HOME STUDY-ENGLISH

Spend approximately 40 minutes per day working through the activities in this booklet.

You should try to spend at least 20 minutes per day reading something of your own choice

You do not need to print the booklet out but you might want to use paper to record your responses.

You should work through the activities in the order they appear in the booklet.

Monday 1. Vocabulary (5 minutes per day) 2. Develop your knowledge – Shakespeare and his family 3. Check your understanding – Test Yourself Tuesday 1. Vocabulary (5 minutes per day) 2. Develop your knowledge – Context – What influenced Shakespeare’s writing. 3. Check your understanding- Brain Dump Wednesday 1. Vocabulary (5 Minutes per day) 2. Extended Response 1: Complete this task to demonstrate your understanding and return to your teacher via email for feedback. Thursday 1. Vocabulary (5 minutes per day) 2. Develop your knowledge – The Globe Theatre 3. Check your understanding – Test Yourself

Friday 1. Vocabulary (5 Minutes per day) 2. Extended Response 2: Complete this task to demonstrate your understanding and return to your teacher via email for feedback.

Extension Tasks: A few things you may enjoy doing if you have time. HOME STUDY-ENGLISH FOCUS ON VOCABULARY

TASK: Use LOOK, COVER, WRITE, CHECK to learn the following definitions. Word Definition bard A poet; in olden times, a performer who told heroic stories to musical accompaniment brawl a noisy quarrel or fight

Courtier a person who attends a royal court as a companion or adviser to the king or queen. Globe Theatre Where Shakespeare's plays were performed in London, England

Groundlings Peasants; The lower class in Shakespeare's time who paid a penny to see a play Play write the author of a play

Prologue introductory remarks in a speech, play or literary work, introductory action Shakespearean a 14-line lyric poem with a specific rhyme scheme sonnet Soliloquy A long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage

Tudors Dynasty formed by Henry VI

To further revise and test your knowledge of the key vocabulary you might want to give Quizlet a go. Use the link below: English Home Study

LEARNING FOCUS- Who was Shakespeare and what influenced his writing?

Recall your prior knowledge.

Task: Write down anything you already know about Shakespeare. (5 minutes) Build your knowledge

Task: Carefully read the following information about William Shakespeare and his family. (20 minutes)

When was Shakespeare born?

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in April 1564. The exact date of his birth is not recorded, but it is most often celebrated around the world on 23 April.

Shakespeare’s baptism is recorded in the Parish Register at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon- Avon on Wednesday 26 April 1564. Baptisms typically took place within three days of a new arrival, and parents were instructed by the Prayer Book to ensure that their children were baptised no later than the first Sunday after birth. This means that it’s unlikely that Shakespeare was born any earlier than the previous Sunday, 23 April. Given that three days would be a reasonable interval between birth and baptism, 23 April has therefore come to be celebrated as his birthday.

Fun Fact: Shakespeare also died on 23 April; in 1616, when he was 52 years of age.

Who was Shakespeare’s family?

William Shakespeare was the eldest son of John and Mary Shakespeare. John Shakespeare was a glove-maker, who married Mary Arden, the daughter of a farmer from the nearby village of Wilmcote. When William was born, John and Mary were living on Henley Street, Stratford-upon- Avon, in the house now known as Shakespeare’s Birthplace. They had eight children in total.

John Shakespeare was a prominent citizen who served on the town council for many years. He even became a high bailiff in 1568 (the equivalent of Mayor). Aside from his craft as a glover, he traded as a wool dealer and was also involved in money-lending. He was granted a Coat of Arms in 1596, elevating him and his heirs to the official status of gentlemen. Where did Shakespeare go to School?

William Shakespeare's education would have started at home. His mother, Mary Arden, would have told him fables and fairy tales during his early youth. Mary was certainly literate. She acted as the executor of her father’s will. The kinds of stories Mary told him are referred to much later in Shakespeare's plays. His home education would also have included reading the bible. In addition to education at home, Petty School followed up to the age of seven. There he learnt his alphabet, numbers, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer.

