William Shakespeare: A Brief Biography

This PowerPoint aims to introduce Form Two students to

a unit on three (3) Shakespearean plays by briefly relating

details about Shakespeare’s life and works.

At the end of this session, students will be able to quote

three (3) of his famous phrases.

After the presentation, the teacher will lead a class discussion

where students will articulate what they have gleaned from the

presentation. Subsequently, they will be separated into groups

of four (4); each group will be given a paper with one (1) of the

phrases and asked to draw a picture representing it. When the

groups have finished, each will show their drawing and the

class will guess which phrase has been represented. At the end

of the exercise, they will be asked to write their three (3)

favourite phrases.

Mystery

Hopeless romantic

Excellent playwright

What else?

Invented 2,035 English Words

May be up to 10,000

Invented numerous common phrases

“All of a sudden”“Love is blind”

“All that glitters is not gold”

Romeo and Juliet

Hamlet

Othello

Twelfth Night

Plays often seen as erotic and strange

Cannot really identify with characters

• Overzealous

• Heroic

• Full of life and youth

• Self-hatred.

November 28th, 1582

Shakespeare: eighteen

His wife, Anne Hathaway: twenty-six

Seven months later: daughter, Susanna

Susanna born in May, 1583

Twins, Hamnet and Judith, born in February 1585

Hamnet died in 1596

The tombstone curse:

Good friend, for Jesus´ sake forbeare To digg the dust enclosed here! Blest be ye man that spares thes stones And curst be he that moues my bones.

Translation:

Good friend, for Jesus’ sake, forbearTo dig the dust enclosed here;Blest be the man that spares these stonesAnd curst he that moves my bones.

The second-best bed

(not as bad as it seems)

Most of his estate to Susanna

Proof he was involved in theatre.

The end of the line - 1670

Get into groups of four (4).

Your group will be given a paper with one of Shakespeare’s

famous phrases.

With your group, draw a picture representing the phrase.

See if the class can guess which phrase you’ve drawn!