William Shakespeare - born April 23, 1564 at Stratford-upon-Avon in England; died on the same day in 1616 and was buried in the Holy Trinity Church - at 18 years of age he married Anne Hathaway (who was 27 yrs. old); they had three children: Susanna, Hamnet and Judith, none of whom survived to continue his lineage (his name). - He lived during the reign of Elizabeth I and James I - His acting company (Lord Chamberlain’s Men) was hired under the patronage of James I as the King’s Men - He was 1/10 owner of the GLOBE THEATRE London in His Time - 200 000 people in the city at that time; the city was somewhat overcrowded, unsanitary and not entirely safe - London had a number of churches - Place of substantial commerce in the Renaissance - Printing was gaining popularity (printing press) - The people loved entertainment and regularly flocked to events like water games on the Thames, the zoo on the London Bridge, bear-baiting, public executions and plays Theatres - originally held in inn-yards; with increase in popularity and economic growth in London, demand was great enough for establishing of permanent theatre houses - the theatres had to be built across the river because of the pressure from the Puritan movement which disagreed with the morality being presented; they were also built there because of a chance of fire AND the theatre owners didn’t have to pay taxes outside of London - acting companies had to have a patron and a license in order to perform plays Actors - all male, either men or apprenticing highly skilled boys - needed to be highly coordinated and athletic/acrobatic to perform dance scenes, sword fights, and just for general endurance - extremely good memories were a must too; at times the actors could be preparing for 1 play while presenting 2 others Audience - tended to be made up of workmen, travelers from the country, prostitutes and generally the lower class or uneducated people who wanted some form of entertainment; these people stood around the ‘thrust stage’ and were known as groundlings (paid one penny) - there were also members of higher class present, though they sat in one of the three tiers or galleries surrounding the stage (paid 2 to 3 pennies) - the crowds were often noisy, rough, boisterous and violent The Renaissance - rebirth of classical arts and learning - time of doubt, questioning, probing, examination and exploration - developing middle class, especially with demise of feudalism - time of uncertainty in England with no heir for Elizabeth I - Nationalism was also growing: increased interest in history, patriotism, exploration and the country of England Beliefs - people were religious and superstitious; important topics were mercy, sin, pride, repentance, moderation, kingship and God’s power - Providence and Chance were considered major influences/controls in the lives of human beings; only one Biblical background - Social status of women was low; they were considered inferior to men and were often used as instruments of manipulation and commerce - The Great Chain of Being gave human beings their framework for understanding how all things operate together in the universe: GOD Heavenly beings Heavenly bodies Man (King – nobles . . .) Animals (elephant . . .) Plants (orchid . . .) Minerals (gold . . .) Precious stones (diamond . . .) Imps Fiends Satan - in this Chain man was most likely to cause disruption in the order; if it was disturbed the Elizabethans felt it necessary to do all he could do to restore the order otherwise chaos ensued |
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