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I. Read Shakespeare
Shakespeare and his plays that are famous in all countries. In England there is a special Shakespear Memorial Theatre in Stratford-on- Avon. All Shakespearean plays are staged or have been staged in this theatre and though Stratford is a small town, the house is always packed. Before the terrible plague that raged through England, Shakespeare's plays were notable for their light wit and optimism. His comedies such as "Two Gentlemen of Verona”, "The Comedy of Errors", “All is Well That Ends Well", "The Taming of the Shrew" are written in his playful manner and the bright spirit of the Renaissance. The heroes are the creators of their own fate and the scene is laid mostly in Italy.
But at the same time he produced some of his historical plays telling of the War of the Roses full of dramatic tension. This was the war of two royal families that had brought much disaster to the country.
He reaches the height of tragedy in his play about the villain - King Richard III. The part of Richard III attracted many first-class actors who became interested in the idea of playing absolute evil. A famous English actor Lawrence Olivier was a great success in this role. Many critics think that Shakespeare's best works were written after 1592 when the plague raged throughout England and the theatres were closed. The tragedy suffered by people was revealed in his tragic plays: "Romeo and Juliet", "Hamlet", "Othello", "King Lear" and "Macbeth". But there are also beautiful comedies of this period: "A Midsummer Night's Dream", “Merry Wives of Windsor", "As You Like It" and "The Twelfth Night". All these plays are about love. In his comedies Shakespeare mocks hypocrisy, evil spirit, self-interest and envy. Merry and spectacular comedies of this period remain favourite clays of modern theatre-goers.
At the beginning of the 17th century Shakespeare wrote most of his Roman plays, presenting different epochs of ancient history: "Anthony and Cleopatra”, “Coriolanus", "Timon of Athens", "Pericles”, "Titus Andronicus" and "Julius Caesar". Shakespeare is greatly interested in the problems of man and power, heroism and mediocrity. He gave his own interpretation of history which was always convincing. Lawrence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, who played the parts of Anthony and Cleopatra in the London production of Shakespeare's play, were probably among the best performers of these parts and those who saw the play will remember their acting for a long time.
It is interesting to note that almost all plots of Shakespeare's plays were not original. He took them from the works of other authors. At that time the audience was rather ignorant and the playwrights tried to attract it to the world literature through their plays. Shakespeare took his plots from history, old legends, novels and poems; he also used Plutarch's "Historical Portraits". The plots of "Othello" and "The Twelfth Night" were taken from Italian novels, of "Hamlet" and "King Lear" - from early English authors. But every borrowed plot began to live a new life in his plays. At the end of his life Shakespeare retired to Stratford. There he created his third cycle of plays called the "romantic dramas". These are the plays "Cymbeline", "The Winter's Tale", "The Tempest". The emotional and ideological conflicts in these plays are less strong. Shakespeare transports us to a world of fantasy and allegory. These plays are less popular and are staged mainly in England.
Shakespeare pays no attention to arbitrary rules of classic drama, the action takes place in different places — from king's palace to the graveyard, many years pass between the two acts, and some side-lines are often more vivid and expressive than the main ones. Moral and psychological truth is with him more important than mere beauty of style.
II. Study Shakespeare
The Basics
- Born: April 23, 1564
- Died: April 23, 1616
- Married Anne Hathaway in November 1582
- Born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, but moved to London in the late 1580s.
- Shakespeare’s 37 plays and 154 sonnets are considered the most important and enduring ever written. Although the plays have captured the imagination of theatergoers for centuries.
Shakespeare’s Family:
- Susanna: born in May 1583, but conceived out of wedlock
- Judith and Hamlet: twins born in February 1585
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones.
Shakespeare was probably born on April 23, 1564, but this date is an educated guess because we only have a record of his baptism three days later. His parents, John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, were successful townsfolk who moved to a large house in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon from the surrounding villages.
His father became a wealthy town official and his mother was from an important, respected family.
