SAMENVATTING UNIT 5
Shakespeare’s life
Biographical info:
- His life is a mystery some people even doubt if he wrote his own plays (=
The authorship question)
- Born in Stratford-upon-Avon baptised there
- Parents: Mary and John Shakespeare (member of town’s council + became its
mayor business collapsed and Shakespeare disappeared from public life)
- Went to grammar school
- Studied Latin and fell in love with the poetry of Ovid
- Many of his teachers were loyal to the old Catholic faith
- taken out of school at the age of 14 and cut off from the chance of higher
education and university
Historical info:
- Shakespeare’s born in turbulent times of political and religious revolution (lots of
changes in religion and politics)
- Conflict between British monarchs and Pope in Rome
- ‘schizophrenic’ society, where people still loved the old religion and its
traditions, which were forbidden by the state.
- Mediaeval mystery plays, which depicted tales from the Bible, were a popular
form of entertainment, with raw emotions and rude humour. They were banned
in 1579, when Shakespeare was 15
Crucial for Shakespeare’s work: he might not have written his work if he hadn’t
lived on the crossroads of the old and the new world
The lost years:
1585: Stratford-upon-Avon (baptism of twins Hammet and Judith)
1592: London (reputation as an established playwright in London)
1585-1592: ???
The authorship question
Shakespeare’s work Shakespeare’s life
The plays show their author’s detailed Shakespeare attended school until he was
knowledge of Greek, Latin, foreign languages about 14 years old and never went to
and other topics university
The plays indicate the aristocratic sensibilities Shakespeare was a commoner from a country
of their author: the accurately portray life in town and came from relatively humble family
aristocratic circles background
The plays describe life in royal courts with Shakespeare was not a member of the royalty
exceptional realism and detail
Shakespeare wrote almost 40 plays Shakespeare doesn’t mention his intellectual
property (manuscripts etc.) or any of his
books in his will
Many of the plays take place around the There is no record of Shakespeare ever having
world: Rome, Verona, Athens, Venice, Egypt… travelled outside of the United Kingdom
Theatre
Then VS now
- Used to take place in open air
- There were no female actresses
Shakespeare’s life
Biographical info:
- His life is a mystery some people even doubt if he wrote his own plays (=
The authorship question)
- Born in Stratford-upon-Avon baptised there
- Parents: Mary and John Shakespeare (member of town’s council + became its
mayor business collapsed and Shakespeare disappeared from public life)
- Went to grammar school
- Studied Latin and fell in love with the poetry of Ovid
- Many of his teachers were loyal to the old Catholic faith
- taken out of school at the age of 14 and cut off from the chance of higher
education and university
Historical info:
- Shakespeare’s born in turbulent times of political and religious revolution (lots of
changes in religion and politics)
- Conflict between British monarchs and Pope in Rome
- ‘schizophrenic’ society, where people still loved the old religion and its
traditions, which were forbidden by the state.
- Mediaeval mystery plays, which depicted tales from the Bible, were a popular
form of entertainment, with raw emotions and rude humour. They were banned
in 1579, when Shakespeare was 15
Crucial for Shakespeare’s work: he might not have written his work if he hadn’t
lived on the crossroads of the old and the new world
The lost years:
1585: Stratford-upon-Avon (baptism of twins Hammet and Judith)
1592: London (reputation as an established playwright in London)
1585-1592: ???
The authorship question
Shakespeare’s work Shakespeare’s life
The plays show their author’s detailed Shakespeare attended school until he was
knowledge of Greek, Latin, foreign languages about 14 years old and never went to
and other topics university
The plays indicate the aristocratic sensibilities Shakespeare was a commoner from a country
of their author: the accurately portray life in town and came from relatively humble family
aristocratic circles background
The plays describe life in royal courts with Shakespeare was not a member of the royalty
exceptional realism and detail
Shakespeare wrote almost 40 plays Shakespeare doesn’t mention his intellectual
property (manuscripts etc.) or any of his
books in his will
Many of the plays take place around the There is no record of Shakespeare ever having
world: Rome, Verona, Athens, Venice, Egypt… travelled outside of the United Kingdom
Theatre
Then VS now
- Used to take place in open air
- There were no female actresses
