-
Jan 13, 1559
Elizabeth crowned Queen of England
1568 - The Flight to England - The Catholic Mary Queen of Scots is imprisoned by Elizabeth I 1593- Queen Elizabeth tells Parliament that she has the right to assent or dissent from anything they do Penalties are proposed for people who refuse to attend Church of England services and to make it a crime to attend Catholic services 24 March 1603 - Queen Elizabeth I dies and the Tudor dynasty ends. https://www.history.org.uk/student/module/4536/overview-of-elizabeth-i/4546/key-dates -
Apr 23, 1564
William Shakespeare's Influence
William Shakespeare, 1564-1616, The Bard Playwright, poet, actor, theatre producer, husband, and father. 37 Plays in Total
Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Comedy of Errors, Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, among others -
Apr 25, 1564
Shakespeare is born
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in April 1564. The exact date of his birth is not recorded, but it is most often celebrated around the world on 23-25 April. https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/william-shakespeare/when-was-shakespeare-born/ -
Apr 26, 1564
Shakespeare's Family Life
William Shakespeare was the eldest son of John and Mary Shakespeare. John Shakespeare was a glove-maker, who married Mary Arden. They had eight children in total. When William was born in 1564, his parents had already lost two infant daughters. Joan died within the first few weeks of her life, and Margaret died a year after she was born. William's younger siblings were Gilbert (1566-1612), Joan (1569-1646), Anne (1571-1579), Richard (1574-1613) and Edmund (1580-1607). -
Aug 1, 1571
Shakespeare's School Life Fast Facts
William Shakespeare attended King Edward VI Grammar School in Stratford-upon-Avon He started there when he was seven. Students would have been versed in grammar, rhetoric, logic, astronomy, and arithmetic. Music was also part of the curriculum. Students would have been regularly tested and physical punishments would have been given out to those who did not do well. https://www.thoughtco.com/shakespeares-school-life-3960010 -
Shakespeare married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway was the wife of William Shakespeare. They were married in 1582, when Hathaway was 26 years old and Shakespeare was 18. She outlived her husband by seven years. Very little is known about her life beyond a few references in legal documents. Her personality and relationship to Shakespeare have been the subject of much speculation by many historians and writers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Hathaway_(wife_of_Shakespeare) -
Shakespeare Children
Daughter: Susanna Shakespeare (born in 1583)
Daughter: Judith Shakespeare (twin, born in 1585)
Son: Hamnet Shakespeare (twin, born in 1585) https://www.thoughtco.com/the-family-of-shakespeare-2985106#:~:text=Shakespeare%E2%80%99s%20Children%201%20Daughter%3A%20Susanna%20Shakespeare%20%28born%20in,3%20Son%3A%20Hamnet%20Shakespeare%20%28twin%2C%20born%20in%201585%29 -
Iambic Pentameter
A line of verse composed of ten syllables arranged in five metrical feet (iambs), each of which consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. -
Shakespeare Moves to London
According to historical records, Shakespeare moved to London in 1592 to become an actor and playwright. He started writing plays for the Court Theater, which was located in the new city of London at that time. His first play, Henry VI, Part 1, premiered at the Court Theater on February 14th, 1593. Over the next few years, he wrote many more plays for the theater and became one of England’s most famous writers! https://www.londonbusinessmag.co.uk/why-did-shakespeare-move-to-london/ -
London Theatres close due to the Bubonic Plague (The Black Death)
The Black Death was probably the earliest recorded pandemic. It took around four years to make its way along from Central Asia, via Crimea, to the Western most parts of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Elizabethan Theatres frequently closed in the late 16th century due to plague. Authorities believed that rats and fleas were to blame but closed the theatres anyway just to be on the safe side. In this outbreak, a staggering figure of one in twelve Londoners were killed by plague. -
The Lord Chamberlain's Men
The Lord Chamberlain's Men was a company of actors, or a "playing company" (as it then would likely have been described), for which William Shakespeare wrote during most of his career. Richard Burbage played most of the lead roles, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. Formed at the end of a period of flux in the theatrical world of London, it had become, by 1603, one of the two leading companies of the city and was subsequently patronized by James I. -
Romeo and Juliet (c. 1594–96)
Although not usually considered among his greatest plays, Romeo and Juliet remains one of Shakespeare’s most popular works. This tale of two star-crossed lovers who both meet tragic ends has been adapted countless times for the stage and screen. The universality of the story of young people in love trying to be together in an uncaring world has resonated with audiences and readers from across the globe for centuries. -
Shakespeare's only son Hamnet dies
Hamnet died at the age of 11 and was buried at Holy Trinity in Stratford-upon-Avon on 11 August 1596. The cause of death was not routinely recorded in the parish records, so Hamnet's death is unknown and it is not clear whether his father was able to attend his funeral in Stratford. https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/william-shakespeare/william-shakespeares-family/hamnet-shakespeare/#:~:text=Hamnet%20died%20at%20the%20age,attend%20his%20funeral%20in%20Stratford. -
