Shakespeare & The Elizabethan Theatre: Group 2

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born on April, 23rd 1564 in Stratford-in-Avon, northwest of London. This date is based on record of his baptism on April 26th.

Shakespeare's father John was a successful glove marker and a businessman who held a number of positions in the town government. His mother whose maiden name was Mary Arden, was the daughter of his father's landlord.

There is no written evidence of Shakespeare's boyhood, not even a name on a school attendance list. However, given his father's statue, it is highly probable that he attended the Stratford Grammar School, where he acquired knowledge of Latin.

In November, the year 1582 William Shakespeare received a license to marry. At this time Anne would have been 26 and William 18. A considerable age difference to William Shakespeare, whom at the time was still under the age of consent (21). It is apparent that Anne Hathaway became pregnant prior to marriage which would have no doubt caused a scandal for both of the families. Some writers have made much of the fact that Shakespeare left his wife and children behind and he went into London not long after his twins were born. However, he visited his family in Stratford regularly during his years as a playwright, and they may have lived with him for a long time in London.

Shakespeare became connected with the theatre in the late 1580's and earlyn1590's. By 1594, however, he had become a part owner and the principal playwright of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, one of the most successful theatre companies in London.
In 1599, the company built the famous Globe theatre on the South bank of the Thame River, in Southwark. This is where most of Shakespeare plays were performed.

William Shakespeare did not think to himself that he was a man of letters. He wrote his plays to be performed and did not bring out editions of them for the reading public. The first published edition of his work, called The First Folio, was issued in 1623 by two members of his theatre company, John Heminges and Henery Condell, and contained thirty-six of the thirty-seven plays now attributed to him.

In about 1610, William Shakespeare retired to Standfort, though he continued to write plays. April 23rd 1616 he died and was buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford because it was a common practice to move bodies after burial to make room for others.

Timeline of Praise
No other English writer has won such universal and enthusiastic praise from critic and fellow praise from critics and fellow writers. Here are sample of that praise, shown on a timeline from Shakespeare's day to our won:
· Ben Jonson (1572-1667) “He was not of an age, but for all time!"
· A.C.Bradley (1851-1935) "Where his power or art is fully exerted, it really does resemble that of nature."
· T.S.Eliot (1888-1965) "About any one so great as Shakespeare it is probable that we can never be right............."


Elizabethan Theatre

Prior to the reign of Elizabeth I, theatre companies made a living by travelling around the country looking for large audiences to perform. When Queen Elizabeth came to power and throughout her reign, she fostered the rise and formalization of English drama. It was during her era that drama began to be recognized as a complex art form to be appreciated, loved and critiqued by the masses. Queen Elizabeth’s own interest in drama led to this increasing interest.

When Shakespeare was twelve years old, an actor named James Burbage built London’s first theatre, called simply ‘The Theatre’, just beyond the city walls in Shoreditch. Actors- even prominent and well-to-do actors like Burbage- occupied a strange place in London society; they were frowned upon by the city fathers but were wildly popular with the common people.

In 1597, the city fathers closed down ‘The Theatre’. In late 1598, Richard Burbage (James’s son) and his men dismantled it and hauled it in pieces across the Thames to Southwark. It took them six months to rebuild it, and when they did they renamed it the ‘Globe’.
Critics dispute the exact shape and structure of this building however many believe it was round and octagonal. Shakespeare makes reference to the building in Henry V calling it “this wooden O”. It is believed that the design and structure of this building was derived from the beat-baiting and bull-baiting rings built in Southwark.
The building could seat in excess of 2500; but actors had to project their voices to be heard. Back then, there was no technology which is utilized in the theatre today. Sound effects, special lighting, scenery and all the modern amenities now used to enhance productions were entirely absent. The actors were forced to use their own abilities to compensate for the lack of technology.
In 1613 a cannon was fired as a part of a performance of Henry VIII set the theatre’s thatched roof on fire and destroyed it. The patrons escaped unharmed, but the Globe was completely destroyed.


Building a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe was American actor Sam Wanamaker’s dream. After long years of fund-raising construction, the theatre opened its doors full season on June 8, 1997.
Like the earlier Globe, this one was also made of wood, with a thatched rood and lime plaster covering the walls.

