Shakespeare

Where and When was Shakespeare born?

in Stratford- on- Avon, April 23, 1564

What was his father's name and occupation?

John Shakespeare, a prosperous glovemaker and politician

What was his mother's name?

Mary Arden

How much formal education did Shakespeare have?

He finished school at about age 13 or 14/ only boys went to school during Elizabethian age

What lasting effect did Stratford and the surrounding countryside have on him?

His love and knowledge of nature from meadows and forests/ his refrences in plays to animals, birds, and flowers

Whom and when did he marry?

Anne Hathaway, November 1582

What were his children's names?

Susanna, Hamnet- boy, and Judith

Approx. when did he leave Stratford for London?

1587

Why didn't his wife go with him to London?

She was a puritan- believed that stage actors did much to correct peoples morals

How did Shakespeare become a well-to-do?

In his occupation as an actor/ his share of admissions

What were his earliest successes?

1) Venus and Adonis
2) The Rape of Lucrece

What reference books did he use to write his plays and what type of information came from each source?

1) Ovid's Metamorphoses -for mythology
2)Plutarch's lives - Roman history plays
3)Holinshed's Chronicals - English History plays

How many plays did he write?

37

What was the name of the acting company of which he was a part?

Lord Chamberlain's Men (later the king's Men)

What was his reputation in London?

A polite, good-natured man and a loyal friend

Whendid Shakespeare retire and where did he go?

1610, Stratford-and-Newplace

When did he die?

April 23, 1616

What was the eventual effect of Puritanism on the theatres?

Puritanism became so strong in London that the theatres wer ordered closed (temporarley)

What historic event took place at about the same time as Shakespeare's arrival in London?

The English defeat the Spanish Armada

What effect that event have on the English people?

- instilled Nationalistic Pride
- made them want to know more about their country's history

Why was that effect to Shakespeare's advantage?

Many people came to see his historical plays

What advantage was it to to the young playwright that England had embarked on an age of exploration and that London had become a center of trade?

It enabled him to learn about foriegn lands and way w/o leaving England

How do you suppose Shakespeare gained his knowledge of the French language?

probably from a French treacher on the street

How did the Renaissance affect people's viewpoint of destiny or fate?

People thought now they had freedom of choice in some part of shaping their own destiny

Why did people put so much emphasis on skillfull use of their language?

People belived that a man's use of speech to express thoughts & emotions set himself apart from the animals

What role did Q.E 1 and her successor, James 1, play in the life of Shakespear and his fellow actors?

they loved the theater and provided money for costumes and props

Name three early theatres:

the Globe, the Swan, the Theater

Name three ways in which the presentation of plays in Elizabethan age times differed from presentations today.

-boy actors took the female parts
- no electricity,no mic., or lighting
- no curtains, few props, scenery low

List at least five requirements for Elizabethian actors:

- good memory- strong, clear voice- made each performance convincing- good singing voices- dancers- fencers