The Life of William Shakespeare Success in London

Shakespeare Early Years Lord Chamberlain’s Men

Birth date – Hometown –

Father –

Personal life –

Education - Stratford – The Globe Theatre –

Marriage – The Jacobean Era

Children - Elizabeth I dies – James I –

Lord Chamberlain’s Men – Then What?

The Lost Years – “wit-combats” –

Poet and Playwright The Final Plays actor + playwright “Romances” – The Rose -

Henry Wriothesley - The Tempest –

150 Sonnets – Henry VIII play – Return to Stratford Elizabeth Rules! (literally) Shakespeare’s moves to Stratford – The Virgin Queen - death - Medieval  Modern times cause – London is flourishing!

Shakespeare’s will –

Religious Strife Epitaph: Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare, Cath.  Prot.  Cath.  Prot.  Prot. To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, Henry VIII Henry VIII Mary Elizabeth James And cursed be he that moves my bones. Cath = Catholic Prot = Protestant

Treatment of Catholics

Effect on Shakespeare

Shakespeare in His Time

HENRY VIII – 6 wives Domestic Affairs 1. Catherine of Aragon – Key advisors Army Problems – Divorced –

People <3 Elizabeth I

2. Anne Boleyn – ) Urban Life Executed – Population 3. Jane Seymour – Died – Entertainment 4. Anne of Cleves Divorced / Annuled 5. Kathryn Howard first permanent theatre Executed Class boundaries 6. Katherine Parr Plague – Widowed – Mary, Queen of Scots Master of the Revels – Off limits – Mary Stuart – Catholics/ Protestants in Scotland

Imprisonment Theatre Structure Plots Beheaded

Elizabeth’s Love Life

Anti-marriage –

New King James I Life Behind the Curtain

Elizabeth dies Rivalry – Less successful Personality Theatre  Globe What’s my roll? King James Bible Macbeth Kit Marlowe (Christopher) –

“Shakespeare mirrored turbulence, innovation, excitement, and soul- searching of a fast-changing society” University Wits – Elizabethan and Jacobean Theatre

Theatre Before and During The Tower of London Miracle plays – Morality plays – Prison The Theatre – Moat Heads on stakes Church opinions – Personal life – little info, apt. in London, returned to Stratford for son’s death, The Life of William Shakespeare bought a big house for his family in Stratford – New Place SHAKESPEARE'S CHILDHOOD The Globe Theatre – 1599, Richard birth date - April 23rd 1564 Burbage was principle male role hometown - Stratford Upon Avon, England THE JACOBEAN ERA father - John Shakespeare glove-making, Elizabeth I dies – 1603 town councilman, high bailiff, secret James I – King of Scotland becomes catholic --> debt (possible alcohol King of England problems) Lord Chamberlain’s Men - became education - excellent school system King’s Men (James I) taught by college graduates 2 plays per year 15 or 16 yr olds from wealthy “wit-combats” - Shakespeare and Ben families went to Cambridge or Oxford - Johnson –in taverns 8 Mile/Eminem Shakespeare did not. married - Anne Hathaway ( 8 yrs older) THE FINAL PLAYS because she was pregnant “Romances” – The Winter’s Tale, The children - Susanna, then twins, Judith and Tempest – magic, storms, and divine Hamnet died at 11(?) interventions The Tempest – last play Shakespeare THE LOST YEARS wrote on his own 1585-1592 (almost a decade) No records Henry VIII play – set fire to Globe solider? lawyer's clerk?thief? tutor? Theatre 1613

POET AND PLAYWRIGHT RETURN TO STRATFORD Both an actor + playwright Shakespeare’s moves to Stratford – 1614 The Rose – London’s most popular death - April 23rd 1616 theatre in 1590s cause – festivities at his daughter’s 1592 – instead of touring the country wedding, drank too much walked home, with players he wrote poetry. Henry caught a cold  Pneumonia Wriothesley – 2 long poems Shakespeare’s will – 2nd best bed to his 150 Sonnets – about who? wife

SUCCESS IN LONDON Epitaph: Lord Chamberlain’s Men – was a Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare, shareholder (piece of the profit) To dig the dust enclosed here. Shakespeare, Will Kemp + Richard Blessed be the man that spares these Burbage, considered London’s best and stones, performed for Queen Elizabeth at court, And cursed be he that moves my bones. Not a very good actor  focused on playwrighting Shakespeare in His Time DOMESTIC AFFAIRS HENRY VIII – 6 wives Key advisors Army – no standing army 1. Catherine of Aragon – Spanish + Self-governed – most of England Catholic, daughter Mary (previously Outbreaks of plague, food riots, catholic married to Henry’s brother) plots, threats on invasion Divorced - attempted annulment, People <3 Elizabeth I – despite suffering banishment from Holy Roman Church. Henry becomes a Protestant URBAN LIFE Population– in London doubled to 2. Anne Boleyn – daughter Elizabeth ( I ) 200,000 during Elizabeth’s reign Executed - adultery, incest and plotting Entertainment – bear/bull baiting. Dog to murder the King and cock-fighting arenas 1576 – first permanent theatre 3. Jane Seymour – son Edward (died Class boundaries – eliminated! young) Plague - outbreaks shut down Died – lack of strength after childbirth playhouses. Believed to be breeding grounds for plague because of sinful 4. Anne of Cleves plays  what about church? Divorced / Annuled MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS 5. Kathryn Howard Executed - adultery Mary Stuart – Catholics tried to put her in power, ruled Scotland until Protestants 6. Katherine Parr overthrew her. She went to Elizabeth for Widowed – Henry dies 1547 help and was imprisoned for 20 years. Plotted to kill Elizabeth was beheaded. The Virgin Queen - Elizabeth I Medieval  Modern times ELIZABETH’S LAST YEARS London is flourishing! – economy, Anti-marriage – weaken her power and politics, culture, social mobility, trade create foreign conflicts

ENGLAND UNDER JAMES I RELIGIOUS STRIFE Less successful Catholic  Protestant -> Catholic  Personality – Scottish accent, never Protestant  Protestant bathed, witchcraft King James Bible Henry VIII Henry VIII Mary Elizabeth James Macbeth Treatment of Catholics - persecuted, fines for not going to church “Shakespeare mirrored turbulence, Shakespeare does not mention religion in innovation, excitement, and soul- his plays searching of a fast-changing society” Elizabethan and Jacobean Theatre

Playwrights in London – 300 Opinion of Peers – Shakespeare was one of the best

PREHISTORY OF ENGLISH THEATRE Miracle plays – church saints Morality plays – good vs. evil The Theatre – 1576 built by James Burbage (father of Richard Burbage) Church opinions – theatre’s were sin! Master of the Revels – ok’d plays Off limits – politics, religion, no living figure could be represented on stage Theatre Structure – 14-20 sided, 2-3,000 spectators, no stage set, flag flying

LIFE BEHIND THE CURTAIN Rivalry – intense! Theatre  Globe What’s my roll? – scrolls of lines, just their part Kit Marlowe (Christopher) – same age as Shakespeare, biggest rival, died at 29, brawl over tab, spy for queen, possible assassination University Wits – club of scholars, Shakespeare not invited to join