Shakespeare’s World
Time period
• William Shakespeare lived from 1564—1616
• Lived in England, during the Renaissance
• Elizabeth I was the queen
European Renaissance
• A renewed interest in science, philosophy, and
the arts
• Began in 14th Century Italy
Queen Elizabeth I
• 1558—1603 (Elizabethan Age)
• Father was Henry VIII
• Never married or had any children– sometimes
called “The Virgin Queen”
Queen Elizabeth I
• Strong supporter of the arts
• Shakespeare’s theater company (The Lord
Chamberlain’s Men) was named after a highranking position in Elizabeth’s court
• She occasionally attended their productions
Elizabethan Theater
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No female actors
Simple staging (a lot left to the imagination)
London was the theater “hot spot”
Appealed to both rich and poor classes
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men worked in the Globe
Theatre.
• Poor audience members stood in “the pit” near
the stage
• Audiences would physically respond to the plays
The Globe Theatre
Shakespeare’s Life
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Born in Stratford-on-Avon, 1564
Married Anne Hathaway at 18
Had three children
Left for London seven years later
His plays made him very successful
Died in 1616
Shakespeare’s influence
• Widely considered the greatest writer in the
English language, best playwright of all time
• Known for experimenting with spoken English
• Used a lot of puns and double-meanings
• Invented lots of words and phrases we still
use: “lonely,” “assassination,” “bump,” “dead
as a doornail,” “laughingstock,” “for goodness’
sake”