Shakespeare’s Henley Street home was just a short walk from the grammar school, the King’s New School, on Church Street, also the site of the Guild Hall where the borough council regularly met. The school was available to all boys within the borough, free of charge. The grammar-school's demanding curriculum was geared to teaching pupils Latin, both spoken and written. The boys studied authors such as Terence, Virgil, and Horace in their original Latin. In fact, the students were even expected to speak Latin to each other in the playground or at home. We can see the influence of these Classical writers, particularly Ovid, in Shakespeare’s poems and plays. While grammar schools focused on Latin rhetoric, drama was also included. He probably left school at fourteen to undertake an apprenticeship of seven years until his coming of age.

Although his parents were fairly prosperous and he was able to go to grammar school, there is no record that he went to university.

Marriage and children

William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in November 1582 and they remained married until Shakespeare's death. At the time of their marriage William was 18, while Anne was 26—and pregnant with their first child.

The average age of marriage was 26 years of age, so Anne would have been an eligible young lady of her time. William, on the other hand, was still a minor in the eyes of the law and so required permission from Anne's father to marry Anne. Shakespeare's early marriage also meant that he wouldn't legally be able to complete an apprenticeship.

Anne and William's first daughter, Susanna, was born six months after their marriage, and they would go on to have twins Judith and Hamnet a few years later. Test your knowledge

Task: Respond to the following questions to test your understanding. How many can you answer without looking back at the text? (10 minutes)

1. What year was Shakespeare born?

2. Where was Shakespeare’s birthplace?

3. What was Shakespeare’s father’s occupation?

4. How many siblings did Shakespeare have?

5. What was Shakespeare’s mother called?

6. Which Classical writer had a particular influence on Shakespeare?

7. Why did Shakespeare need permission to marry Anne Hathaway?

8. What were the names of Shakespeare’s three children? Focus on context- What influenced Shakespeare’s writing?

Context: (noun) the setting or background influences for an event which help to explain it.

Synonyms: background, circumstances, conditions

Task: Use the key terms to label the images below. Think abut how they may have influenced Shakespeare’s writing. (5 minutes)

The Plague The Globe Theatre Elizabeth I Guy Fawkes

James I (Vi Scotland) London Dock in Tudor England, Focus on context- What influenced Shakespeare’s writing?

Task: Read the information below to find out more about the contextual influences on Shakespeare’ writing. (15 minutes)

Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne when Shakespeare wrote his first plays .Elizabeth was an active and generous patron of the theatre. She had her own acting company called the 'Queen's Men', and stood against the puritans who wished to close down the theatres. Without her support the Elizabethan theatres would not have survived.

When Elizabeth died Shakespeare wrote no elegy for her, unlike most of the poets of the day. As you can see it is not easy to determine Shakespeare's relationship to Elizabeth I. It appears that he worked for her as she demanded but there is no indication that their relationship was closer than that.

Shortly after James I took the throne, he announced that he would be the new sponsor of Shakespeare's theatre company ‘The Lord Chamberlain’s Men’, which renamed itself the King's Men. The company were required to perform for visiting dignitaries and on state occasions. The new King and his court proved to be big consumers of theatre, ordering, according to one eyewitness, ‘every night a public play in the great hall [at Hampton Court]’ during the holiday season of late 1603, plus extra, private performances before James’s Queen Anne and the young Prince Henry.

The play Macbeth is rumoured to be designed to deliberately flatter the interests of James 1. It, cleverly flatters the King’s distant ancestor Banquo, who dies an honourable death, and even includes the weird sisters to represent the supernatural which was a topic of great Interest to the King. We’re not certain when Macbeth was first performed, or even if James ever saw it, but if it was in 1606, it must have been frighteningly soon after the Gunpowder Plot in November 1605. The Plot was a Catholic conspiracy to blow up James at the state opening of parliament – and with him nearly every major political figure in the land – and it came dangerously close to happening. Focus on context- What influenced Shakespeare’s writing?

The recurrence of the plague throughout the 16th and 17th centuries had a massive impact not only on the Bard's life and work but also the history of drama in this country. Shakespeare was entwined with the plague from his very beginning, as an outbreak killed a quarter of Stratford-upon-Avon's population in the year of his birth. He was lucky to survive but this was by no means the end of his experiences with the disease. Theatres were usually the first public spaces to be closed during peak times of infection. An outbreak in 1592-93 closed London's theatres and the decision would have been financially crippling to Shakespeare, who was only 28 years-old at the time. Refusing to bow to the disease however, the Bard turned to writing love poetry as a creative outlet and enjoyed great success.

