Theatre CompaniesTraveling companies of actors

would perform at market fairs, or at great country houses. Each company was under the patronage of some wealthy nobleman.

The Theatre1586-Shakespeare became the stage

manager of The Theatre in London (only theater in town)

also joined the acting companyearliest works produced in 1591-92

(Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Shakespeare’s Theatre CompanyShakespeare spent much of his career with a

company called Lord Chamberlain’s MenIts patron was Lord ChamberlainIn 1603, James I became King-he wanted to

become a patron so he started supporting the Chamberlain’s Men. From then on, they were known as the King’s Men.

The AudienceTheatre in Elizabethan England was an entertainment for everyone

Cheapest tickets cost one penny, which most ordinary people could afford (workers earned about 12 pence a week)

Most expensive tickets were 6 pence and bought by rich merchants and nobles

London Playhouse AudienceMajority of audience educated and well offThe social range of the audience did include

other types of people: Queens/Earls>rogues/unemployed Some wives attended-but their playgoing

created a worry that they either were harlots (prostitutes) or would be assaulted if not. Most men expected only harlots to be regular playgoers.

Women were seen as respectable if accompanied by a man to a theatre.

The Audience continued...Foreign traders and tourists often

made a visit to the theater as part of their visit to London

With so many people crowded together, the theaters were also popular with thieves and pickpockets

Stage CraftSpecial effects

and scenery did not play a big part in theatre

Musicians provided sound effects with drums and trumpets, and actors wore extravagant showy costumes

Shakespeare’s PlayersShakespeare is thought to have joined the

theatre as an actor, or “player”, and become a writer in later life

probably started gradually writing more and acting less

it was normal for actors to help write plays, or change them a lot during rehearsals

The Globe Theater1599-Shakespeare joined other

actors and built the Globe Theatrehe was a shareholder in the Globe

and a part-owner of a company of actors called Lord Chamberlain’s Company, later known as The King’s Men

The Globe TheaterFrom 1599 onwards, Shakespeare’s plays were

usually performed at the Globe, a huge, open-air circular theater in Southwark London

could hold 3,000 people2 performances a dayShakespeare owned a share in the Globe and

made a lot of money from it

Performing ConditionsTo get to playhouse on south side of

Thames: Globe, etc. flag, trumpet or drum summoned

them from “suburbs” ferried across the river coach

Performing Conditions...The play would be affected by:

weather (plays held in afternoon)

food/drink smells thieves occasional riots

Performing Conditions...Galleries would shelter 2/3 of

audienceStage coveredAll open-air theatres aligned

stages so that character had backs to sun in mid-summer and a shadowed stage

Performing Conditions...Groundlings: usually lower class, stood in front of stage

Food/drink/need for toilets>constant distraction passed around/carried around, mostly

apples and nuts (often used as ammunition to show displeasure at play)

for solids/Thames River for urine/they passed buckets no privacy

Performing Conditions...Regarding smell:

occupational smell tobacco it was recommended to eat

onions to take away smell of leeks; it was recommended to eat garlic to take away smell of onions

much tobacco spit

Performing Conditions...The audience was an active participant in

the collective experience of playgoing, and it was not in the habit of keeping its reactions private. They threw items to hasten progress

and/or stop it. great crowds/packed masses of

standing-room crowd Authority of any kind was absent-self

regulation (pickpockets-dealt with by mob rule-tied to stage pillars)

Shakespeare and His PlaysShakespeare wrote his plays for the

educated, who financed the plays.Groundlings didn’t seem to mind if it

went over their heads, especially in language.

Candles used, wooden structure, thrust stage-intimacy between actors and audience, no women in acting company

RetirementIn 1610

Shakespeare returned to Stratford permanently to manage his investments and properties.

Shakespeare’s family upon retirement

Shakespeare died in Stratford on 23 April 1616, and now lies in Holy Trinity Church Stratford.