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Shakespeare's Plays Study Guide by Jocelyn Wiebe www.shakespearedallas.org Shakespeare on the Go! Study Guide The Life of William Shakespeare (1564–1616) Within the class system of Elizabethan England, William Shakespeare did not seem destined for greatness. He was not born into a family of nobility or significant wealth. He did not continue his formal education at university, nor did he come under the mentorship of a senior artist, nor did he marry into wealth or prestige. His talent as an actor seems to have been modest, since he is not known for starring roles. His success as a playwright depended in part upon royal patronage. Yet in spite of these limitations, Shakespeare is now the most performed and read playwright in the world. Born to John Shakespeare, a glove maker and tradesman, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent farmer, William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon- Avon. At that time, infants were baptized three days after their birth, thus scholars believe that Shakespeare was born on April 23, the same day on which he died at age 52. As the third of eight children, young William grew up in this small town 100 miles northwest of London, far from the cultural and courtly center of England. Shakespeare attended the local grammar school, King’s New School, where the curriculum would have stressed a classical education of Greek mythology, Roman comedy, ancient history, rhetoric, grammar, Latin, and possibly Greek. Throughout his childhood, Shakespeare’s father struggled with serious financial debt. Therefore, unlike his fellow playwright Christopher Marlowe, he did not attend university. Rather, in 1582 at age 18, he married Anne Hathaway, a woman eight years his senior and three months pregnant. Their first child, Susanna, was born in 1583, and twins, Hamnet and Judith, came in 1585. In the seven years following their birth, the historical record concerning Shakespeare is incomplete, contradictory, and unreliable; scholars refer to this period as his “lost years.” In a 1592 pamphlet by Robert Greene, Shakespeare reappears as an “upstart crow” flapping his poetic wings in London. Evidently, it did not take him long to land on the stage. Between 1590 and 1592, Shakespeare’s Henry VI series, Richard III, and The Comedy of Errors were performed. When the theaters were closed in 1593 because of the plague, the playwright wrote two narrative poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, and probably began writing his richly textured sonnets. One hundred and fifty-four of his sonnets have survived, ensuring his reputation as a gifted poet. By 1594, he had also written, The Taming of the Shrew, The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Love’s Labor’s Lost. Having established himself as an actor and playwright, in 1594 Shakespeare became a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, one of the most popular acting companies in shakespearedallas.org 1 Shakespeare on the Go! Study Guide London. He remained a member of this company for the rest of his career, often playing before the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Shakespeare entered one of his most prolific periods around 1595, writing Richard II, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Merchant of Venice. With his newfound success, Shakespeare purchased the second largest home in Stratford in 1597, though he continued to live in London. Two years later, he joined others from the Lord Chamberlain’s Men in establishing the polygonal Globe Theatre on the outskirts of London. When King James came to the throne in 1603, he issued a royal license to Shakespeare and his fellow players, organizing them as the King’s Men. During King James’s reign, Shakespeare wrote many of his most accomplished plays about courtly power, including King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra. In 1609 or 1611, Shakespeare’s sonnets were published, though he did not live to see the First Folio of his plays published in 1623. In 1616, with his health declining, Shakespeare revised his will. Since his only son Hamnet had died in 1596, Shakespeare left the bulk of his estate to his two daughters, with monetary gifts set aside for his sister, theater partners, friends, and the poor of Stratford. A fascinating detail of his will is that he bequeathed the family’s “second best bed” to his wife Anne. He died one month later, on April 23, 1616. To the world, he left a lasting legacy in the form of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and two narrative poems. When William Shakespeare died in his birthplace of Stratford-upon- Avon, he was recognized as one of the greatest English playwrights of his era. In the four centuries since, he has come to be seen as not only a great English playwright, but the greatest playwright in the English language. Reflecting upon the achievement of his peer and sometimes rival, Ben