During the late 16th century, Elizabethan drama became fully- developed. Playwrights turned away from basing their plays on the religious aspects of society and began writing more sophisticated plays. Drawing on models from ancient Greece and Rome, writers introduced tragedies- plays in which disaster befalls the hero/heroine. Dramatists also began writing their plays in carefully construed of unrhymed verse, using fanciful language and making the words play a vivid image in the viewers minds.

William Shakespeare

Life- William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, he was the son of John Shakespeare, a successful glover and alderman originally from Snitterfield, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent landowning farmer. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon and baptised there on 26 April 1564. His actual birthdate remains unknown, but is traditionally observed on 23 April, St George's Day. At the age of 18, Shakespeare married the 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. Six months after the marriage Anne gave birth to a daughter, Susanna, baptised 26 May 1583. Twins, son Hamnet and daughter Judith, followed almost two years later and were baptised 2 February 1585. Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11 and was buried 11 August 1596. It is not known exactly when Shakespeare began writing, but contemporary allusions and records of performances show that several of his plays were on the London stage by 1592. He was well enough known in London by then to be attacked in print by the playwright Robert Greene. Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616 and was survived by his wife and two daughters. Shakespeare was buried in the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church two days after his death.

Works: 16 comedies, 10 histories, 6 poems, 12 tragedies.
Some of these are works are:
• The Taming of the Shrew
• Julius Caesar
• Much Ado about Nothing
• Romeo and Juliet
• The Tragedy of King Lear
• All Well That Ends Well
• Macbeth
• Hamlet
• King Lear
• Othello

Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. This is so because his works have been translated in many different languages and also his influence on theatre today.
The name of the “nice” theatre is “The Globe”.

Questions on Brother Man

1. Some conflicts in Brother Man are
• Between Papcita & Girlie(External)-
• Cordelia(Internal)-
• Between Papcita & Brother Man(External)-
• Between Brother Man & Cordelia(External)
• Between Bra Ambo & Brother Man(External)

2. External Conflict- a struggle between the protagonist and another character against nature or some outside force
Internal Conflict- a mental or emotional struggle that occurs within a character.

3. The 3 types of iroy are:
• Situational Irony
• Verbal Irony
• Dramatic Irony

Letter to Editor

Dear Editor,
I am complaining about the beating of John Power aka ‘Brother Man’ that took place last week on Orange Lane. I found that the brutal beating of a wrongly accused man was uncalled for. Just because the guy that did the gruesome act was a Rasta they took him for Brother Man? That is unacceptable! They jumped to conclusions before finding facts.
Brother Man has never done anything to harm or hurt anyone. He is a kind and giving individual, we see that on a daily basis whenever he interacts with others. He always helps others and think about him last. He helped everyone even his enemies. Again I say Brother Man did not deserve the treatment he got.
I still couldn’t believe how some were acting towards the man they all looked to for spiritual guidance. As stood there, I felt quite ashamed of myself but no doing anything. But a female came to his rescue and tried her best to protect him but the brutal on-lookers kept on with their stone-throwing.
I don’t really know if the villagers of Orange Lane have a problem with ‘Rastas” but it’s a problem that should be looked into because they are humans too and deserve their respect just as much as anyone else.
Brother Man is a forgiving man but I think a public apology is needed in his case. Not only because of the beating but for disregarding his pride.

