William Shakespeare Life through the most important historical eventsShakespeare fameShakespeare´s AgeSumming upShakespeare TheatreShakespeare Plays

William Shakespeare 1558-1616

1561-1580_1581-1600_1588 the Spanish Armada

1603_England and Scotland united1601-1620_ The Pilgrim Fathers reach America

Shakespeare fame

Actor Playwriter Considered a genius a century

later his death First play was written in 1562-

Henry VI

1598 Frances Meres produced a book called

“Palladis Tamia” to this, he added a chapter entitled: “A Comparative Discourse of our English poets with the Greek, Latin and Italian poets”

It shows Shakespeare as one of the eight of whom “ the English tongue is mightily enriched, an gorgeously invested in rare ornaments and resplendent habiliments”

“As Plautus and Seneca are accounted the best for Comedy and Tragedy among the Latins: so Shakespeare among the English..

As Epius Stolo said, that the Muses would speak with Plautus´tongue, if they would speak Latin, so I say that the Muses would speak Shakespeare´s fine filed phrases, if they would speak English”

1623 (six years later Shakespeare dead)

First Folio appeared, it was the first collection of his plays in on volume.

1668 (Restoration 1660-1798)

Dryden published his famous critical dialogue the Essay of Dramatic Poesy

“All the Images of Nature were still present to him, and he drew them not laboriusly, but luckily: when he describes any thing, you more than see it, you feel it too..”

1709

Shakespeare was stablished as a classic by the dramatist Nicholas Rowe

After Rowe complete editions followed each other quickly

During this century XVIII Shakespeare´s reputation rapidly increased.

“The poetry of Shakespeare was Inspiration indeed: he is not so much an Imitator, as an Instrument, of Nature; and ´tis not so just to say that he speaks from her, as that she speaks through him”

1769

David Garrick the greatest English actor of the century, organized a 3 days celebrations at Stratford-upon-Avon whereat Shakespeare´s memory was honoured by the shooting of cannons, ringing of bells, fireworks, a grand procession and much oratory.

Around 1780

Shakespeare was no longer a great English dramatist, a faulty genious , he grew into a godlike figure.

Shakespeare´s Age

Shakespeare was born five and a half years after Elizabeth I became Queen, so he belonged to the 3rd generation of the Reformation in England.

The Tudor Dinasty of which Elizabeth I was the last and greatest, endured for 116 years. The first King was Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.

The Tudors

The Tudors men Totalitarian dictators Henry VII survived the War of RosesAt this time Shakespeare was writing the

beginning of Henry VI & Richard III. The religion revolution arose from Henry

´s quarrel with the Pope, so he became the Sovereign in all the matters of doctrine: interpretation of Scriptures, discipline and morals.

Schools and hospital for poor just disappeared.

New rich men were demoralised The poor suffered from enclosures

and exploitation

Henry VIII was succeeded by his nine year of boy who became Edward VI

This time was the worst artistic disaster every ornament for the Church were destroyed wholesale

1553-1558 Mary I

There was a Catholic reaction

1558 2nd Protestant ReformationElizabeth I was crowned.

The age of Shakespeare was uneasy even though generous, historians called it “age of the Renaissance”, the age of emancipation of the individual.

Englishmen however were less conscious of emancipation

Losses Attendance at the services of the

Established Church of England was compulsory.

Catholic and to a lesser extent Puritans were brutally punished by fines, imprisonment, torture and executions

Confession and absolution were abolished

Gains Education- study of the classics of Greece and

Rome as a means of Salvation. Learning languages- boys at Grammar Schools

in order to admire rethorical figures. Elizabeth discovered that History was the

record of moral and law at work.

Shakespeare wrote as he did because he was taught the arts of language but because he had audiences who keenly appreciated the finnest speech, prose and verse.

Social organization

Sovereing- Divinity of Kings

Shakespeare and his fellows had knowledge of the naughty insolence of noblemen

knights were expected to serve

this poor neighbours with public duties

Poor people

Gentlemen

Nobility

The food was not so expensive but clothing was far more expensive.

Family. Much more important than tody

Father- was the head of the family and the ruler. The children were brought up to fear and respect their parents. They so called their father “Sir” and stood in his presence.

