William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
William Shakespeare is considered the greatest playwright of all time, and his writings have been celebrated for over 400 years.. He was an English poet, playwright and actor. Although his plays are what he is known for best, he also wrote poems that are still popular today.
Shakespeare’s Family Life Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, about 100 miles away from London. He was the child of John Shakespeare, a leather merchant, and Mary Arden, a local land heiress. Shakespeare had two older sisters, Joan and Judith, and three younger brothers, Gilbert, Richard and Edmund. In 1582 Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. Hathaway was from Shottery, a small village a mile from Stratford. Together they had 8 children.
Shakespeare in London After he and Anne had twins in 1585, there are no records of the next several years of his life. Historians often refer to these years as the "lost years." There are lots of theories and stories about what Shakespeare was doing during this time. He and his family eventually ended up in London where Shakespeare was working at the theatre. During his time in London, Shakespeare’s first printed works were published. He also became a founding member of The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a company of actors. Shakespeare was the company's main playwright, producing about two plays a year, for almost twenty years.
An acting company in England at this time would worked together to put on plays.There were typically around ten actors in a company including a lead actor, character actors, and some comedians. Young boys typically played women's roles because women were not allowed to act. Shakespeare remained with the company for the rest of his career, during which time it turned into The King’s Men under the patronage of King James I.
Shakespeare's Works Altogether Shakespeare's works include 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and many different poems. His plays were mainly centered around these themes: histories, tragedies, comedies and tragicomedies.
Shakespeare’s plays became very popular in London and soon the Lord Chamberlain's Men were one of the most popular acting companies in the city. Some of Shakespeare's early plays include The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
These early plays were put on at a theater called the "Theatre". While Lord Chamberlain's Men owned the Theatre, the land was owned by Giles Allen. In 1597 Allen decided he wanted to tear the Theatre down so he locked it up and refused to let the actors perform. One night, several members of the company took down the Theatre and moved the timber across the Thames River to another spot. There they built a new theatre called the Globe Theater.
The Globe Theatre became the place to be in London. It could hold up to 3,000 spectators and had a uniquely designed stage with a painted ceiling, columns, and stage wall. They even had specially trained musicians who made special effect noises during the plays. Many of Shakespeare's greatest plays were written in the last half of his career, in the 1600s. These included Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.
Many of his plays have been made into ballets including: Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, Othello, and the Tempest.
Fun Facts: - His works are the second most frequently quoted after the Bible. - The lead actor and star of many of Shakespeare's plays was Richard Burbage. - The original Globe Theatre burned down in 1613. It was rebuilt in 1614, but was then closed in 1642 - A modern reconstruction of the Globe was built in London in 1997 - Through his works, he is credited with introducing nearly 3,000 words to the English language including: Bandit Critic Dauntless Dwindle Elbow (as a verb) Green-Eyed (to describe jealousy) Lackluster Lonely Skim-milk Swagger (first used in Midsummer Night’s Dream.)
Quotes from Shakespeare Plays:
‘All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.' — As you Like It
‘To be, or not to be: that is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer; The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles’
‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks‘ —Hamlet
‘But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.‘ —Romeo and Juliet ‘Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.’
‘The course of true love never did run smooth.’ —A Midsummer Night’s Dream
‘Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.’ —Twelfth Night
HOMEFUN:
Over the next 2 weeks: 1) Watch the movie Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999): https://www.amazon.com/William-Shakespeares-Midsummer-Nights- Dream/dp/B001M3T7KI 2) Watch the ballet Midsummer Night’s Dream: NYC Ballet -full ballet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrfiusNHCls ABT -the Dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3APvyV9q2Q
This week: 3) Read one page from the link below that translates MND into simpler language anyone can understand: https://uacmwillshakespeare.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/a- midsummer-nights-dream.pdf