It is widely assumed that he attended the local grammar school where he would have studied Latin, Greek and classical literature. His early education must have made a huge impact on him because many of his plots draw on the classics.
At 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway from Shottery who was already pregnant with their first daughter. The wedding would have been arranged quickly to avoid the shame of having a child born out of wedlock. Shakespeare fathered three children in all:
Hamnet died in 1596, at age 11. Shakespeare was devastated by the death of his only son, and it is argued that Hamlet, written four years later, is evidence of this.
At some point in the late 1580s, Shakespeare made the four-day ride to London, and by 1592 had established himself as a writer.
In 1594 came the event that changed the course of literary history – Shakespeare joined Richard Burbage’s acting company and became its chief playwright for the next two decades. Here, Shakespeare was able to hone his craft, writing for a regular group of performers.
Shakespeare also worked as an actor in the theater company, although the lead roles were always reserved for Burbage himself.
The company became very successful and often performed in front of the Queen of England, Elizabeth I. In 1603, James I ascended the throne and granted his royal patronage to Shakespeare’s company, which became known as The King’s Men.
Like his father, Shakespeare had excellent business sense. He had bought the largest housein Stratford-upon-Avon by 1597, he owned shares in the Globe Theater, and profited from some real estate deals near Stratford-upon-Avon in 1605.
Before long, Shakespeare officially became a gentleman, partly due to his own wealth and partly due to inheriting a coat of arms from his father who died in 1601.
Shakespeare retired to Stratford in 1611 and lived comfortably off his wealth for the rest of his life.
In his will, he bequeathed most of his properties to Susanna, his eldest daughter, and some actors from The King’s Men. Famously, he left his wife his “second best bed” before he died on April 23, 1616 (this date is an educated guess because we only have a record of his burial two days later).
If you visit Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, you can still view his grave and read his epitaph engraved into the stone:
Good friend, for Jesus’ sake forbear
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones.
III. Interesting facts
Do you know that...
...William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564 and died on the same date, April 23, 1616?
...John Shakespeare, the great playwright's father, could not write?
...William Shakespeare left the Grammar School where he studied when he was 13 years old and never went to school again?
.. .William Shakespeare travelled up to London on foot without much money in his pocket because he wanted to become an actor?
...William Shakespeare began to work in London holding horses of those Londoners who came to see the plays at the theatre?
...The signatures of the greatest English men and women cover the walls and the ceiling of the room in which Shakespeare was born?
.. .William Shakespeare is called the Bard of Avon?
Shakespeare Timeline:
- 1564
Shakespeare was born on 23 April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon and baptized at Holy Trinity Church. - 1571-1578
Shakespeare attended King Edward IV Grammar School in Stratford-upon-Avon between the age of 7 and 14. - 1582
Married Anne Hathaway from nearby Shottery in November 1582, possibly in a Catholic ceremony. - 1583
His daughter Susanna was born in May – she was conceived out of wedlock. - 1585
Shakespeare’s twins, Judith and Hamnet born in February 1585. - 1585-1592
During the Shakespeare lost years, Shakespeare disappears from the history books for several years. - 1592
By this time, Shakespeare had moved to London and established himself as a popular dramatist. We don’t know when Shakespeare moved to London, but it is widely accepted that it happened in the late 1580s. - 1594
Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, his classic tragedy about star-crossed lovers. - 1596
Hamnet died at the age of 11. Shakespeare was devastated by the death of his only son, and it is argued that the character of Hamlet Prince of Denmark, written four years later, is evidence of this. - 1598
Shakespeare wrote Much Ado About Nothing, one of his best-loved comedies. - 1600
Shakespeare wrote Hamlet, possibly in response to the death of his son. - 1605
Macbeth first performed at the Globe Theater. - 1610-1611
Shakespeare retires from London and moves back to his home town of Stratford-upon-Avon. He spent the rest of life living in New Place, one of the town’s largest houses. - 1616
Shakespeare’s death occurred on April 23, 1616. He was buried two days later in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. You can still view his grave and read the epitaph engraved into the stone.