During the late 16th and early 17th centuries attending a play during the afternoon was a favourite leisure activity for many members of London society, in much the same way as going to movies is for us.

The story of the Globe Theatre starts with William Shakespeare's acting company The Lord Chamberlain's Men. Shakespeare was a part-owner, or sharer, in the company, as well as an actor and the resident playwright. From its start in 1594, the Lord Chamberlain's Men performed at The Theatre, a playhouse located in Shoreditch. However, by 1598 their patrons had fallen out of favour with the Queen. The Theatre's landlord, Giles Alleyn, had intentions to cancel the company's lease and tear the building down.

While Alleyn did own the land, he did not own the materials with which The Theatre had been built. So, on 28 December 1598, after leasing a new site in Southwark, Cuthbert and Richard Burbage led the rest of the company of actors, sharers, and volunteers in taking the building down timber by timber, loading it on to barges, and making their way across the Thames. Working together, the actors built the new theatre as quickly as they could.

*patron - a person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, cause, or activity. Focus on context- What have you learnt?

Task: True or False? Decide whether the following statements are True or False. Try to recall the knowledge from memory before going back to the text to check.

(10 minutes)

1. Queen Elizabeth was on the throne when Shakespeare first T F started to write. 2. James 1 did not approve of the Theatre. T F 3. Guy Fawkes was involved in a plot to kill the King. T F 4. Shakespeare’s career was ruined by the impact of the T F plague. 5. Shakespeare was an employee at ‘The Globe’ T F

Task: Brain Dump – Write down everything you can remember about the influences on Shakespeare’s writing. (10 minutes)

BIG THINKING – Shakespeare never travelled outside of England but many of his plays are set in exotic locations such as Italy. (5 minutes)

Why might the travellers who sailed into the Thames Dock influenced Shakespeare’s writing? Extended Response 1

Who was Shakespeare and what influenced his writing?

EXTENDED TASK: Create an information poster to outline what you have learnt about William Shakespeare. (40 minutes)

POINTS TO CONSIDER: Use the headings below to help you plan your content.

*This is an extended piece so can be returned to your teacher for feedback. English Home Study

LEARNING FOCUS- Exploring ‘The Globe’

Task: Read the information about the history of ‘The Globe’ and the Puritans and reflect on the ‘THINK ABOUT IT QUESTION. (5 minutes)

HISTORY OF THE GLOBE

• Opened in 1599

• Burned down in 1613 from a cannon blast during the play “Henry VIII”

• Rebuilt and reopened in 1614

• Closed down by Puritans in 1642 and was torn down in 1644

• In 1996 a replica was built on the original site

New knowledge: The Puritans were members of a religious reform movement known as Puritanism that arose within the Church of England in the late 16th century. They believed in strict self control and preached that pleasure was wrong or unnecessary.

THINK ABOUT IT: Why do you think ‘The Globe’ was closed down by Puritans? Develop your knowledge – The Globe

Task: Consider a modern theatre audience. How might their experience be similar or different from a visit to ‘The Globe’?

KEY FACTS ABOUT THE GLOBE

• All classes of people attended plays there.

• No roof so that they had sunlight. Thus, plays had to be during the day.

• People often skipped work to go.

• It was not allowed to be built in the city of London because crowds often became disorderly.

• Original Globe was 3 stories and held about 3000 people.

Record your thoughts in the box below (5 minutes)

Similarities Differences Develop your knowledge – The Globe

Task: Carefully read the following information about the layout and the audience of ‘The Globe Theatre.’ (20 minutes)

The Audience and Layout

People from all walks of life went to the theatre, from thieves and pickpockets to wealthy nobles.

We can tell this by looking at the price list:

Yard ……………………..1 penny Wooden seats ……. 2 pennies Wooden seats (cushioned) ……….. 3 pennies Lord’s room ……….. 6 pennies

ENTRANCE • Everybody entered at the same place regardless of where you paid to sit or stand.

• Poor people could get into plays for little money, but had to STAND. The were known as GROUNDLINGS FLOOR VIEW

• It would be very difficult to see unless you were right at the front next to the stage.

• Plays often lasted 4-6 hours and the Groundlings would stand the whole time. Develop your knowledge – The Globe

SECOND FLOOR VIEW • The middle to upper class people could afford to sit on the second level.

• The second level wrapped around both sides of the stage.

