of the bard · the theater member and later part-owner of lord chamberlain’s men, later called...
TRANSCRIPT
William Shakespeare
The Life and Times
of the Bard
Back to the basics
Born in 1564; died in 1616 (April 23)
Baptized 3 days after birth
Birthplace—Stratford-Upon-Avon
Mother—Mary Arden; father—John Shakespeare
Mother (high society), father (glovemaker)
John Shakespeare served as mayor of Stratford for a brief period
Stratford Upon Avon
Marriage and children…
Educated because parents were successful
1582-shotgun marriage to Anne Hathaway
Had 3 children-Hamnet, Judith, and Susanna
Career
1585-1592??? Moved to London
1592—Shakespeare first appears as actor/playwright
1613-Shakespeare retires
1623-First Folio published posthumously
The Globe Theater
The Globe Theater
Original structure—1598-1613
Held 3000 people
Open air theater
Minimal props, costumes
Proscenium stage
The Globe Theater
Expensive seats in the balcony; cheap seats on the floor
Groundlings—illiterate patrons who stood in front of the stage; admitted for a penny
Loved the fight scenes/bawdy humor
Plays had to appeal to all social classes
The theater
Member and later part-owner of Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later called King’s Men
Plays were performed in Blackfriar’s theater, the palace, and The Globe
The Globe was built in 1599 by L.C.M., with Shakespeare as the primary investor
The Globe burned down in 1613 during one of Shakespeare’s plays
Theatrical Conventions
Use of supernatural (trapdoor, balcony)
Fight scenes (sheep’s bladder, cloth)
Costumes (helped determine character--esp. with minimal actors)
The Players
Biggest patron of the arts—Queen Elizabeth
Ruled 1558-1603
Elizabethan era--Lord Chamberlain’s Men
King James—The King’s Men
Elizabethan Arranged Marriages
Women had little choice in choosing a husband
Arranged so that families involved could benefit by gaining prestige or wealth
Many couples met on their wedding day
Boys could marry at 14 and girls could marry at 12 with parental consent.
Elizabethan Blood Feuds A blood feud is a
feud when the relatives of someone who has been killed or otherwise wronged threatens the family who committed the crime.
Historically, the word vendetta has been used to mean a blood feud.
Blood Feuds cont’d
Vengeance is gained by killing or otherwise physically punishing the culprits or their relatives.
The responsibility to maintain the vendetta usually falls on the closest male relative to whoever has been killed or wronged, but other members of the family may take the mantle as well.
Characteristics of a Tragic Hero
Man or woman born to high society
Flaw in his/her character
Makes an irreversible decision, usually because of character flaw
Decision leads to downfall
Usually dies
Characteristics of a Tragedy
Series of cause and effect events
Life of an important person or people
Tragic flaw leads to catastrophe
Several deaths necessary to advance the plot