William ShakespeareHis Life and Times

Who is William Shakespeare? - The Basics

• Shakespeare is often considered to be the most famous author of all time.• He wrote plays and poetry.• He lived in England during the late

1500s.

Why is Shakespeare Important?

• Shakespeare actually invented over 1,700 words in the English language.• Many common words and

phrases we use today, he invented.

Phrases Shakespeare is known for: • all that glitters isn’t gold• barefaced• be all and end all• break the ice• breathe one’s last• catch a cold• clothes make the man• disgraceful conduct• dog will have his day• eat out of house and home• elbow room• fair play

• fancy-free• foregone conclusion• give the devil his due• green eyed monster• heart of gold• heartsick• housekeeping• lackluster• leapfrog• live long day• long-haired• method in his madness• mind’s eye• naked truth• one fell swoop

• to thine own self be true• too much of a good thing• wear one’s heart on

one’s sleeve

Words Shakespeare invented:• accommodation• amazement• apostrophe• assassination• bedroom• bloody• bump• changeful• control (noun)• countless• courtship• critic• critical

• dishearten• dislocate• eventful• exposure• generous• gloomy• hurry• indistinguishable• laughable• lonely• majestic• misplaced• monumental• obscene• puke

• road• submerge• suspicious

Ok, He’s Important… but is he Interesting?• In his will, Shakespeare only left his wife his “second-

best bed”.• Boys and men played all the parts in Shakespeare’s

plays in Elizabethan times.• No one knows how Shakespeare died. Among the

possibilities are kidney disease, murder most foul, and too much to drink.

That’s cool… but what else you got?• The Globe Theater charged a penny to get on

the ground floor of a Shakespeare performance. The penny went in a box.

• To get into the first balcony, attendees were supposed to put another penny in a different box. When the show started, those with the boxes went into a room backstage and counted the cash.

• THE BOX OFFICE! - The phrase “the box office” is still used today to report on how much money a movie makes.

Give me more interesting facts!• So many people have used Shakespeare’s works in their

books or plays that if he were alive today, he would earn $55 million a year without lifting a finger.

• All “Knock, Knock” jokes began with Shakespeare: he coined the phrase “Knock, knock, who’s there?” (Macbeth)

• In his day, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. That’s where the phrase, “Goodnight, sleep tight” came from.

Shakespeare’s Biography• William Shakespeare was an English

playwright and poet who lived in England during the late 1500s and early 1600s.

• He was born on Henley Street to parents John Shakespeare, a glover and civil servant, and Mary Arden.

• His father was elected mayor, but was kicked out of office when he fell into debt.

Shakespeare’s Education• Shakespeare went to King Edward VI Grammar

School.• This was a sign that his parents’ had cash, as

they were a class who could afford to have their sons not enter the workforce.

• William left school at fourteen… and did not go to university.

• 4 years later, Shakespeare married a woman who was 8 years older than him.

• She was pregnant, but already had her own place though!

Need to find Work!• By the time Shakespeare was 20, he had a

wife and three children.• Here’s a question: how do you provide for a

family, when even your own father is having financial woes?

•LONDON!

Working 9 to 5• Shakespeare left his wife and children

to find work. Yikes.• It is unknown exactly what he did from

1592-1597.• Whatever he did, when he returned he

paid off his family’s debt.• What we do know of Shakespeare was

that he went on to be an actor and a playwright, having written countless sonnets and marvelous plays.

The King of Drama• Shakespeare spent much of his

career with an acting company called The Chamberlain’s Men.

• After 1599, his plays were usually performed at The Globe Theatre, a circular theatre in London. (More to come on the The Globe Theatre later!)

• It held 3000 people and there were two performances daily.