A concerned citizen

Biography Etc on roger Mais

# 1 Roger Mais’s Biography
Roger Mais (August 11, 1905 Kingston−June 21, 1955 Kingston) was a Jamaican journalist, novelist, poet, painter, and playwright, born in Kingston, Jamaica. Although he belonged to the well-to-do middle class, Mais had a lively social conscience that inspired lifelong interest in the poorer classes of his black countrymen. Mais launched his career as a journalist and contributor for the weekly newspaper, Public Opinion from 1939 to 1952, which was associated with the People's National Party. He also wrote several plays, reviews, and short stories for the newspaper Focus and the Jamaica Daily Gleaner, focusing his articles on social injustice and inequality. He used this approach to reach his local audience and to primarily push for a national identity and anti-colonialism.
Sharp social criticism in an article he wrote for the People's National Party newspaper Public Opinion in 1944 earned him a six-month jail sentence, where he experienced the appalling conditions in Jamaican prisons during British colonial rule. These conditions are vividly portrayed in his first novel, The Hills Were Joyful Together (1953), which consists of loosely assembled episodes giving a stark portrait of denizens of a slum in Kingston, Jamaica; but this bleakness is relieved by ribald humour and self-mockery. Similar themes are treated in Brother Man (1954), his best-known work. Black Lightning (1955) explores the spiritual failure of a blacksmith carving a lifesize statue of Samson; like Samson, he is destroyed by pride.
“Why I Love and Leave Jamaica,” an article written in 1950 also stirred many emotions. It labeled the bourgeoisie and the “philistines” as shallow and criticized their impacting role on art and culture[3]. In addition, Mais's wrote over thirty stage and radio plays.
Mais left for England in 1952. Mais ventured to Europe-London, Paris, and the south of France-to fulfill himself; he took an alias, Kingsley Croft, and showcased an art exhibition in Paris. His artwork also appeared on the covers of his novels. After he left Jamaica, his novel The Hills Were Joyful Together had been accepted for publishing by Jonathan Cape in London. Soon afterwards, Brother Man was published. Brother Man(1954) was a sympathetic exploration of the emergent Rastafari movement. Black Lightning was then published the year after. While Mais's first two novels had urban settings, his third novel, Black Lightning(1955) centered on an artist living in the countryside. In 1955 Mais was forced to return to Jamaica after falling ill with cancer; he died the same year at age 50.
His short stories were collected in a volume entitled Listen, The Wind, thirty-two years after his death. The strong biblical language and references in Mais's writing suggest that he was as much concerned with spiritual regeneration as with political ideology and patriotism. He also published two collections of stories and completed two unpublished novels. His integral role in the development of political and cultural nationalism is evidenced in his being awarded the high honor of the Order of Jamaica in 1978.

Question # 2
Some critics say that the Mais’ works “success as novels of protest has had a damaging effect on his reputation in the long rub by focusing too much attention on the documentary and polemical element in his work at the expense of his more durable qualities”. While some other critics say that The chorus in Brother Man was the passive, inconsistent community filled with busybodies ready to tear one down as soon as they lifted you up.

Literary terms

Novel- A book length fictional prose narrative.
Novella- A mid length work of fiction, shorter than a novel but longer than a short story. Its usually between 20000 to 35000 words.
Short Story- A brief fictional narrative prose. Just under 20000 words.
Narrative techniques-
Point of View- The relationship of the narrator/ storyteller to the story.
Theme- The main message of a story, poem, novel or play that readers can apply to life.
Plot- The sequence of events in a narrative work.
Style- The author’s choice and arrangements of words and sentences in a literary work.
Setting- The time and place in which the events of a story, novel or play occur.
Characterization- The methods a writer uses to reveal the personality of a character.
Symbol- An object, person, place or experience that means more than what it is.
Imagery- The “word pictures” that writers create to help evoke an emotional response. (senses)
Allusion- A reference in a work of literature to a character, place or situation from history or from another work of literature, music or art.
Satire- Writing that exposes and ridicules the vices or follies of people or societies.
Irony- A contrast or discrepancy between appearance and reality or between what is expected and what actually happens.
Stream of Consciousness- A literary technique that presents the thoughts and feelings of a character as they occur.
Interior Monologue- A passage of writing presenting a characters inner thought and emotions in a direct, sometimes disjointed or fragmentary manner.
Flash back- An account of an event that happened before a story began.
Foreshadowing- The use of clues by the author to prepare readers for events that will happen later in the story.
Time frame- A period during which something takes place or is projected to occur in a play, novel or story.
Motif- A significant word, description, idea or image that is repeated throughout a literary work and is related to its time
Juxtaposition- An act or instance of placing close together or side by side, esp. for comparision or contrast
Types of Fiction: Scientific, Horror, Realistic, Romance, Thiller, Western, Fantasy, Crime & Action-adventure
Intellectual- The ability to reason and understand or to perceive relationships.
Ethnic- Designating or of a population sub group having a common cultural heritage as distinguished by customs, characterists, language, common history.
Religious- Of, concerned with, or teaching religion.
Social- Of, relating to, or occupied with matters affecting human welfare.
Political- Of, relating to, or dealing with the structure or affairs of government, politics, or the state.
Cultural- of or relating to artistic or social pursuits or events considered to be valuable or enlightened.
Historical- Of or relating to the character of history.
Moral- A practical Lesson about right and wrong conduct.