IV. The Globe
1. The Globe was erected in Maiden Lane near the river.
2. In shape the building was most probably polygonal on the outside and circular within.
3. It was made of timber and the roof over the gallery was made of thatch.
4. In front of the entrance there was a sign-board, on which Hercules, bearing the Globe upon his shoulders. was represented.
5. In the public theatres of those times the pit was open to the sky, so that the performance depended entirely upon the weather.
6.Flags were hoisted, when a play was to be given, but if the weather suddenly changed for the worse, the flags were pulled down and the performance didn’t take place.
7.The plays were well announced on beforehand on bills placed on pasts in various parts of the city.
8. It is a pity that none of these bills has been preserved.
9. In public theatres most plays were given in the afternoon.
10. While waiting for the play to start, the public usually amused themselves by eating apples and nuts, drinking ale, smoking, playing cards.
11. Few women, except those of the lowest classes, attended public theatre in Elizabeth’s time.
12. If a lady went to see a performance she wore a mask.
13. The Globe was opened to the public in 1599.
14. It was the golden age of the theatre in England.
15. Most of its plays, after 1599, were first performed in the Globe.
16. At the present time the site of the Globe is covered by a large brewery.
17. Tourists are shown a bronze me¬morial tablet on one of the walls of the brewery.
18. On the left of the tablet is a bust of the poet, on the right — a simple inscription: «Here stood the Globe Playhouse of Shakespeare».
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was perhaps the most famous and interesting theatre in the Elizabethan era. The theatre was built just outside of London, (in Southward to be exact) after the triumphant reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The main reason why the Globe Theatre was so famous is the fact that many of William Shakespeare’s plays were written and performed there. The idea of creating plays and theatres to perform them in was a strange new concept for the Europeans of the Elizabethan Era (the 16th century).
The construction of the Globe didn’t go smoothly. In 1596, James Burbage, (a famous architect of the Elizabethan era) was in the process of spending a lot of money on converting an old friary into an Indoor theatre. The local people disapproved of the construction because they were afraid of the disturbances that might be caused by the theatre.
Thus, Burbage was denied permission to use it. (It was already built by then.) After Burbage’s death in 1597, his family was facing ruin. They had a building which they were unable to use, limited funds, and to top it all, the theatre was built on rented land. The land agreement stated that Burbage could use the land to build and run the theatre, but after 25 years, a new agreement had to be reached. Burbage’s sons faced the possibility of losing the theatre. In 1597, time expired, but the landlord refused to sign a new agreement. He also claimed Burbage had broken terms of their old agreement and no longer owned the land the theatre was located on.
But, the sons had an idea to outwit the crafty landlord. Over the Christmas holiday in 1598, when no one was around, the Burbage brothers pulled down the theatre piece by piece and had every timber taken across the Thames to the south side of the river. There, they started the construction of the Globe Theatre.
The Globe Theatre
The construction of the Globe was finished by 1599. Its name, the Globe, made a very bold claim. «There is nothing in the whole round world,» it seemed to say, «which this theatre cannot set before your eyes.» Audiences of the time thought this to be hardly a mere exaggeration. The excitement of going to the theatre, the most popular form of entertainment back then, is hard to recapture for the people of our time, or the excitement when every year, two of the great William Shakespeare’s plays were performed for the first time. The joy of seeing such a genius at work! As it used the framework of the old theatre, which Burbage had kept up to date by making improvements, the Globe didn’t differ much from the old theatre. Now the question that comes to mind is — How could the Burbages’, who were short of money, afford to build such a great theatre? «Sharers» were the solution. The reuse of the wood from the old theatre saved a lot of money but didn’t save enough money for the total construe .ion of the Globe. Many people were invited to invest in the theatre. In a way it was like purchasing stocks. To the Burbages’ surprise, only five people bought shares in the theatre (this made them joint owners). No other theatre at the time was owned by the players that used it. This gave the company a great ad¬vantage over many other theatres. As there were many investors, the costs were shared. This made money a lesser problem. The company saved rent fees and gave the Globe a permanent home.
