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