THE LIFE OF WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARE1564-1616
SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTH
Baptized on April 26th, 1564
Exact date of birth is unknown
Assumed he was born on April 23rd
Baptism usually took place 3 days after birth
Born in Stratford-Upon-Avon in a house on
Henley Street
Father: John Shakespeare
Mother: Mary Arden
Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-Upon-Avon
Shakespeare’s birthplace, House on Henley Street
SHAKESPEARE’S MARRIAGE Married Anne Hathaway on November 28th, 1582
Shakespeare, 18
Anne, 26 (considered middle-aged)
Assumed that their marriage was not a happy
one
6 mos. later, Susanna is born
1585 Anne gives birth to twins
Hamnet and Judith
Hamnet dies of unknown causes at age 11
SHAKESPEARE’S FAMILY
Family was pretty well-off
John town mayor
John comes across some $ trouble
Possibly due to drinking
Almost all of Shakespeare’s siblings die
at a young age
FOUR PERIODS OF SHAKESPEARE'S LIFE First period
Cheerful period, showing youthful love and imagination A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet,
The Comedy of Errors
Second period 1595-1601Progress in Dramatic Art Deeper insight to human nature Sense of sadness
As You Like It, The Merchant of Venice, Henry V, IV
FOUR PERIODS OF SHAKESPEARE'S LIFE Third period
1601-1608 Time that Shakespeare may have been ‘out of
sorts’ Father dies in 1601 Wrote many tragedies
Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, King Lear
Fourth period 1608-1613 Calm strength and sweetness Mother dies in 1608 Recollection of her kindness may have spurred the
more positive outlook on life Cymbeline, The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest
SHAKESPEARE’S LOST YEARS First Lost Years
1578-1582 Second Lost Years
1585-1592 Not much information about S during
this time period People believe during these lost years
Shakespeare: Perfected his craft Established himself as a dramatist Gained experience at the theatre
SHAKESPEARE’S DEATH
Much like Poe, Shakespeare’s death is
also a mystery
Possibly because of drinking
Dies on his 53rd birthday, April 23rd, 1616
S gives all of his land to his eldest
daughter and gives Anne the “second-
best bed”
Another hint to their unhappy marriage
THE ORIGINAL GLOBE THEATRE
THE CURRENT GLOBE
THE GLOBE THEATRE Opened in 1599 in Bankside, Southward,
London Octagonal shaped building Open air arena – circular shape Two doors
Main entrance and exit door Arena projected halfway into the pit
“Apron” stageStage extended past proscenium arch Surrounded by three tiers of roofed galleries
with balconies
THE GLOBE THEATRE CONT.
Could hold ~1,500 people
Shakespeare became part owner of the
Globe
Virtual tour of the Globe
http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/about-
us/virtual-tour
Destroyed by a fire on June 29th, 1613
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