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About the elizabethan theatre era
Shakespeare's life
Shakespeare's life
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William Shakespeare was born in 1564, in Stratford, located in the center of England. His dad, John, was a trained glove maker, who was married to Mary Arden. She was the daughter of Robert Arden, who was a farmer in a nearby village of Wilmcote. John was also served on the town council for many years, becoming mayor in 1568. He was also involved in money lending and he traded wool. After 2 tries of having a child, and failed, William was born. He had 5 other siblings, but one of them died in their early life.
Shakespeare was well set in the year 1592. His high reputation was in London. His earliest plays were “Henry VI”, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, and “Titus Andronicus”. In 1594, Shakespeare joined other people, creating a new theater company. Having Richard Burbage as lead actor, for almost twenty years they performed two shows a year on average. The plays included “Hamlet”, “Othello”, and “Lear”
In 1597, Shakespeare’s successes lead him into a wealthy state. His massive income let him purchase the biggest home in Stratford. Even though his career was spent in London, he stayed close to his native town. In 1602, he bought 107 acres of land, also in Stratford.
Shakespeare plays were performed only in London, where the buildings were designed specifically for performing plays. Most of the theaters were tall, and circular in shape. They would be open to the sky, and roofs protecting the galleries. The performances took place in the afternoon, where lighting was at its peak performance. All the roles in the plays were male performers. Even the female role’s, were guys. But the audience was always a mix of the sexes.
In 1599, Lord Chamberlain’s company built the Globe Theater. This theater was mainly associated with his plays, and it was on the south bank of the Thames, in the suburb of Southwark. Two of his plays “Henry V”, and “Julius Caesar” were performed here from the time it opened to 1613. During a performance of “Henry VIII”, a fire broke out and destroyed the theater. It was rebuilt the following year.
Some of Shakespeare’s best work came out in the 1600’s. They included “Hamlet”, “Cymbeline”, and “The Tempest”. He died in his Stratford home on April 23rd, 1616; he was fifty-two. He was buried at Holy Trinity Church, where now, his rest of his family rests in peace.
William Shakespeare led an exciting life, becoming one of the most famous play writers of all time.
Scene 1 of Act 4 is certainly one of the most visually impacting and intriguing scenes of the entire play. This strong effect is attained by the sequential presentation of mysterious images and a close reference to evil throughout the whole scene. On stage, the visual (the actions and apparitions) and audible (the speech and sound effects as the thunder) factors engulf the entire scene in an atmosphere of wickedness.
“William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564” (Fandel 8) in the small English town known as Stratford-upon-Avon. William
William Shakespeare was born on 26 April 1564 (died on 23 April 1616), in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. Shakespeare was a poet, playwright and actor and has written about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. Shakespeare wrote many successful plays such as, Julius Caesar, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet was written in the mid-1590s in London and even today it is considered to be one of the greatest plays ever written. It is a play based on a long dispute between two families, the Montague’s and the Capulet’s, and takes place in the cities of Verona and Mantua, Italy, over the course of four short days.
Hodges, C. Walters. The Globe Restored: A Study of the Elizabethan Theatre. London: Oxford University Press, 1968. Print.
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford on Avon, England, in April of 1564 to Mary and John Shakespeare. He was the third child and the eldest son. His father was a tanner, glove-maker, and trader in wool and other precious commodities. William attended the Stratford Grammar school where he studied and received substantial training in Latin. He was married on November 27, 1582, to a woman named Anne Hathaway, who was eight years older than he was. In May of 1583, the couple's first daughter, Susanna was born. The couple had twins in February of 1585, Hamnet and Judith. Throughout his life, Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven plays, and several poems and sonnets. He was also an actor for a short while. Several of Shakespears plays were performed at the famous Globe Theater in England. On April 23, 1616 Shakespeare died, he was buried at the church of Stratford on April 25, 1616.
“William Shakespeare, the third of eight children and the first boy, was born in 1564 and baptized on 26 April in Holy Trinity Church” (Alexander 12). He was born and raised in the countryside known as Stratford, England and it is also where he was later buried when he died (Cousins 18).