The Globe was said to be Shakespeare’s theatre and indeed it was. In fact, Shakespeare was one of the five investors, really making the Globe his theatre.
The Globe was an enormous theatre. It was a 20 sided building, about 100 feet across and about three times as wide as it was high. It held over 2,000 theatre goers.
The Globe was one of the .digest theatres of the Elizabethian era. The ideas about the interior were based on the interior of the Swan theatre. The Globe and the Swan were believed to be similar in the interior. Trough there is no rock solid information or pictures which prove the fact, historians still made guesses about what the famous theatre looked like.
Londoners of every sort enjoyed going to the theatre. The audience consisted of mostly courtiers, merchants, lawyers, craftsmen, idlers and toughs — all went through the doors together. The wealthy sat in galleries. Those in the yard were a mixed bunch of people: shopkeepers with their families, young apprentices, household servants, soldiers, seamen, fishermen wives, apple sellers, and labourers of all kinds. Women were not allowed to go alone unless they were selling something. A woman had to go with a man to show that she was respectable. Audiences heckled if they didn’t like the play. But if they did, they listened to it with great atten¬tion. Someone in the gallery once described how the «sea» of heads in the yard swayed and rippled as everyone in it was gripped by the same emotion. People paid a penny to come in. There were two doors, one at the foot of the stairs that led into the yard. People stood in the yard and watched ;he plays. If you wanted to sit, that cost you another penny at the stairs leading to the galleries. Another penny got them a great seat on the stage with a cushion. A different dag flew atop the Globe to signify o different play. The plays were rolated in a certain repertory order. It helped inform the theatre goers of what was on. They were also notified of a new play by a town crier that told of the new play and gave a peek into the plot.
The backstage area was known as the «tiring house», where costumes and props were stored. Costumes hung everywhere or the players to put on. Tables held the players «gear» false beards, wigs, and make-up.
On the 26th of June, 1613, one of Shakespeare’s newest plays «King Henry the VIII» was being performed by the King’s men. With one of the Burbages in the title role, this must have attracted a rather large audience. When Burbage (playing King Henry VIII) arrived at stage, a cannon was fired to announce his presence. A spark from the explosion set the thatched roof smoldering. No one smelled the smoke at first, and those that did, thought nothing of it until it was too late.
In less than an hour after the spark hit the thatched roof, Shakespeare’s Globe was no more. But the King’s men decided to rebuild the theatre on the old foundations. By the following summer, the Globe Theatre had been rebuilt and opened to the public once again. The theatre was the same as the old Globe, if not better in all aspects. Shakespeare was still a joint owner, but had retired to Stratford. The Globe was never his theatre in quite the sense, that it once had heen.
In 1642, however, a quarter-century after Shakespeare’s death, a new, Puritanical and anti-theatre regime assumed power in England and closed down all of the country’s theatres. Two years later Cromwell’s round heads tore down the Globe, leveled the site and constructed tenement housing upon it.
Glossary-
outwit — to gain an advantage over someone using tricks or clever plans;
recapture — to take control of a piece of land again by fighting for it;
exaggeration — a statement or way of saying something that makes something seem better, more important act than it really is;
repertory — a type of theatre work in which actors perform different plays on different days, instead of doing the same play for a long time.
V. Stratford upon Avon
Stratford is really a thrilling place for an excursion because of its beautiful nature — winding Avon, woods, quiet rivers moving to the sea, hills and dales.
In Stratford we can see many buildings connected with Shake¬speare and his family — Mary Arden's house, his school, cottage of Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's Theatre.
If you arrive at Stratford on the 23 of April you may become a Participant of Shakespeare's festival. The traditional core of events is a procession to lay flowers on his tomb, a birthday luncheon and a birthday perform¬ance. The luncheon has grown into a grand event including representatives of international organizations.