THIRD FLOOR VIEW • Only the upper class could afford seats on the third level.

• For extra money the rich could get a padded seat.

STAGE VIEW • The actors had to deal with many factors and distractions:

▪ Weather (no roof) ▪ Rowdy audience ▪ Fruit and vegetables thrown at them if the play or acting was boring Develop your knowledge – The Globe

Balcony Housed the musicians; parts of the play might also be staged here

Galleries Only partly Wealthier roofed theatre-goers sat Actors and here groundlings got wet in the rain Tiring house Where the Stage costumes were Most of the kept action took place here Yard The groundlings Hell stood here to Home of fiends watch the play and villains, accessed by a trapdoor Circular layout Audience surrounded the stage Develop your knowledge – The Globe

Special Effects • Fiends and villains would vanish under the stage to ‘Hell’ in a puff of smoke. • The tiring house roof was known as ‘the Heavens’. Gods could descend on ropes and pulleys, and fairies could fly above the stage on wires and harnesses. • Pigs’ bladders filled with animal blood would be burst at strategic moments during fights and death scenes. • Costumes and props were often expensive and elaborate.

Sound Effects • Some sound effects (crowds, ghosts, bells, trumpet calls) would have been performed by musicians and actors stationed beneath or behind the stage or in the balcony. • Thunder was simulated by beating a large metal sheet. • Need a battle scene? No problem! The actors would set off fireworks to simulate gunshots. • The Globe even had its own cannon which was used for battle scenes and also to herald important and/or magical entrances and exits. This led to an entirely unrehearsed ‘special effect’ in 1613: the Globe caught fire and burnt to the ground.

Actresses • In Shakespeare’s time women were not allowed to perform on stage. All the female roles were taken by boys.

• A boy usually started in the business at the age of around ten. He would be apprenticed to an adult player and taught acting, singing, grammar and composition. A boy may have played women’s parts until the age of nineteen or twenty. Test your knowledge

Task: Respond to the following questions to test your understanding. How many can you answer without looking back at the text? (10 minutes)

1. How much did it cost for a Groundling to buy a ticket for the yard?

2. How long did plays usually last?

3. Which play was being performed when ‘The Globe’ set on fire in 1613?

4. Why did they not build ‘The Globe’ in the centre of London?

5. Where did wealthier audience members sit?

6. What was sometimes thrown at performers on stage?

7. How was the sound of thunder created on stage?

8. Why were all roles played by men? Extended Response 2 - Writing with empathy

What was it like to visit ‘The Globe’?

EXTENDED TASK: Use what you have learned to write a first person recount of an imagined experience at the Globe. (40 minutes)

• Choose to either recount as an actor or as a Groundling.

W.A.G.O.L.L

The time has arrived: my debut upon the stage at The Globe Theatre in London. This new play, in which I am to star today, is a production called ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by William Shakespeare (some play-write from Stratford who is currently favoured by our sovereign Queen Elizabeth). I will under- take the role of Juliet, and I intend to give my all beneath those painted heavens and the beautiful summer afternoon sky.

My costume has been fitted and I look like I have quite a bosom…it’s a good job I shaved my chest this morning. With the white applied to my face and rouge upon my cheeks and lips, I shall indeed make quite a convincing woman. I am certain that the audience will be utterly deceived into believing I am indeed young and tragic Juliet.

I have peeked from backstage and there is quite a crowd. Typically the revolting and stinking groundlings are jostling around the stage. I do hope they will behave today and I must remember to not get too close to the front of the stage – I most certainly do not want their wretched vile hands touching me. Thank goodness the plague has passed. Pleasingly, I have also noticed some impeccable nobility seated up amongst the third floor; my voice will carry strong and true up to there.

Focus on skills:

• Remember to include what you can see, hear, taste, touch and smell. • Include a range of interesting language devices. • Use a range of interesting vocabulary choices. • Start sentences I different ways

*This is an extended piece so can be returned to your teacher for feedback. Extension Tasks

1. Find out the names of 2. Design a Theatre Poster to Shakespeare’s plays advertise one of Shakespeare’s plays

3. Design and label a 4. Write a diary entry from costume for a magical the viewpoint of Elizabeth I character after watching Shakespeare perform.

Find out more about Shakespeare and his family by visiting:

https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore- shakespeare/shakespedia/