Introducing Introducing

ShakespeareShakespeare

Born, Stratford upon Avon 1564Born, Stratford upon Avon 1564

• herehere• Maybe on April 23Maybe on April 23rdrd

• The eldest of 6The eldest of 6• His youngest His youngest

brother, Edmund, brother, Edmund, also became an also became an actor! actor!

Went to school…………Went to school…………

• herehere• From 7 – 13 – just one From 7 – 13 – just one

class! class! • 6 days a week, every 6 days a week, every

week of the yearweek of the year• From 6am to 6pmFrom 6am to 6pm• He learned Latin, He learned Latin,

mostlymostly• No girls allowed! No girls allowed!

Died in 1616Died in 1616

• In StratfordIn Stratford• On April 23On April 23rdrd

• At New Place – the At New Place – the second biggest house second biggest house in townin town

In 1759 the owner – the In 1759 the owner – the local vicar – had it local vicar – had it pulled down as he was pulled down as he was fed up with the constant fed up with the constant stream of visitors. stream of visitors.

The GlobeThe Globe

• Most of Most of Shakespeare’s plays Shakespeare’s plays were performed herewere performed here

• It was moved from It was moved from the north to the the north to the south of the Thames south of the Thames in 1599in 1599

• You can visit a new You can visit a new Globe, built on Globe, built on almost the same almost the same site, in Londonsite, in London

The Globe

London in about 1610

Now you know where Now you know where Shakespeare was born, went Shakespeare was born, went to school, died and worked!to school, died and worked! • 3,0003,000 people could fit into the Globe people could fit into the Globe• 1,7001,700 of them paid 1 penny to of them paid 1 penny to standstand in in

the ‘yard’ where there was no roof! the ‘yard’ where there was no roof! They were called They were called ‘Groundlings’‘Groundlings’

• Most of the audience could neither read Most of the audience could neither read nor writenor write

• So the plays had to be entertaining or So the plays had to be entertaining or the theatres would have made no the theatres would have made no money. And Shakespeare was a money. And Shakespeare was a veryvery rich man! rich man!

So the plays have So the plays have dramatic openings!dramatic openings!• A hunchback – A hunchback –

Richard IIIRichard III• Witches – Witches –

‘Macbeth’‘Macbeth’• A fight – ‘Romeo A fight – ‘Romeo

and Juliet’and Juliet’• A ghost – ‘HamletA ghost – ‘Hamlet

Loads of jokes!Loads of jokes!

• The biggest stars were The biggest stars were the ‘clowns’the ‘clowns’

• The most famous The most famous were Will Kempe – this were Will Kempe – this is a picture of him -is a picture of him -

• And Robert ArminAnd Robert Armin• Shakespeare got so Shakespeare got so

cross with Kempe’s cross with Kempe’s fame (and fame (and improvising) that he improvising) that he sacked him! sacked him!

Shakespeare the ActorShakespeare the Actor

• We know he played the ghost in We know he played the ghost in ‘Hamlet’ and Adam in ‘As You Like It’‘Hamlet’ and Adam in ‘As You Like It’

• We also know that he appeared in the We also know that he appeared in the Jonson play ‘Sejanus’Jonson play ‘Sejanus’

• The star of the company was Richard The star of the company was Richard Burbage who played all the leading Burbage who played all the leading partsparts

• Burbage’s father owned ‘The Theatre’ – Burbage’s father owned ‘The Theatre’ – the first public theatre in England. the first public theatre in England.

Making sense of Making sense of ShakespeareShakespeare• Ignore the punctuationIgnore the punctuation• Ignore the stage directionsIgnore the stage directions• Remember that it’s Remember that it’s iambiciambic

pentameterpentameter – the rhythm of your – the rhythm of your heartbeat – heartbeat – 1010 beatsbeats to a line. to a line.

• Now listen to this from Now listen to this from ‘Romeo and ‘Romeo and Juliet’: Juliet’:

• Two Two househouseholds, holds, bothboth a alikelike in in digdigninityty, ,

• In In fairfair Ver Veronona, a, wherewhere we we laylay our our scenescene, ,

• From From ancancient ient grudgegrudge break break toto new new mutmutininyy, ,

• Where Where civcivil il blood blood maks maks civcivil il hands hands ununcleanclean. .

• From From forthforth the the fatfatal al loinsloins of of thesethese two two foesfoes

• A A pairpair of of starstar-cross'd -cross'd lovlovers ers taketake their their lifelife; ;

• Whose Whose mismisadadventventur'd ur'd pitpiteous eous ovovererthrowsthrows • Doth Doth withwith their their deathdeath bur buryy their their parparents' ents'

strife.strife. • The The fearfearful ful passpassage age of of their their deathdeath-mark'd -mark'd

lovelove, , • And And thethe con continutinuance ance of of their their parparents' ents'

rage,rage, • Which, Which, but but their their childchildren's ren's endend, naught , naught

could could reremovemove, , • Is Is nownow the the twotwo hours' hours' trafftraffic ic ofof oor oor stagestage; ; • The The whichwhich if if youyou with with patipatient ent earsears at attendtend,,• What What herehere shall shall missmiss, our , our toiltoil shall shall strivestrive

to to mendmend. .

Your turn………..Your turn………..

• The The qualqualitityy of of mermercy cy isis not not strain'dstrain'd,,

• It It droppdroppeth eth asas the the gengentle tle rainrain from from heavheav’’nn

• UpUponon the the plesspless be beneathneath: it : it isis twice twice blestblest;;

• It It blessblesseth eth himhim that that givesgives and and himhim that that teksteks: :

A task:A task:

• Look at Look at thethe sonnet that your sonnet that your teacher will give you and hi-light or teacher will give you and hi-light or underline the underline the heavyheavy beats beats

• Remember Remember 10 beats10 beats to a line is to a line is iambic pentameter iambic pentameter [I’ve done [I’ve done the first line for you]:the first line for you]:

• Shall Shall II com comparepare thee thee toto a a summsummer’s er’s dayday

This might help……….This might help……….

• Listen………….Listen………….

ShakespeareShakespeare doesn’t always doesn’t always write poetrywrite poetry

• For ‘common’/funny characters he For ‘common’/funny characters he writes in prosewrites in prose

• Sometimes ‘posh’ characters also Sometimes ‘posh’ characters also speak in prosespeak in prose

• In ‘Othello’ one of the main characters, In ‘Othello’ one of the main characters, Iago, uses both depending on who he’s Iago, uses both depending on who he’s talking to. talking to.

Now you know enough…….Now you know enough…….

• To look at your playTo look at your play

• You know a bit about the man who You know a bit about the man who wrote itwrote it

• Where it was first performedWhere it was first performed

• And something about how to speak the And something about how to speak the lineslines

• Enjoy!Enjoy!

Legal stuffLegal stuff

• Copyright Copyright sue shearmansue shearman• December 2005December 2005• You may use/edit this presentation You may use/edit this presentation

for educational purposes onlyfor educational purposes only• You may not copy/sell it for profit You may not copy/sell it for profit

or in any other way redistribute it or in any other way redistribute it without my express permission.without my express permission.

• gruoch@gmail.comgruoch@gmail.com