Notes on the History of Elizabethan England and Shakespeare Himself

1. Noteson theHistory of Elizabethan EnglandandShakespeare Himself

2. King Henry VIII(Ruled England 1509-1547) Known for breaking with Church + Many Wives (6)

3. As a young man, Henry was quite active.

4. England After Henry • When Henry dies, Edward comes to the throne (he was 9!) •Edward dies when he’s 16, and “Bloody Mary” takes the throne

5. Queen Elizabeth I(Ruled England 1558-1603) • Mary (a Catholic) dies and Elizabeth (a Protestant) comes to the throne in 1558 • Under Elizabeth, the arts flourished and educational institutions were established. • England also became a military force -Defeat of the Spanish Armada 1588 • Never married, so known as the “Virgin Queen” • Followed by King James (1603-1625)

6. Defeating the Spanish Armada

7. Life in Elizabethan England • Public Life • Gossip: Those who are “in the know” are popular. • Crowds and public squares were volatile --> anything could set them off! • No free discussion of rulers = • High treason! Spies everywhere • Punishments: • Upper class = beheading • Lower class = drawing and quartering

8. Life in Elizabethan England Family Life • Children and parents = very formal • Never disobey • Children raised by nurses • Women had no legal rights • All their money and possessions went to the husband • Literacy Rate was Low • (W-10% M-30%) • Single wealthy women were fought over • Married at the age of 11 or 12 • Father had the right to choose husbands for daughters -- negotiated for power • Marriage = crucial to a woman • No legal rights without it • LOVE • Romantic Love was ALWAYS discouraged -- a good match was more important • HONOR = very important! Defend family

9. Heart of England = LONDON • Tower Of London • Fort for protecting the city from invasions • Royal Palace • Prison

10. Horrible! Streets were filthy No sewers or drains Gutters were in the middle of the street Garbage & chamber pots emptied in the streets --piled up until a rain Men walked in the middle of street to protect the ladies The Plague = incurable Overcrowding led to slums, filth Plague carried by fleas on rats -- not known then Thought to be God’s wrath on wicked people Two outbreaks killed 1/4 of the population in Shakespeare’s time Life expectancy = 48 years Time to travel to “New World” = 1-2 months London: Sanitation

11. Theater’s Place in the World:One Side • The Court • Elizabeth and James totally supported theater • Shakespeare’s company, “The King’s Men,” were named for King James

12. Theater’s Place in the World: The Other Side City Officials • Time of Puritanism = Very conservative • Thought theater was evil, satanic, and destroyed public morals

13. Theater’s Place in the World • Therefore: • Theater was not allowed in London proper, within the official city limits • Instead, all theaters were in Southwark, just across the Thames, and outside city lines

14. Shakespeare’s Theater: The Globe • Variety of tickets, from the pit (groundlings) to the gallery • Loud, obnoxious, intelligent crowds • Performances lasted “at least two hours,” and started around 2 PM (the middle of the working day) • Trumpet blew to signal the start • Public - open to all, though could not be advertised • Showed type of play by color of the flag • White = Comedy • Red = History • Black = Tragedy

15. A Tour of the Globe

16. William Shakespeare:The Bard Himself

17. England-A Spiritually Divided Country • When Henry starts his own church, that splits the country into Catholic and Protestant • Shakespeare’s family has Catholic roots, but he supports the Queen

18. Shakespeare: Early Life Vital Stats: • Born April 23, 1564 • Dies April 23, 1616 • Early Life: Stratford on Avon, England • Marries Anne Hathaway (said she saved his life) • They have three kids: • Susanna, Hamnet and Judith • He moves to London in 1590s

19. Stratford On Avon: Shakespeare’s Hometown Trinity Church Shakespeare’s Grammar School

20. London: The Big City

21. Shakespeare in London • Became a leading actor and playwright by 1592 • In 1594, Romeo and Juliet was first performed -- all male actors! • By 1595, he’s the hottest playwright in London • Writes 37 plays (2 per year) • Performed plays in theaters, palaces, inns, and homes of nobility • 1610 -- returned to Stratford

22. After -- Professional Adds sets, lighting, multiple stages, and the box office. Theater is new, akin to the start of TV Before -- •Performed by roaming troupes for a meal or bed. •Actors considered vagrants • Performed lewd plays to religious ones. How Shakespeare Changed Theatre

23. William Shakespeare,according to many scholars, has made the greatest contribution to the English language of any writer, ever.

