English II * Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Weekly Objectives:
o Identify key events in Shakespeare’s life
o Explain how the space and practices of Elizabethan theaters
influenced Shakespeare’s writings
o Explain methods used to adapt Shakespearean plays
Homework:
o Thursday, 3/12: Take notes from presentation (website)
o Friday, 3/13: Essay 2 Due
o Tuesday, 3/19: Shakespeare & His Theater test
o Tuesday, 3/31: Essay 3 Due (Text-to-Text Connection)
English II
Ms. Spinelli
March 2015
Part I: Shakespeare’s Life
During what time period did Shakespeare live?
Where was Shakespeare born?
What was the name of Shakespeare’s wife?
A.
General Information
i.
Born in Stratford upon Avon in 1594
ii. Resided in London most of life
iii. Died at 52 years old in 1616
B.
Education
i. Finished school at approx. 13 years old
ii. Curriculum focused on Latin & grammar
Interior of the Shakespeare home
William Shakespeare’s childhood home
Stratford Grammar School House
C.
Marriage
i.
Married Anne Hathaway (26) at 18 years old
ii. Left wife and four children to become actor
Anne Hathaway’s childhood cottage
A German illustration depicts Shakespeare surrounded by his children, who listen entranced to his stories. Anne is portrayed as an
idealized housewife, sewing a garment.
“Good friend for Jesus sake forbear
To dig the dust enclosed here!
Blest be the man that spares these stones,
And curst be he that moves my bones.”
Part I: Shakespeare’s Life
What was Shakespeare’s involvement in the theater?
What was the name of his acting troupe?
What literary forms is Shakespeare best known for?
D. Career
i.
Actor
1. Formed Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which later became The King’s Men
2. Main dramatist and part-owner of the Globe Theater
D. Career (cont.)
ii. Writer
1.
Wrote 37 plays
a.
Comedies: Much Ado About Nothing, Taming of the Shrew
b.
Tragedies: Hamlet, Macbeth, and Julius Caesar
c.
Histories: Richard III, Henry IV
2.
Wrote 150+ sonnets
a.
14-lined poems
b.
Written in iambic pentameter
c.
ABAB-CDCD-EFEF-GG rhyme scheme
Hamlet
Romeo & Juliet
The Taming of the Shrew
Twelfth Night
Part II: London Theater
What kind of reputation did actors have?
What kind of reputation did playwrights have?
What was the government’s role in performances?
A.
History
i.
Rebirth of learning & interest in classical world
ii. Actors had poor reputation – considered vagabonds and rogues
iii. Plays
i.
Queen forbid performances on religious and political subjects
ii. Shift to topics of classical literature and history
iii. Playwrights rarely sought publication; plays weren’t considered
literary works
Part II: London Theater
Describe the aspects of a theatrical performance.
Other than actors, what else might be included?
Can you think of public entertainment – other than plays –
that people often attend?
Name three types of stages.
Advantages?
Disadvantages?
Advantages?
Disadvantages?
Advantages?
Disadvantages?
Part II: London Theaters
How does the State Theater compare
to the Globe Theater?
The Globe Theater
The State Theater
B.
Types of Theaters
i.
Arena Stage
1. Audience sits on all sides of a performing stage
2. Advantages: Intimacy of enclosing action
3. Disadvantages: Prevents elaborate sets, audience sees entrances and exits
B.
Types of Theaters (cont.)
ii. Thrust Stage (i.e. Globe Theater)
1. Audience around three sides of a raised platform
2. Audience: all levels of society
Fresh Prince: Breaking
the Fourth Wall
B.
Types of Theaters (cont.)
iii. Proscenium Stage (i.e. State Theater)
1. Architectural arch frames theater, creating a ‘fourth wall’ into which spectators
view the action
2. Stage became more narrower and shorter in length
Part II: London Theaters
How frequently did playwrights produce new plays?
When were performances scheduled?
What was the atmosphere like during a typical
performance?
C.
The Plays
i.
Schedule
1. Two companies often played at once
2. Performed six days a week at 2 PM
3. Constant demand for scripts to keep audience ‘tuned in’
ii.
Atmosphere
i.
Plays were bawdy
ii. Audiences were rowdy
Part II: London Theaters
What are the defining characteristics of language in a
Shakespearean play?
C.
The Plays (cont.)
iii.
Language
1. Dramatic poetry - formal, elevated speech
2. Mostly blank verse (unrhymed poetry)
3. Lower-class characters given lines of prose (paragraph-style) with slang
Shakespearean Insults (6:23)
Part II: London Theaters
Why were there few props and backdrops for most
performances? How, then, was location established?
What did the actors wear?
C.
The Plays (cont.)
iv. Set
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Few props & backdrops because of transitory
plays and actors
Props only for functional use; often left onstage
No curtains
Location established through dialogue
Special effects: fireworks, animal blood, music
C.
The Plays (cont.)
v. Costumes
i.
Most valuable asset in a company
ii.
Made by company, bought in London, or donated by courtiers
iii.
Elizabethan garments, regardless of play’s historical era
doublet
breeches
ruff
kirtle
Part II: London Theaters
Why did Shakespeare’s acting troupes include the names
of men (i.e. Lord Chamberlain, the King)?
If all actors were male, who played female characters?
How was the audience convinced of their roles?
Which characters were popular among the ‘groundlings’?
C.
The Plays (cont.)
vi. Actors
1. Troupes
a. Companies petitioned noblemen to claim actors as servants
b. Those not part of a guild were considered ‘masterless men’
c. Theater opposition lead to performances outside of city limits
C.
The Plays (cont.)
vi. Actors (cont.)
2.
Gender
a. Only men (women forbidden to be on stage)
b. Female characters played by prepubescent boys
3.
Casting
a. Often double-casted
b. Popular actors earned more money and praise
c. Clowns and jesters were popular with the groundlings
Part II: London Theaters
What skills were required of actors in Shakespeare’s time?
4.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Required skills
Stunts
Sword Fighting
Dancing
Projecting voice without microphone
Part III: The Globe Theater
Who created the first Globe Theater?
Why was it destroyed not once, but twice?
Describe the building structure. After what was this
theater modeled?
A.
History
i.
Built by James Burbage
ii. Shakespeare owned 12%; often performed
iii. Destroyed twice, by fire and by Puritans
iv. Reconstructed a third time in 1994
B.
Structure
i.
Wood-framed building angled to form a circle
ii. Styled after inn courtyards and Roman Coliseum
iii. Three galleries, protected by rain
iv. Raised stage (4-6 feet from ground) with roof
Activity:
Labeling the Globe
C.
Audience
i.
Wealthy attendants sat in covered galleries
ii. Groundlings stood in the roofless yard
1. Often uneducated and unrefined
2. Had difficulty understanding dialogue
3. Attracted to the spectacle and glamour
Benedum Center
Globe Theater