1564-1616 Shakespeare’s Life The man behind the legend ENGLAND London Boyhood in StratfordUpon-Avon Born April 23, 1564 in StratfordUpon-Avon Parents John and Mary Arden Shakespeare Seven brothers and sisters Grammar School from age to 13 Stratford-Upon-Avon William Shakespeare’s Home Marriage and Life in London 1582 at age 18 married Anne Hathaway 1583-1592 ??? 1592 (28 years old) went to London actor and playwright first accused of borrowing from other playwrights 1592-1594 Plague Shakespeare Prospers 1598 built Globe Theatre Owned shares in it Father granted a coat-of-arms Gentlemen Recognized as a genius in his own time His Poetic Greatness Most quoted writer in the world diversity of speech from common men to philosophers Examples of his Poetry Critics Rank the Plays Tragedies-Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Othello Comedies- The Tempest, As You Like It, The Winter’s Tale, The Merchants of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Histories- Henry IV, Henry V, Richard II, Richard III, Henry VIII Test of Greatness A great play is one that affects the audience deeply Reasons for his Popularity The Great Shakespeare Collections Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C Henry E Huntington Library and Art Gallery in San Marino, California British Museum in London,England Bodleian Library in Oxford, England To be or not to be? What’s the question To be or not to be? That is the question! Wait a second!!! To my own self be true Then thou canst not be false to any man Be quiet Will! What’s going on And it must follow as the night and the day Web cites for pictures and additional information on William Shakespeare http://daphe.palomar.edu/ shakespeare/timeline/genealogy htm http://www.shakespeare.com/link Htm www.stratford.co.uk/birthplace/ www.rdg.ac.uk/globe/DataBase/Images/NewGlobe.htm www.legends.dm.net/shakespeare/macb eth.htm/ www.britishliterature.com Tragedy A serious play or drama typically dealing with the problems of a central character, leading to an unhappy or disastrous ending brought on, as in ancient drama, by a fate and a tragic flaw in this character, or in modern drama, usually by moral weakness, psychological maladjustment or social pressures Tragic Hero A person of high rank who is brought to eventual ruin by a flaw in his/her character Example: Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his ambition which leads him into a series of bloody and increasingly indefensible acts Comedy A drama or narrative with a happy ending or non-tragic theme Comedy of manners- depicts and satirizes the manners and customs of fashionable society High comedy- appeals to and reflects the life and problems of the upper social classes, characterized by a witty, sardonic treatment Low comedy- farce, slap stick,burlesque, horse play Catharsis The purging or purifying of the emotions or relieving of emotional tension, especially by art (This concept was applied originally by Aristotle to the effects of tragic drama on the audience.) Conflict The struggle or interplay of forces, that takes place within the story The main character may be in conflict with another person, value system, fate or with nature Plot Plot movement: The sequence of events that create and then resolve a conflict Climax (peak tension) or Crisis (dramatic turning point) Falling action Rising action (fall of tragic hero) Resolution or Denouncement Beginning of story (Point at which conflict ends and outcome is made clear) Back to Shakespeare Webquest