24. Shakespeare’s Plays: Tragedies, Comedies, and Histories • Tragedies: The fall of a great man. Not by fatal “tragic” flaw, but through choice of action that puts him out of his comfort zone (Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth). • Comedies: Not simply comical, in the modern sense, but often tensions between traditional roles—male vs. female, poor vs. rich, old vs. young—often ending in marriage, the revision or restoration of tradition (Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It). • Histories: Based on the lives of English Kings (Henry IV, Henry V, Richard III).

25. London & the Theater in Shakespeare’s Day The theater was the most widely available entertainment to which people of every class had access. Professional theater life was considered a fringe culture, existing on the margins of society. Actors were like rock stars. Actors were considered homeless vagabonds and, as such, were subject to arrest (like rock stars). Plays were often acted out in any space available; thus the income for actors and playwrights was undependable and rarely enough to live on. Wealthy aristocrats, who enjoyed drama, would support acting companies with their own money—actors under the care of these “Lords” could not be arrested for their vagrant lifestyle.

26. Bankside The Entertainment District: Taverns, Theatres & Prostitutes, Oh My! Bankside London, on the Thames River, was a notorious area of the city. The Globe Theatre was situated in this area where people went out to drink and gamble, and where prostitution flourished. The theatre was not a symbol of high culture in those days, it was bawdy and violent entertainment, considered by many to be full of dangerous ideas and suggestive sexual themes.

27. Bankside

28. The Globe: The Glory of the Bank • Based on design of The Rose theatre. • First London theatre built and owned by an acting company (1599). • All the decisions made in its construction were made by the actors and writers who would use it as a performance space. • Shakespeare plays first performed at the Globe: Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.

29. The Globe Theatre A Reconstruction of Shakespeare’s Theater Built in 1996

30. The Audience • There were only two doors, and the Globe held up to 3,000 people. • People from all classes visited the theatre on a regular basis. • Cheapest seats cost one penny; “groundlings” stood in the yard. • For an extra penny, you got a “cushion seat” in the gallery. • For extra money, the view was obstructed; however, in those days people didn’t go to see a play, they went to hear a play.

31. Stage Effects • Both the stage and the heavens (the area above the stage) held trap doors. • Sheep and cow blood was used for fight scenes. A small bag could be filled and popped at the right moment for the right effect. • Gunpowder was used for musket fire and special controlled explosions.

32. The Threat of Theatre • The puritans, and city authorities, did not like play going. • Only the support of the King or Queen kept the theatre open. • The theatre represented freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and openly played with gender roles and human sexuality.

33. A Tale of Three Globes • Original Globe burnt down (6/29/1613) during the third performance of Henry VIII after cannons firing blanks set fire to the thatch roof. • The King’s Men (Shakespeare’s acting company) rebuilt the Globe in 1614. This Globe was torn down in 1644. • Modern Globe was built by an American named Sam Wanamaker, using Elizabethan construction techniques, opened in 1997.

34. William Shakespeare - 1564 - 1616 Why do we learn and study the works of William Shakespeare, a 16th Century English playwright and poet? Apart from a 'requirement' to study Shakespeare, what positive reasons can you think of to study Shakespeare? www.englishabc.co.uk2014

35. William Shakespeare - 1564 - 1616 A possible reason? 'The ideas, themes and issues of human nature described in his works have a resonance, a connection with the lives led by people today!' Here is a list of ideas, themes and issues that are written about by Shakespeare...?

36. William Shakespeare - 1564 - 1616

37. William Shakespeare - 1564 - 1616 Common expressions, clichés, were Shakespeare's creations Compelling characters Great stories Highlighting human experience

38. William Shakespeare - 1564 - 1616 Common expressions, clichés, were Shakespeare's creations – over 135 examples • A fool’s paradise – an experience of happiness based on false hope - Romeo & Juliet • All of a sudden - suddenly – The Taming of the Shrew • A sorry sight – something or someone of an untidy appearance- Macbeth • Love is blind – The Merchant of Venice, Henry V, and other plays • Lie low – keeping out of sight, hiding – Much Ado About Nothing • Milk of human kindness – care, compassion for others – Macbeth

39. William Shakespeare - 1564 - 1616