William Shakespeare The man The 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