William Shakespeare
1564-1616
The “be-all and end-all” of
dramatists
CHILDHOOD
• Born in Stratford-upon-Avon
• Son of a glove-maker
• Grammar school education (6am-6pm) boys studied
Latin:Cicero,Virgil,Ovid, and Seneca
• Developed a vocabulary more than 50,000 words
• His writing reveals a knowledge of a wide variety of
subjects:Music, law, seamanship, the Bible, military
science, the stage art, politics, history, psychology,
hunting, woodcraft, animal husbandry, and sports
ADULTHOOD
• At 18 he married Ann Hathaway who was 26.
• Lord Chamberlain’s Men .
• In 1592 and 1594, the theatres of London were
closed the plague.
• He wrote poetry; considered himself a better
poet than playwright.
• His works have been translated into more
languages than any book besides the Bible
Shakespeare and Language:
• English language was rapidly growing; new
words and phrases
• No dictionaries or grammar books;
• Will coined many words himself: Assassination,
courtship, critic, critical, disgraceful, dishearten,
distrustful,dwindle,eventful, exposure, fretful,
gloomy, lonely, misplaced, recall, monumental,
suspicious
Shakespeare the Playwright:
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Wrote a total of 36 plays
Known for having written
Histories: Henry Iv
Comedies: Much Ado About Nothing
Tragedies: Hamlet, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet
He borrowed most of his plots from other sources
and wasn’t always faithful to historical accuracy
Did he or didn’t he?
• Debate about author of Shakespeare's plays
• Possible authors: Francis Bacon, Christopher
Marlowe or Edward De vere
• However, Shakespeare's authorship not
questioned in Shakespeare’s time
• Folios written long after plays had been shown
many times
His Audiences:
• Audiences were enthralled by language
• An auditory—not visual—audience.
• Those who could pay more sat in the seats surrounding
the stage.
• The poorer crowd stood as “groundings” and paid a
penny for admittance.
• All social classes, attended the plays
• Playwrights had the challenge of keeping everyone
entertained.
Shakespeare's themes
• Shakespeare’s crowd enjoyed viewing:
Supernatural spirits, instant madness, and
realistic dueling tales of monarchy’s intrigues
powerful characters in splendid costumes
Active Audiences
• Shakespeare’s audiences were active
throughout the performances
• The actors addressed the audience, and
members of the audience often spoke back
• Norrie Epstein claims that “the average
Elizabethan yelled, hooted, snacked, and
chatted.”
Environment
• History suggests that play going was most likely
a smelly experience
• There were no bathrooms
• People relieved themselves inside
• People rarely bathed
The Theatre:
• Awnings covered the stage and gallery seats.
• Not in the city of London, but on the South Bank
of Thames.
• In 1574 public plays banished from the city by
an ordinance for “corruptions of the youth and
other enormities” (opportunities for prostitutes
and thieves)
The Performances:
• Performances took place between two and five
in the afternoon
• Advertising of plays was prohibited
• a raised flag and a trumpet fanfare announced
the beginning of the performance
• A black flag meant tragedy, a white flag, a
comedy, and a red flag, history
Performances cont….
• Vendors sold beer, water, oranges, nuts,
gingerbread, and apples
• Up to 30 plays were performed in 1 season
• customarily the program changed daily.
Scenery was simple– Audiences
had to use their imaginations
• Instead of lighting technicians and
panel,Horatio in Hamlet says,
“But look, the morn is russet mantle clad
Walks o’er the dew of yon high eastward
hill.”
Scenery cont…..
• Elaborate and extravagant costumes,
often donated by aristocratic patrons
• Musical accompaniment
• All parts played by males (prepubescent
choir boys played female parts)