Jonson wrote of Shakespeare, “He was not of an age, but for all time.” *Biography from Shakespeare in American Communities, wwwShakespeareinAmericanCommunities.org *Image 1- Shakespeare- The Chandos Portrait, National Portrait Gallery *Image 2- Reconstruction of the Globe Theare, c. Gary Reggae *Image 3- Shakespeare’s Epitaph, c. Gary Reggae shakespearedallas.org 2 Shakespeare on the Go! Study Guide Glossary of Words from Shakespeare’s Plays: Alas – a word used to express concern, unhappiness, or pity Art – Are Beget – to procreate as a father Discretion – cautious reserve in speech Doth – Does Forbear – To hold back, refrain, or cease Lief – glad, willing O’erstep – overstep O’erdone – overdone Temperance – moderation in action, thought, or feeling Tempest – a violent storm Thee – You Thine – Yours ‘Twere – Combination of the words “it were.” Nowadays, we would say, “it was.” Wherefore – Why Wilt – Will Ye – You Shakespeare’s Plays There are three major categories that most Shakespeare plays fall into: comedy, tragedy, and history. Comedies are plays that have happy endings. Most of Shakespeare’s comedies end with at least one wedding. And, as the category suggests, there is a lot of humor. Some of Shakespeare’s comedies include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Tragedies are plays that have sad endings. Most of Shakespeare’s comedies end with several characters dying. Even in the tragedies, Shakespeare includes humorous scenes. Some of his tragedies include Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, King Lear, Hamlet, Othello, and Julius Caesar. Shakespeare’s histories are plays based on the lives of English kings. Some of the histories include Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, Richard III, and Henry VIII. Online Resources www.absoluteshakespeare.com- Information about Shakespeare, study guides, and more! www.folger.edu- The Folger Shakespeare Library houses the largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works. http://the-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/- Full-text versions of Shakespeare’s plays. www.bardweb.net- Provides information about all things related to Shakespeare. www.rdg.ac.uk./globe/- Information about the Globe Theatre and Shakespeare. http://web.uvic.ca/shakespeare/- A guide Shakespeare’s life and times. shakespearedallas.org 3 Shakespeare on the Go! Study Guide Pre-Show Activities Sometimes it may seem like Shakespeare’s language is not accessible to us today because it sounds different than the way we talk. The following activities expose students to Shakespeare’s language and provide opportunities for them to use the language. The objective of these exercises is for students to see that Shakespeare’s words still hold a lot of meaning and power for audiences today. Prep Activity: Shakespeare’s Words Materials: Blackboard, pen and paper for students Give the students a word bank of words from Shakespeare’s plays. These words can be written on the blackboard or provided to students on pieces of paper. Some words to include in the word bank (definitions in the glossary section): Doth Forbear Tempest Wherefore Wilt O’erstep Thee Art Lief Alas ‘Twere Beget 1. Ask students to choose one or two words and write a short sentence or phrase using their chosen words. 2. Have students share their sentences with the class. Main Activity: Learning Language Room Set-up: Open space, students in pairs Optional Materials: Pieces of paper with the full lines printed on them – only give to students after they have said the shorter versions of the lines. Purpose: Demonstrates that Shakespeare’s language is not as tricky as it first sounds. Sometimes we have to break it down to understand its meaning. With the following lines, they sound more complicated when spoken all at once. But if you break them down, they are easier to understand. This activity also gives the students practice in listening to a partner and conveying emotions with theatrical language. Younger classes may want to have a discussion beforehand about what the lines mean. 1. Have students divide into pairs. One student in each pair should be A and the other should be B. 2. Have all of the A’s say “I wonder” to their partner and have the B’s respond with “What.” Repeat this with students exploring different ways they can use these words to communicate something new. shakespearedallas.org 4 Shakespeare on the Go! Study Guide 3. Next, ask the A’s to say “I wonder that you will still be talking.” The B’s should respond with “What, my dear Lady Disdain!” Again, repeat this, asking students to use the words they are saying to communicate a clear idea to their partner. 4. Have the A’s say “I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick: nobody marks you.” The B’s should respond with, “What, my dear Lady Disdain! Are you yet living?” Encourage the students to really use the words to communicate emotions.
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