Mother-had few rights. After marriage if she had money and possessions, they passed out to her husband.

The Reign of Elizabeth Apart from the Spanish Armada of

1588, a time “ of peace and smilling plenty”, Shakespeare was writing Hamlet and Othello.

Francis Drake was sent to Lisbon and Corunna

1590 English soldier were aiding the Dutch against the Spanish

1594- a 2nd expedition to Brittany captured Brest

The Spaniards surrounded Calais The Spanish Armada reached

England. The war with Spain languished in1598.

1600-two fronts 1) aiding the Dutch and 2) in Ireland.

1603- the war with Spain finally finished

The old Queen died

James IV of Scotland brought changes, was at peace with Spain and did not have the gifts needed to be a dictator

Summing up

Shakespeare was an artist that trascended his own generation.

Shakespeare´s theatre Plays had no a permanent home. It was

until 1576 when James Burbage built the Theatre.

Usually artists gave private performances in the great halls of noblemen´s houses of in one of the Queen´s palaces or the Inns of Court and acted in Town Halls or in places available to erect a stage and collect a crowd.

The stage Was simple: a platform of boards on barrels

with a curtained booth at the back where the actors could change their costumes or wait for the cue for entrance

No artist left a picture of the inside of the theatre in the Elizabethan period

Even though there is some evidence: the Swan drawings, references in books and letters, contracts for building the Fortune Theatre in 1600 and the Hope in 1612

This plans were disturbed by the competition of the Globe playhouse which was build in the opposite of the city of London.

Approaching your text.

Introduction to characters

Problem(s) emerge and/confucion occurs. Chain of events started

Chaos ensues. Chain of events continue

More chaos and confusion. More events leading to

Climax. In a tragedy, leading to the death of one or more characters. Re-establishment of order

Shakespeare´s plays

Can be divided into HistoriesEnglish histories

Roman histories

Richard II

Henry IV part 1

Henry IV part 2

Henry V

Richard III

Antony and Cleopatra

Coriolanus

Julio Caesar

Characteristics Present famous historical figures at

moments of crisis in their lives Concern themselves with the order

and stability of the state Portray rebels who are fallible Examine the gap between an ideal

notion of kingship and the less tidy reality

Tragedies

Hamlet Macbeth Othello King Lear Romeo and Juliet

Characteristics

At the heart of each of these plays is the central character after whom the play is named- the eponymous hero and the action is focuses on this character.

Other characters are important too and often several innocent victims are claimed before the play reaches its end.

At the beginning of the play something occurs that disrupts the normal order of things.

Chaos or disorder in society results Extreme emotions are involved Social restraint disintegrates A climax is reached, usually with the death

of the main character, before order is restored. The purging of emotions that affects the audience at the end of a tragedy is sometimes referred to as catharsis.

Comedies

The Taming of the Shrew Love´s Labour´s Lost A Midsummer Night´s Dream Much Ado About Nothing The Merchant of Venice As You Like It

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Features

In its original sense comedy means happy ending.

The actions which lead to this ending may be funny and light in tone but it could be deal with serious even dangerous and life-threatening situations.

General patterns

Life is going on as a normal Characters fall in love Various mishaps and

misunderstandings threaten the happy outcome

The problems are resolved The play ends happily with the

various lovers united

Problem comedies or dark comedies

Troilus and Cressida All´s Well That Ends Well Measure for Measure

Features Tragedy and comedy They end happily A dark tone and flawed characters are

typical of these days, the aim is to disturb the audience as they raise the darker side of the human nature.

It is said that he was experimenting with a dramatic form which brought together comedy and tragedy. This experiments ended to the romance plays.

Romances

Cymbeline The Winter´s Tale The Tempest

Features

Make much use of fantasy elements and magic to explore their central ideas

Plots take improbable or incredible turns and twists

These elements are used so as to create and the purpuse they hope to achieve

Key ideas The play centres on a noble family and a

king An evil or misguided deed is done This causes great suffering to characters

and they endure years of separation. Through the suffering, something new

and positive begins to emerge In the end his new element transform the

old evil. An act of forgiveness resolves the

problem and reconciliation takes place.

General pattern

prosperity

destruction recreation