William Shakespeare

Biography, significance, theater, plays,

teachers…

The Globe Theater

Shakespeare’s Birth

Born in Stratford, England Shakespeare’s baptism was registered on

April 26, 1564 Gilielmus filius Johannes Shakespeare The actual date is unknown. Most people

attribute the day to be April 23, 1564 Shakespeare died April 23, 1616

Parents

Shakespeare’s father, John, came to Stratford and was a glover. He also worked in wool, then earned other titles.

Dad owned three houses, and which one Shakespeare was born in is a mystery.

His parents couldn’t read or write. Dad’s position as aldermen came with free

education for his children.

Shakespeare’s marriage

William married Anne Hathaway in 1582

Suzanna was born 6 months later 1583

Twins were born 1585: Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died at age 11.

Once the Globe theater was built, and likely before then, his time was spent in Bankside, not Stratford.

The Writer

How his career began is a mystery. In 1592 theaters were closed due to the plague, (he wrote POETRY).

In 1593, he caught the attention of the Earl of Southhampton, and his career took off. The earl was his patron.

Shakespeare’s first sonnets were dedicated to the Earl of Southhampton.

1594

Shakespeare returned to the theater. Became a prominent member of

“The Lord Chamberlain’s Men” also called “Lord Strange’s Men.”

During this time he wrote Romeo and Juliet, Richard II, King John, Love’s Labour’s Lost…

Big role

Shakespeare was unusual because he wrote the plays, acted in the plays, owned the theater, shared the profits of the plays, and was one of the housekeepers of the building.

He was an owner of the Globe Theater for 17 years, co-owner of Blackfriar’s for 9 years too.

Before the Globe

Shakespeare performed at the Swan, the Curtain, and the Theatre.

The Swan, south of the Thames, was famous! Shaped in the round with three levels of seats, room for groundlings, and an open stage, which is what the Globe looks like. The Rose was there early in 1587.

The Theatre and Curtain were on the north side of the London Wall. Shakespeare was there until 1597

The Globe

Originally constructed in 1599 from Timber taken from The Theatre.

The Globe was designed by Cuthbert Burbage, son of The Theatre’s creator, James Burbage.

5 actors co-owned the Globe. During a performance of Henry VIII, a

misfired canon ball set the thatch on fire and the Globe burned down. :-(

The second Globe

Within a year it was rebuilt, but without a thatched roof.

This one had a tiled roof and remained where it was built until 1644.

Housing was built over the site. There is a plaque commemorating the site, and it is about 3 blocks from the current Globe.

The Third Globe

The rebuilt Globe was pioneered by American Actor Sam Wanamaker.

In 1949 Sam came to London and was disappointed that only a dull plaque stood as a memorial to Shakespeare. He founded the Shakespeare Global Trust.

In 1987, building began. Sam died in 1993. The project was completed in 1997.

Old and New

The old Globe was an open air theatre. Without electricity, it was lit by the heavens. Performances occurred during the day, and Sunday’s performances conflicted with church services. Churches wanted the theater shut down. To see a play on a weekday, one had to miss work.

The theater seated about 3,000, plus standing room for the groundlings.

Wealthy up top

The most wealthy were sat up-top The poorest, groundlings, stood. If it was market-day, they carried their

food, fowl, whatever they had, with them. There were prostitutes and pickpockets in

the audience along with the highborn and the low born. Shakespeare had to appeal to a broad spectrum of patrons.

Location, Location, Location

The Globe was built Bankside, on the southside of the Thames known as Southwark.

To cross, one had to pay a pence to the ferryman. The Thames was very wide then and occasionally froze.

The ferryman seat from the Renaissance period is preserved in London.

Four Reasons we read Shakespeare

#1.Illumination of the human experience:

Shakespeare’s ability to evoke and summarize the range of human emotions, inner conflicts, hopes and defeats, in simple yet profoundly elegant verse, is unsurpassable.

No author in the western world has penned more beloved, quoted passages.

Reason 2: Great Stories

Better than Homer, more diverse than anyone, Shakespeare’s stories transcend culture and time.

Modern story tellers continue to remake his tales because they are just Great Stories!

Reason 3: Compelling Characters

Completely Compelling Characters! There are some stock characters,

but Shakespeare’s tragic characters are unequaled in literature.

Shakespeare’s great characters remain popular because of their depth and complexity.

Reason 4: Art!

Ability to turn a phrase! Bernard Levin said it best in the following

quote about Shakespeare's impact on our language:If you cannot understand my argument, and declare "It's Greek to me", you are quoting Shakespeare; if you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger, if your wish is father to the thought,

The Story of English…

Quoting Shakespeare

if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle, if you have knitted your brows, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink,

Quoting Shakespeare

stood on ceremony, danced attendance (on your lord and master), laughed yourself into stitches, had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing, if you have seen better days or lived in a fool's paradise - why, be that as it may, the more fool you, for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare;

Quoting Shakespeare

if you think it is early days and clear out bag and baggage, if you think it is high time and that that is the long and short of it, if you believe that the game is up and that truth will out even if it involves your own flesh and blood, if you lie low till the crack of doom because you suspect foul play, if you have your teeth set on edge (at one fell swoop) without rhyme or reason, then - to give the devil his due - if the truth were known (for surely you have a tongue in your head) you are quoting Shakespeare;

Quoting Shakespeare

even if you bid me good riddance and send me packing, if you wish I were dead as a door-nail, if you think I am an eyesore, a laughing stock, the devil incarnate, a stony-hearted villain, bloody-minded or a blinking idiot, then - by Jove! O Lord! Tut, tut! for goodness' sake! what the dickens! but me no buts - it is all one to me, for you are quoting Shakespeare. (The Story of English, 145)

Shakespeare’s verse

Shakespeare wrote in Early Modern English.

It’s not Old English,that would read like Beowulf.

It’s not middle English, that would read like Chaucer!

It’s Early Modern English!

Behold- Old

Beowulf from the Anglo Saxon period is old. (449-1066)

Hwat! We Gar-Dena in Gear-dagum peod-cyninga prym gefrunon…

Or Lo! The Spear-Danes glory through

splendid achievements…. That’s OLD, Anglo-Saxon English.

Shakespeare’s church

Shakespeare went to church in Southwark. When it was his church is was called “St. Mary Ovarie” referring to St. Mary over the river.

Shakespeare’s head

Shakespeare looks pale and down toward the very busy theater district.

His hand was blown off in WWII and never replaced.

There are images of Shakespeare all over London!

This one seems to represent “The people’s Shakespeare!