William Shakespeare Widely regarded as the greatest writer

William Shakespeare Widely regarded as the greatest writer in English Literature

Who was Shakespeare? • What about his physical appearance, sexuality, religious beliefs? • were the works attributed to him written by others ?

about his physical appearance On the cover of the first folio 1623

Memorial at Holy Trinity Church

He was born in Stratford-on. Avon, England in 1564 • We don’t know the exact day • April 23, St George's Day ?

The baptismal register stated that a child Named Gulielmus, filius Johannes Shakespeare was baptized in the Holy Trinity parish church

Shakespeare ‘s Birthplace W. Shakespeare was born, grew up and played here. Where he ate meals, slept and dreamt. Shakespeare also spent the first five years of married life in this house with his new wife

Grammar School Stratford-upon-Avon

William Shakespeare Lost Years (1578 - 1582) • There were no documented facts about his life between leaving school in 1578 and marrying Anne Hathaway in 1582 • probably he helped with the family business • He might have also been : – A Sailor or Soldier – A Law clerk – A Teacher

About his sexuality • he married Anne Hathaway ( eight years older ) in 1582 • they had three children • he had affairs with other women • he may have had an erotic interest in men

ideo tour Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Nash's House: the site of Shakespeare's last home at New Place where he died in 1616. He chose to return to this house in later life, so this is the site where we believe he wrote some of his later works such as The Tempest.

Why did he leave his family? To avoid to be arrested for poaching deer? Nobody knows!

1585 -1592 ? seven years of Shakespeare's life ? !? • Must he have been perfecting his dramatic skills and collecting sources for the plots of his plays ? • Did he have access to the Earl of Southampton’s library?

About his carreer… • No one knows for certain how Shakespeare first started his career in theatre • Did an acting troupe recruit Shakespeare in his hometown or he was forced on his own to travel to London to begin his career ? • Was he an actor , a writer or holding theatre-goers’ horses ? • In 1592 we have the first reference to Shakespeare in the world of theatre

Why to be an actor ? • The reputation of Actors was not good! Many acting troupes consisted of Rogues and Vagabonds! • Actors were not trusted! • Acting Troupes were considered a threat • Plays were regulated! Plays were subject to censorship - the content of plays was checked to ensure that they did not contain political or religious elements which might threaten the state!

As a Playwright • Plays were performed very soon after they were written • There was not time for many rehearsals. • It was important to put on new plays. • Plays were copied and stolen , there was no copyright • Bad Quartos

It wasn’t easy to be accepted as a playwright • Playwrights were not seen as literary experts • Shakespeare had not attended University • Shakespeare was not a Courtier and neither did he come from a noble family • He had worked as an actor • His work as a Playwright would not have seemed so important other than in financial terms • Shakespeare had a patron

Shakespeare’s contemporaries The standing figure on Shakespeare's left is that of Sir Walter Raleigh He leans on the shoulder of the Earl of Southampton The figures seated behind Shakespeare Ben Jonson And Donne

PLAYWRIGHT - A DANGEROUS OCCUPATION • the famous playwright Christopher Marlowe accused of Heresy and Atheism • Marlowe was summoned to appear before the dreaded Star Chamber but died mysteriously, probably he faked his own death rather that appear before the Star Chamber • Playwrights often used a pseudonym to conceal their true identity • Some Playwrights did not publish their plays. They sold their work to theatre • William Shakespeare never authorised the publication of any of his plays during his lifetime! • William Shakespeare never claimed authorship of his plays during his lifetime • The majority of Shakespeare plays were first published in the First Folio, seven years after his death, in 1623!

How was London like?

1592 : an outbreak of the plague • The City of London was filthy • There was no sewage system. • The waste was just dumped into the River Thames • The disease was transmitted by the fleas that lived on rats and animals

Picture of a Plague Physician • Shakespeare was terrified of the Bubonic Plague • who can blame him? • He lost his sisters Joan, Margaret ( just babies) and Ann • He also lost his brother Edmund • But the greatest loss was his only son, Hamnet

The turning point in Shakespeare's career came in 1593 • The theatres had been closed since 1592 due to an outbreak of the plague • he left theatre entirely during this time to work on his non-dramatic poetry. about 154 sonnets

He returned to theatre in 1594 • became a leading member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men • During his time with the Chamberlain's Men he wrote many plays including: • Romeo and Juliet • Richard II • King John • Love's Labour's Lost

He was the only one known who • • wrote plays for his company acted in the plays shared the profits was also one of the housekeepers who owned the building. For seventeen years he was one of the owners of the Globe theatre and for eight years he was one of the housekeepers of the company's second theatre, the Blackfriars, as well

SHAKESPEARE AND POLITICS • Plays were censored • The Catholic religion was not approved. • Queen Elizabeth was constantly in fear of Catholic plots • Shakespeare knew of the strict laws prohibiting any explicitly religious or current political events being represented on stage

he died April 23 rd 1616 at the age of 52 • The cause of Shakespeare's death is unknown • Shakespeare is said to be buried 17 feet under the stone but his bone have not been moved, as his wishes on the tombstone, so this has not been confirmed

Shakespeare wrote: • Comedies • Histories • Tragedies • Sonnets

It is not easy to date them • Internal references • External references • Literary evidence