William Shakespeare
“Not for an age, but for all time.”
Early Life
▪ Born April 23, 1564 (baptized April 26) in Stratford
▪ Father John was a wealthy merchant and served as mayor
▪ Attended Stratford Grammar School; studied Latin, classic lit and the
Bible. Did not attend university.
▪ Married Anne Hathaway in November 1582 (he was 18, she was 26);
first child, Susanna, was born May 1583 and twins Hamnet and Judith
were born in February 1585
▪ No history from 1585-1592
▪ In 1592, Shakespeare left his family and moved to London
London Life
▪ 1592, began writing plays and making a name for himself
▪ Worked as an actor and playwright (considered disreputable professions)
▪ 1592-1594 London theatres closed due to plague
▪ 1594 Shakespeare joined Lord Chamberlain’s men, a group which
performed in the Globe theater, Blackfriars theater, and performed 6 plays
for Queen Elizabeth
▪ Became an actor and shareholder in the Globe
▪ 1596 Hamnet dies at age 11, giving his plays deeper meaning and tragedy
▪ In 1613, Shakespeare retired from London and returned to Stratford
Later Life
▪ 1613 Retired from London;
returned to Stratford
▪ Died April 23, 1616 (52nd
birthday
▪ Buried in Trinity Church,
Stratford
▪ Wrote his own epitaph
▪ Left his wife his second-best
bed
▪ Anne died in 1623
Contribution
First Folio
Categories
▪ Shakespeare’s friends
▪ Comedies (Twelfth Night,
published his work
posthumously
Midsummer Night’s Dream,
etc.)
▪ 38 plays; over 150 poems
▪ Histories (Henry V, Richard III)
▪ Ben Jonson: “Not for an age,
▪ Tragedies (Hamlet, Macbeth,
but for all time”
Romeo and Juliet)
▪ Romances (Winter’s Tale,
Tempest)
Elizabethan Theatre
▪ Actors performed wherever they could find
space and an audience
▪ Used portable stages; moved; scenery very
limited
▪ Rowdy audiences yelled their approval or
lack thereof
▪ No women actors; young boys played
women
▪ Elaborate costumes; taught to sing and
dance
▪ First permanent theater built 1576
▪ Trap door in stage used for “hell;” curtained
balcony used for “heaven”
▪ Theatres were disassembled, burnt down,
moved and rebuilt many times
Julius Caesar
• Lived from 102-44 BC (how does this compare to
Oedipus?)
• In Caesar’s day, Roman world was constantly at
war
• Caesar was a Roman military commander and
dictator; moved his armies through Europe, Asia,
and Africa
• Once home, Caesar, Pompey and Crassus formed
the First Triumvirate (3 man governing body) in
60 BC
• Pompey married Caesar’s daughter, who died
shortly afterward
• Pompey was angry at her death and began
turning the senators against Caesar
Trouble in Rome
▪ Caesar wanted more power, so he left for
the Gallic wars to get conquests and
money, which he sent back to Rome to
gain popularity
▪ Caesar considered himself the defender of
the populares, but many said he got
support from bribes and that he deprived
the people of liberty and self-respect
▪ Pompey continued to sway the senators
against Caesar; called for Caesar to resign
his command
The Lead-up
• Caesar refused to resign his command and instead
marched into Rome and took control
• Pompey fled to Egypt, where he was murdered
• Caesar declared dictator; made his supporters senators,
Brutus included
• Erected a statue of himself with the inscription “To the
Unconquerable God”
• Common people loved him and declared him Dictator
for Life
• Many senators didn’t want Caesar to grow in power—
their republic was coming under the rule of one again
• Caesar’s arrogance and power became unbearable for
some senators and they made plans to assassinate him
on March 15, 44 BC
• Shakespeare’s play opens one month before