25-08-2017, 09:32 PM
William Shakespeare: Bare Bones Biography.ppt (Size: 1.28 MB / Downloads: 24)
William Shakespeare: Bare Bones Biography
He was born in 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon and died in 1616.
He is arguably the most admired author of all time.
The only known education he received was grammar school
He married Anne Hathaway who was 9 years his senior.
While he had three children, his son Hamnet died at a young age (possibly from the plague).
Shakespeare gained a reputation as an actor, playwright and poet and was the co-owner of The Globe Theatre in London.
Because of the plague, the London theatres closed from 1592-1594. Thus, Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets during this time.
Historical Context
The basic plot of TN is not original to Shakespeare.
This play was inspired by several Italian comedies that appeared in the decades prior to TN’s first performance.
The theatre was an integral part to life in Elizabethan England.
The Globe Theatre seated 3,000 spectators of all classes
Groundlings paid 1 penny for admission– their entire day’s wage!
Elizabethan Comedy
A genre named for Queen Elizabeth I, the ruling monarch during Shakespeare’s time.
Elizabethan comedies included the following conventions:
A lighthearted tone
Mistaken identities
Multiple plot lines
Frequent use of puns
A clever “fool” or servant
A conflict between propriety and debauchery
Young lovers who overcome obstacles to their relationship
A happy ending that includes marriages, reconciliations, and reunions.