William Shakespeare
Brief History of William Shakespeare
William
Shakespeare was born in 1564 at Stratford-upon-Avon in a
house in Henley Street. This
house is still preserved amd intact.
From the age of 7 to 14, Shakespeare attended Stratford Grammar School receiving an
excellent well rounded education. At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway,
who was seven years older than him and three months pregnant. Her family owned
a land and a farm one mile west of Stratford in a place called Shottery.
He he chilled with her until she got on
his nerves and then fled to London to become an actor.
He then became actor-manager and part-owner of some famous theaters including
the Globe . Shakespeare was a excellent actor, but as a writer he has achieved
more fame. His plays are the best ever made.
He wrote a
total of 37 plays. Types of plays are “historical
romances, light, fantastic comedies, some are tragedies (like Romeo and Juliet)”.
He was a mean
business man, and made a lot of ching-ching. He died in 1616 at the age of 52. he is buried at a special grave at Holy
Trinity Church.
http://www.stratford-upon-avon.co.uk/soawshst.htm
Timeline
1564 – Shakespeare was born
1594-1595. Shakespeare pen’s Love Labour’s Lost.
1592. Shakespeare begins to be noticed as a
force within London theatre; Robert Greene’s Groatworth of Wit
famously calls Shakespeare an "upstart crow". He attacks
Shakespeare as lacking originality since he borrows ideas from other for his
own plays. Academics see this criticism as proof that Shakespeare was in London at this time.
1592-93. Shakespeare is thought to have written
the poem Venus and Adonis and the plays Richard III and The
Two Gentlemen of Verona.
1592-94. The Comedy of Errors written in this time.
1616- Shakespeare died
http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/timeline/timeline.htm
Romeo and Juliet plot summary
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet tells the
story of two "star-crossed lovers” separated by there family.
This play is responsible for the
immortal lines "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo!" and
the phrase,"parting is such sweet sorrow" tells the tale of
two "star-crossed lovers", divided by family but united by
love.
Shakespeare's most famous romance is set
in the fictional town of Verona where two families "both alike
in virtue" nonetheless continue their ancient feud with tragic results
not only for the doomed couple but also for Tybalt and Mercutio, allies of the
two feuding families.
Performed thousands of times across thousands
of stages for over three hundred years and adapted into several highly
sucessfull movies, this tragic, timeless, romantic love story transcends not
only time itself, but also too, the most cynical of hearts.
http://absoluteshakespeare.com/plays/romeo_and_juliet/romeo_and_juliet.htm
List of
characters
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List of Characters For Romeo and Juliet http://www.etni.org/teachers/jack/characters.htm
Romeo - The
male half of the star-struck duo. Romeo is a teenager who falls in love
easily and hard. He begins the play deeply enamored of a girl named Rosaline
(who never appears on-stage), but this infatuation instantly vanishes when he
meets Juliet. His affection for both girls seems to be based primarily on
physical beauty, although Juliet's ability to keep up with his quick-witted
eloquence surely plays some part in his deeper love for her. His capacity for
love allows him to transcend the petty feuding of his family and Juliet's,
although he is not above a little swordplay when he thinks it necessary. He
shows himself to be a decent swordsman, too; he takes down two trained
fencers before the play is through.
Juliet - Romeo's one true love. Juliet is also
a highly emotional teenager, though a bit more practical than her eventual
husband; she takes care to make sure he means his pretty proclamations of
everlasting love and faithfulness. She shares Romeo's tendency to fall into
deep fits of depression, as well as his lack of creativity in coming up with
any means other than suicide to solve her (admittedly substantial) personal
problems.
Friar Laurence - The wise old priest to whom
Romeo and Juliet repeatedly turn for ideas other than suicide. Civic-minded,
sympathetic, and well-versed in the lore of medicinal plants, the friar is a
useful ally for the two lovers.
Nurse - Juliet's second mother and confidant.
Vulgar, illiterate, and given to tedious and embarrassing bouts of
sentimentality, she always has Juliet's best interests in mind and proves a
faithful intermediary for her illicit affair with Romeo. She appreciates a
handsome face, a courteous gesture, and the occasional swig of aqua vitae.
Benvolio - Romeo's cousin. A generally practical
fellow with a genuine distaste for violence in public places, he is not
afraid to fight when he has to (and is reported to have a nasty temper when
the watch isn't around to haul him off). He sympathizes with Romeo and spends
most of the play trying to get his cousin's mind off Rosaline (even after
he's moved on and married Juliet).
Mercutio - Mercurial cousin of Prince Escalus.
Sometimes inappropriately comical, sometimes unjustifiably severe, always
quick with a pun, Mercutio is Romeo's fiercely loyal best friend. He is
somewhat more volatile than his constant companion Benvolio, and is always
ready to shoot his mouth off or bare his weapon (literally or
euphemistically).
Tybalt - Hot-tempered cousin of Juliet. Tybalt is
supremely courteous and genteel, but holds an intense hatred for all
Montagues. He is quick to draw his sword on any occasion; even Capulet
himself has trouble holding him back.
Capulet - Juliet's father. Old and wealthy, with
an unexplained grudge against Montague, he means well and wants the best for
his only living child, although he's somewhat oblivious to her actual
feelings. He is capable of reason and shows himself to be quite prudent at
times, but when he gets an idea in his head, he goes with it no matter what.
Lady Capulet - Juliet's mother. Lady Capulet
shares her husband's hatred of the Montagues, and follows his wishes in
almost everything. She ruthlessly supports the interests of her family at all
times.
Paris - A count of the prince's family, Paris seeks Juliet's hand in
marriage. Slightly arrogant at times, he is overall a courteous and
well-meaning fellow with genuine feelings for Juliet.
Prince Escalus - The ruler of Verona. A just and equitable man, he hates the way his
feuding nobles have been disturbing the peace of his city. He deals well with
the loss of two of his relatives.
Montague - Romeo's father. Another wealthy
nobleman with a grudge. He is concerned about Romeo, but gives him a good
deal of freedom to work through things on his own.
Lady Montague - Romeo's doting mother.
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This list has been taken from Sparks Free Online Study Notes
Act 1
Act 2
Act 3
Act 4
Act 5
Works cited