(k12) This book is called Shakespeare’s Sonnets, which contains all 154 sonnets that Shakespeare wrote throughout his lifetime except for the two that appeared in The Passionate Pilgrimage. “Shakespeare died at the age of 52 on April 23, 1616 from unknown causes.” (William Shakespeare) Many of Shakespeare’s works are focused on the ideas of love, friendship, and marriage; especially his sonnets.
The birth of Elizabethan Theatre came about when a group of travelling actors would move from one town to the next, however travelling was restricted and required a licence; as the actors were unable to travel, the nobles of England were granted licences to form troupes of players. This is where Elizabethan actors became apparent. These troupes of travelling actors would have had no choice but to perform to audiences within courtyards of inns; there was never a permanent venue, therefore temporary stages would have been erected and moved from one place to the next. It wasn’t until 1576 that the first theatre was built by entrepreneur James Burbage, who noticed the growth within the popularity of plays. The Burbage family also ran the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, who used it from 1594 to 1596. The other main theatre company at the time was The Admiral’s Men, which was back by Philip Henslowe, and initially headed by the actor Edward Alleyn.
William Shakespeare, born April 26th, 1564 was an English poet, playwright, and actor, mostly referred as the greatest writer in the English ¬¬language. Shakespeare is believed to have constructed thirty-eight plays, one hundred and fifty-four sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses. ."Did Shakespeare Write His Plays?") Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare’s father was an alderman, therefore Shakespeare did not attend any special schools or colleges. Shakespeare went to public schools. There are official documentation such as church and court records providing that Shakespeare was “real”. Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on November 28th, 1582, in Worcester, in Canterbury Province. Their first child, a girl named Susanna, born May 26th, 1583. Two year later, on February 2th, 1585, twins Hamnet and Judith were born. Hamnet later then died of unknown causes at age eleven.
"Shakespeare's name survived in Stratford through New Place until 1759....., but principally through his monument, a framed half-length bust on the north wall of the chancel of Holy Trinity, a few yards from his grave." (The Shakespeare Handbook). His reputation for his dramatic intelligence did not get noticed until the nineteenth century.
Many theatres arose in London starting 1576. They were performed in what is called inn yards. The dramas were more focused around the values of the upperclass. Although, the upper and lower class watched the same plays, the upper class watched in private theatres, while the lower in public. Sitting in front of the stage was actually less expensive than sitting far up away from the stage.
“William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was and English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s preeminent dramatist” (vodppl.upm.edu 2). He was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, UK, he also passed away in his hometown. “When Shakespeare died in 1616 the event was barely noticed” (Epstein 7). “Shakespeare’s family was initially prosperous but began having financial difficulties in the 1570’s” (Allen 325). “Shakespeare gained his education by attending the local grammar school, King’s New School, where the curriculum stressed a classic education of Greek mythology and roman comedy”(shakespeareinamericancomunites.org 1). He never carried his educational career to a higher level as in a university. “William Shakespeare was not recognized as an actor, poet, and playwright until 1592” (Allen 346).
The name most associated with excellence in theatre is William Shakespeare. His plays, more than any other playwright, resonate through the ages. It may be safe to say that he has influenced more actors, directors, and playwrights than any thespian in the history of the stage. But what were his influences? During the Middle Ages theatre was dominated by morality, miracle, and mystery plays that were often staged by the church as a means to teach the illiterate masses about Christianity. It wasn’t until the early sixteenth century that Greek tragedy experienced a revival, in turn, inspiring a generation of renaissance playwrights.
In 1564, William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon (Hazell 32). It seems that Shakespeare’s career began around the year 1592. This was a tough time for playwrights and actors. There was an outbreak of the bubonic plague which caused concerns for those wanting to watch because of being surrounded by those potentially carrying the disease, thus making it hard for the playwrights and actors to find work (“William Shakespeare.” 653-654).
In his time, Shakespeare was the most popular playwright of London. As time passed, his smartness covers all others of his age; Jonson, Marlowe, Kyd, Greene, Dekker, Heywood—none had the craft or the kindness of character. He was the master of poetry writing and he did it well. He created the most vivid characters of the Elizabethan stage. His usage of language, both high and low, shows a remarkable fun and insight. His themes fit all generation even to this day.