Law and Literature: England (EN 291), PPT 1 of 2

London EYH – Spring 2010William Shakespeare

Charles DickensAnne Blum

Brittany MorrongielloElle Trudeau

William ShakespeareShakespeare was born in 1564 in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Here he married Anne Hathaway,

but his work as a playwright brought him to London, where his plays ran during the spring and

summer months at the Globe Theatre. His first play was Henry IV, and his last was The Tempest. All of his plays were performed at

the Globe, an outdoor theatre, which was located on the south bank of the Thames, away from

the noise of Central London. The original Globe was destroyed in a

fire during a performance of Henry VIII, but the Globe which exists today is created to mimic

the original. Shakespeare died in 1616, but his plays have left a

lasting affect on English Literature; they are still performed twice a day at

London’s reconstructed Globe Theatre.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

Heaven and Hell at the Globe

At performances at the Globe, the poor “groundlings”

could be found viewing the play from the ground level.

Here, they had a view of “heaven,” which reminded

them that they could still rise to heaven despite their poor

social status on earth.

Meanwhile, the rich attendees could be found in the upper level seats. Here,

they had a view of “hell,” which reminded them to be

morally responsible and care for the poor; if they did not, they would fall to hell in the

afterlife.

The Globe Museum

Next to the Globe there is a museum dedicated

to the history of the theater and the

productions which have been staged there.

Exhibits include costumes, props, and

instruments. There are also rooms dedicated to

adaptations of Shakespeare’s works

around the world, which show how

influential his plays are.

Stratford-upon-Avon

Anne Hathaway’s CottageAnne Hathaway’s cottage was

outside of Stratford-upon-Avon, the town where Shakespeare lived, but he would walk there

everyday to visit her. They lived there together after they

were married in 1582.

Inside the cottage, we toured the kitchen where Anne would have prepared meals and saw

the bedrooms where the family slept. Some of us even sat on a

chair that Shakespeare reportedly courted Anne on.

Outside of the cottage, we walked through the gardens.

Everything in the cottage was authentic, so we got to

experience it as Shakespeare and Anne did.

The BirthplaceShakespeare’s birth home is

easily recognizable by the flat top tree outside of it.

The house itself is now an interactive museum that plays

clips of productions of Shakespeare’s many plays and reads aloud some of the most

famous lines from those plays. At the beginning of the tour, the ring that Shakespeare wore is

on display.

Outside of the house is a street lined with shops that reflects

the town as Shakespeare would have known it. Today, the shops

include an ice cream shop called “William Shakes” and a

shop filled with wands dedicated to Harry Potter.

Charles DickensCharles Dickens was born in 1812. He lived in many flats throughout London, but the

museum dedicated to his works is located at his house at 48

Doughty Street. Dickens began his work as a novelist by publishing his novels in

installments in local magazines. Because of these installments, he began to gain recognition,

and in his lifetime he produced many novels, short stories, and other works. Some of his most famous works include Oliver

Twist, Great Expectations, and A Christmas Carol. These works

have been turned into stage productions and movies. While in London, we saw a production of Oliver Twist on the West End.

Like Oliver Twist, most of Dickens’ works deal with the

exploitation of children and the moral corruption of society.

Dickens died in 1870.

Charles Dickens’ Home and Museum

The Dickens Museum

Inside Dickens’ home at Doughty Street, we experienced the home as Dickens knew it.

There are many relics of his life, including a doorknocker from one of the homes he lived in, portraits from his

life, and original manuscripts of his

works.

Haunted?Mary Hogarth’s Room The Library

Mary was the sister of Dickens’ wife. Dickens supposedly loved Mary, and she died in his arms.

He wore her ring after her death. This was her bedroom, where visitors are said to have felt chills

and felt gusts of wind rush past them.

The library is filled with volumes of Dickens’ many novels. Today, visitors can have a look at the books that line the walls and sign the guest book at the center of the room. A worker once

reported that after locking the room with no one else in the house, she returned to find the

door unlocked and open.