The History of Shakespeare
...e Tempest Troilus and Cressida Twelfth Night Two Gentlemen of Verona Winter's Tale Henry IV, part 1 Henry IV, part 2 Henry V Henry VI, part 1 Henry VI, part 2 Henry VI, part 3 Henry VIII King John Richard II Richard III Antony and Cleopatra Coriolanus Hamlet Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth Othello Romeo and Juliet Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus Before Shakespeare’s time and when he was a boy, actors performed wherever they could in halls, courts, courtyards, and any other open spaces available. However, in 1574, when Shakespeare was ten years old, the Common Council passed a law requiring plays and theatres in London to be licensed. In 1576, actor and future Lord Chamberlain's Man, James Burbage, built the first permanent theatre, “The Theatre”, outside London city walls. After this many more theatres were built and established, including the Globe Theatre, which was where most of Shakespeare's plays premiered. The Globe Theatre opened in 1599, with 'Julius Caesar' as one of its first productions. It staged the first performances of many of Shakespeare's tragedies. The Globe was a hexagon with an inner court about 55 feet across. More than 1,500 people could watch a play in the Globe. At the first level of the stage house was the platform stage and an inner stage bordered by two doors. At the second level was another curtained inner stage with two windows and a balcony. On the third level was a small music gallery. With so many stage spaces, the multiple scenes of Shakespeare's plays could be played without interruption for scenery changes. The action moved from one playing space to another. In many ways it was the most flexible theater ever developed. William Shakespeare was born in April, 1564. As with most sixteenth century births, the actual date of Shakespeare’s birth was not recorded. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, about 100 miles northwest of London. Mary Shakespeare, daughter of Robert Arden, had a total of eight children with John Shakespeare. Shakespeare was the third child and the first son. Shakespeare’s educational background is unknown due to the lack of records, however, it is probable that he attended the King’s New School in Stratford-upon-Avon. This is because the school was built and maintained especially for the purpose of educating the sons of citizens who were looked upon as important members of society. The length of time at which Shakespeare remained at King’s New School is unknown. In 1582, at age eighteen, Shakespeare was married to Anne Hathaway. The births of his daughter, Susanna in 1583, and twins, Judith and Hamnet in 1585, were recorded. It is not known of when or why Shakespeare left Stratford for London, or what he was doing before becoming a professional actor and dramatist. There are different stories and variation about the so-called “lost years” between 1585 and 1592, a period of time in which there is hardly any evidence concerning the life and times of Shakespeare. Shakespeare became well known in London by 1592. Shakespeare's earliest plays included the three parts of “Henry VI”, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, and “Titus Andronicus”. From around 1611 Shakespeare seemed to have disconnected himself from the London theatre life and spent his time at his house in Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare died at age fifty-two, on April 23, 1616, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church two days later. Shakespeare wrote his plays during the time of the Renaissance (1350-1450). The “Renaissance,” French for “rebirth”, describes the intellectual and economic changes that occurred in Europe from the fourteenth century to the sixteenth century. During this time, Europe changed from the economic freeze of the Middle Ages to a time of financial growth. Also, the Renaissance was an age in which artistic, social, scientific, and political thought turned in new directions. However, life in the city changed drastically with the arrival of the bubonic plague, also called the “Black Death”, during the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. It killed about one third of the population of Europe. The population decrease caused by the plague led to an economic depression. Merchants and trades people had fewer customers that they could sell their products to. As a result, products accumulated, and the merchants and trades people suffered a loss in income. As incidence of the plague decreased in the late fifteenth century, population expanded, creating a new demand for goods and services. Many famous people appeared during this era: Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel, Leonardo Da Vinci was painting his Mona Lisa and making plans for a flying machine, Copernicus was trying to convince the world that the earth revolved around the sun, not the sun around the earth, Shakespeare was writing “Hamlet” , “Romeo and Juliet” and his other plays, and Christopher Columbus was asking Queen Isabella to finance his trip to the west Indies. Shakespeare wrote a total of thirty-seven plays. They are separated into the categories of Comedy, Tragedy, and History. Comedies are plays that are not necessarily funny, although they can be. Comedies are plays that end with a happy ending. Examples of Shakespeare’s comedies are “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “A Comedy of Errors”. A Tragedy usually ends with the death of one or more of the main characters. Some of Shakespeare’s tragedies include Macbeth, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet. History plays include stories about kings and historical events. These plays tell about the historical time in which the book is written, but the facts are changed to entertain the audience. Examples of Shakespeare’s historical plays include Henry V and King John. The following table illustrates all of Shakespeare’s plays, and the categories they each fall into. Comedy History Tragedy All's Well That Ends Well As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Cymbeline Love's Labours Lost Measure for Measure The Merry Wives of Windsor The Merchant of Venice A Midsummer Night's Dream Much Ado About Nothing Pericles, Prince of Tyre Taming of the Shrew The Tempest Troilus and Cressida Twelfth Night Two Gentlemen of Verona Winter's Tale Henry IV, part 1 Henry IV, part 2 Henry V Henry VI, part 1 Henry VI, part 2 Henry VI, part 3 Henry VIII King John Richard II Richard III Antony and Cleopatra Coriolanus Hamlet Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth Othello Romeo and Juliet Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus Before Shakespeare’s time and when he was a boy, actors performed wherever they could in halls, courts, courtyards, and any other open spaces available. However, in 1574, when Shakespeare was ten years old, the Common Council passed a law requiring plays and theatres in London to be licensed. In 1576, actor and future Lord Chamberlain's Man, James Burbage, built the first permanent theatre, “The Theatre”, outside London city walls. After this many more theatres were built and established, including the Globe Theatre, which was where most of Shakespeare's plays premiered. The Globe Theatre opened in 1599, with 'Julius Caesar' as one of its first productions. It staged the first performances of many of Shakespeare's tragedies. The Globe was a hexagon with an inner court about 55 feet across. More than 1,500 people could watch a play in the Globe. At the first level of the stage house was the platform stage and an inner stage bordered by two doors. At the second level was another curtained inner stage with two windows and a balcony. On the third level was a small music gallery. With so many stage spaces, the multiple scenes of Shakespeare's plays could be played without interruption for scenery changes. The action moved from one playing space to another. In many ways it was the most flexible theater ever developed. William Shakespeare was born in April, 1564. As with most sixteenth century births, the actual date of Shakespeare’s birth was not recorded. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, about 100 miles northwest of London. Mary Shakespeare, daughter of Robert Arden, had a total of eight children with John Shakespeare. Shakespeare was the third child and the first son. Shakespeare’s educational background is unknown due to the lack of records, however, it is probable that he attended the King’s New School in Stratford-upon-Avon. This is because the school was built and maintained especially for the purpose of educating the sons of citizens who were looked upon as important members of society. The length of time at which Shakespeare remained at King’s New School is unknown. In 1582, at age eighteen, Shakespeare was married to Anne Hathaway. The births of his daughter, Susanna in 1583, and tw...