Much Ado About Nothing (c. 1598–99)
Shakespeare wrote a number of comedies, including "Much Ado About Nothing" The plotline—centered on the couple Claudio and Hero—involves humorous misunderstandings and bumbling supporting characters. "Much Ado About Nothing" is also notable for its secondary plot, in which Hero’s cousin Beatrice and her potential romantic interest, Benedick, trade witty insults and express skepticism about love throughout the play. https://www.britannica.com/summary/William-Shakespeares-Important-Works -
The Globe Theatre
A visit to the Globe Theatre was a big event. There would be music, food and drink and many businesses complained that their employees were going to the theatre rather than to work. Advertising was also important and the Globe would fly color-coded flags to indicate what was playing. A black flag meant a tragedy, while a red flag indicated a historical play, and a white flag indicated comedy. Box office comes from The Globe. https://primaryfacts.com/2468/globe-theatre-facts/ -
Hamlet
Hamlet is arguably the greatest drama ever written. The prince of Denmark, struggles with the recent death of his father and with his mother having married Claudius, his father’s brother and successor. Claudius is later revealed to have murdered Hamlet’s father. A visit from his father’s ghost spurs Hamlet to seek revenge. One of the most notable aspects of the play are Hamlet’s soliloquies, which beautifully express the character’s inner turmoil. "To be or not to be, that is the question." -
Julius Caesar (c. 1599–1600)
In Shakespeare’s drama Caesar, the leader of Rome, is conspired against and eventually assassinated by his former republican allies, including his trusted friend Brutus. The play is famous for Mark Antony’s speech that begins “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.” The speech is one of the best-known of Shakespeare’s monologues. -
Macbeth (1606-07)
Macbeth, tragedy in five acts by William Shakespeare, written sometime in 1606–07 and published in the First Folio of 1623 from a playbook or a transcript of one. Some portions of the original text are corrupted or missing from the published edition. The play is the shortest of Shakespeare’s tragedies, without diversions or subplots. It chronicles Macbeth’s seizing of power and subsequent destruction, both his rise and his fall the result of blind ambition. -
Shakespeare Retires
In 1613 the Globe burned down and the same year Shakespeare retired from the London theatre world and returned to Stratford. He was in his late 40's. https://www.agecrofthall.org/single-post/the-final-years#:~:text=Shakespeare%20retired%20from%20writing%20around,to%20be%20a%20brief%20illness. -
Shakespeare Dies
On April 23, 1616, English poet and playwright William Shakespeare died in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon at the age of fifty-two. His death occurred on or near his birthday (the exact date of his birth remains unknown), which may have been the source of a later legend that he fell ill and died after a night of heavy drinking with two other writers, Ben Jonson and Michael Drayton. -
The First Folio is published
Shakespeare's comedies, histories, & tragedies: published according to the true original copies. The first collected edition of William Shakespeare’s plays is a celebrated volume known as the "First Folio." It is called a “Folio” because of the large-format size of the book. The folio is the first edition and sole source for all of Shakespeare's plays. It was prepared by Shakespeare's colleagues John Heminges and Henry Condell. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Folio -
Shakespeare movies?!?
The Lion King (Hamlet)
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (Romeo and Juliet)
Ten Things I Hate About You (The Taming of the Shrew)
The Tempest.
Gnomeo & Juliet (Romeo and Juliet)
Strange Magic (A Midsummer Night's Dream)
The Lion King (2019) (Hamlet)
West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet) -
More Shakespeare Movies?!?
Let The Devil Wear Black (Hamlet)
O (Othello)
10 Things I Hate About You (The Taming of the Shrew)
She's the Man (Twelfth Night)
King of Texas (King Lear)
A Thousand Acres (King Lear)
Warm Bodies (Romeo and Juliet)
My Own Private Idaho (Henry IV and Henry V)
Big Business (The Comedy of Errors)
Get Over It (A Midsummer Night's Dream)
Men of Respect (Macbeth) https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/13-films-you-didnt-know-were-based-on-shakespeare-plays/ -
Words, words, words!
William Shakespeare used more than 20,000 words in his plays and poems, and his works provide the first recorded use of over 1,700 words in the English language. It is believed that he may have invented or introduced many of these words himself, often by combining words, changing nouns into verbs, adding prefixes or suffixes, and so on. Some words stuck around and some didn't. -
References
https://www.britannica.com/summary/William-Shakespeares-Important-Works https://www.history.org.uk/student/module/4536/overview-of-elizabeth-i/4546/key-dates https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/13-films-you-didnt-know-were-based-on-shakespeare-plays/ https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/ https://www.agecrofthall.org/single-post/the-final-years#:~:text=Shakespeare%20retired%20from%20writing%20around,to%20be%20a%20brief%20illness.