William Shakespear

e(1564-1616)

Before getting started…make sure you understand these words:

• Yeoman

• Grammar school

• Playhouse

• Patron

• Shareholder

• Playwright

• Lord Chamberlain

Before getting started…make sure you understand these words:

• Yeoman

• Grammar school

• Playhouse

• Patron

• Shareholder

• Playwright

• Lord Chamberlain

• a farmer in Britain in the past who owned and worked on his own land

• English school founded in or before the 16th century originally for teaching Latin

• Theatre

• Protector

• someone who owns shares in a company or business

• Writer of plays

• the person in charge of managing the royal household (=the people who live with and work for the King or Queen)

1564-1616Consider Shakespeare’s life span.

- Who were the sovereigns in England?

- Which historical events marked this period?

English Sovereigns in Shakespeare’s time

Reorder the names of the kings and queens and match them to the dates

• 1547-1553

• 1553-1558

• 1558-1603

• 1603-1625

• Elizabeth I

• Edward VI

• James I

• Mary Tudor

English Sovereigns in Shakespeare’s time

• 1547-1553

• 1553-1558

• 1558-1603

• 1603-1625

• Edward VI

• Mary Tudor

• Elizabeth I

• James I

Historical events in Shakespeare’s time

Reorder the events and match them to the corresponding dates

1568

1584

1588

1593

1605

1611

• The Gunpowder Plot

• The Spanish Armada is defeated

• Mary Queen of Scots flees from Scotland

• Publication of King James’s Bible

• Queen Elizabeth gives Sir Walter Raleigh permission to set up the American colony of Virginia

• The London Theatres were closed because of the plague

Historical events in Shakespeare’s time

1568

1584

1588

1593

1605

1611

• Mary Queen of Scots flees from Scotland

• Queen Elizabeth gives Sir Walter Raleigh permission to set up the American colony of Virginia

• The Spanish Armada is defeated

• The London Theatres were closed because of the plague

• The Gunpowder Plot

• Publication of King James’s Bible

William Shakespeare’s Birth Place

Who was St George? What is his legend?

Why he is still celebrated today?

Paolo Uccello, St George and the Dragon

“… which is also said to be the date of his death.”

How do we know?

Documentary Evidence

• 1564-4-26: Baptismal record. An entry in the Stratford Parish baptismal register reads, "Guliemus filius Johannes Shakspere"; that is, "William son of John Shakspere" (Stratford Parish Register of Holy Trinity Church, f. 5).   

Documentary Evidence

1582-11-28: Marriage license bond. The bond is for the marriage of "willm Shagspere ... and Anne hathwey," under the special condition of a single asking of the banns (Bishop of Worcester's Register, Worcestershire Record Office).

Documentary Evidence

• 1616-4-25: Burial record. The burial of "Will Shakspeare gent" is recorded in the Stratford parish register (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office, DR 243/1).

Documentary Evidence

Other documentary evidence about W.S. include:- Royal records- Heraldic documents- Court records (yes, he was fined more than once!)- Property documents- Tax records - Lists of actors- Letters- Inventories- Wills- Diary entries- Land surveys

Shakespeare’s Family Tree

.…Anne Hathaway….

Anne Hathaway’s cottage

Legend says he poached in the king’s lands and escaped to avoid hanging…

1584 London

The Third Earl of

Southampton, Henry Wriothesley

The Globe Theatre

Shakespeare’s Historical Dramas

Can you mention any?

Shakespeare’s Historical Dramas

Henry VIRichard IIIKing JohnRichard IIHenry IVHenry V

Henry VIII

Titus AndronicusJulius CaesarAnthony and

CleopatraPericles

Timon of AthensCoriolanus

Shakespeare’s Comedies and Romances

Can you mention any?

Shakespeare’s Comedies and Romances

The Comedy of ErrorsThe Two Gentlemen of

VeronaLove’s Labour Lost

The Taming of the ShrewA Midsummer Night’s

DreamThe Merchant of VeniceMuch Ado About Nothing

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Twelfth NightTroilus and Cressida All’s Well That Ends

WellMeasure for Measure

The Winter’s TaleThe Tempest

Shakespeare’s Great Tragedies

Can you mention any?

Shakespeare’s Great Tragedies

Romeo and JulietHamletOthello

King LearMacbeth

The Bard's bones survived the common practice at the time of removing remains after 40 years to make way for another body. A curse was carved into the headstone (there is no evidence that Shakespeare himself composed it, rather a concerned admirer) warning that his bones should not be touched:'Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare, To digg the dust encloased heare, Blest by the man that spares these stones, And curst be he that moves my bones.'

Legends about Shakespeare

The mysterious death of Marlowe, the Cambridge graduate, and the brilliant subsequent career of Shakespeare, the grammar-school boy from Stratford, have caused some to speculate that his secret service activities make it prudent for Marlowe to vanish from the scene - and that he uses the name of a lesser man, Shakespeare, to continue his stage career.

Legends about Shakespeare

• Others, similarly inclined to conspiracy theories, have convinced themselves that Shakespeare's plays are the work of the statesman and essayist Francis Bacon.

…and now it’s your turn!In small groups, look at your book and your notes

to answer these questions:• How do we know about William’s

life?• When and where was William born?• What do we know about his family?• How many children did he have?• Which jobs did he do?• How did he become famous?• What did he write?• When were his works published?

Last but not least… homework

In pairs, prepare an A4 poster and a brief presentation on one of the following:

1- Shakespeare’s birthplace2- Shakespeare’s family of origin3- Shakespeare’s family4- Shakespeare’s poems5- The Earl of Southampton6- The Lord Chamberlain’s Men7- The Globe Theatre8- Shakespeare’s in quartos9- Shakespeare’s First Folio10- Shakespeare celebrations in modern times