Six hundred distinguished guests! They are the representatives of international organization. It means that Stratford has become the gathering place of all nations.
Mary Arden 's House
Of all the buildings associated with Shakespeare and his family, Mary Arden's House at Wilmcote, the home of the poet’s mother, is the least known and yet perhaps the most picturesque and interesting. It is situated four miles from Stratford-upon-Avon. It is and excellent specimen of a farmstead of Tudor date. It is of striking size and proportions. The house was occupied as a farmhouse till 1930 when it was purchased for preservation by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Shakespeare's School
The Grammar School, originally founded by the Gild of the Holy Cross in 1291 for giving education to members of the Gild, became known as King Edward VI's Grammar, School in 1553. the two-storied building comprises an upper hall on the first floor in which it is believed that Shakespeare was educated as a boy, while below is Stratford's original Gild hall where Shakespeare probably saw theatrical performances by companies of travelling players.
The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre
The season of Shakespeare's plays which is held annually at the Shakespeare's Memorial Theatre has become so established that it now carries the reputation of an English tradition. In 1874, Charles Edward Flower, a prominent resident of Stratford, began a scheme for building a theatre for the town, and he presented a two-acre site on the banks of the river for this purpose. On April 23, Shakespeare's birthday, in 1879, the first Memorial Theatre was opened with a Shakespeare Festival.
VI. Shakespear's Quotations
Quotations From Shakespeare
- Cowards die many times before their deaths. "Julius Caesar"
- The fool thinks he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool. "As You Like It".
- When clouds appear wise men put on their cloaks. "Richard III"
- The weakest goes to the wall. "Romeo and Juliet"
From "King Henry IV"
- The wish is father to the thought. "King Henry IV"
- Wake not a sleeping wolf. "King Henrу IV"
From "Hamlet"
- To be or not to be: that is the question. "Hamlet" Act III, Scene 1
- For loan oft loses both itself & friend, & borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. Act I, Scene 3
- This above all: to shine own self be true. Act I, Scene 3
- Have more than thou showest,
Speak less than thou knowest. "Hamlet"
- Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. "Hamlet"
- We know what we are, but know nor what we may be. "Hamlet"
- Bravity is the soul of wit. "Hamlet"
From "Twelfth Night"
- Better a witty fool than a foolish wit. "Twelfth Night"
- There is no darkness but ignorance. "Twelfth Night"
- This is very midsummer madness. Act III, Scene 4
- Some born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em. Act II, Scene 5
- He does it with a better grace, but I do it more natural. Act II, Scene 3
- Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty. Act II, Scene 3
- We will draw curtain and show you the picture. Act I, Scene 5
- Is it a world to hide virtues in? Act I, Scene 3
- Love sought is good, but giv'n unsought is better. Act III, Scene 1
- Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. Act II, Scene 5
From "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
- Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind. Act I, Scene 1
- The course of true love never did run smooth. Act I, Scene 1
- That would hang us, every mother's son. Act I, Scene 2
VII. Famous people about Shakespear
"The remarkable thing about Shakespeare is that he is really very good - in spite of all the people who say he is very good",
Robert Graves
"Sweet Swan of Avon!",
Ben Jonson
"My Shakespeare, rise! I will not lodge thee by Chaucer, or Spenser, or bid Beaumont lie. A little further, to make thee a room",
Ben Jonson
"Or sweetest Shakespear, Fancy's child,
Warble his native wood-notes wild",
John Milton "L'Allegro"
"When I read Shakespeare I am struck with wonder that such trivial people should muse & thunder in such lovely language",
D.H.Lawrence
"Hamlet" is a coarse and barbarous play... One might think the work is a product of a drunken savages imagination,"
Voltaire
"And so sepulchered in such pomp dost lie,
That kings for such a tomb would wish to die,"
John Milton
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