Transcript Introduction to Shakespeare

Introduction to
Shakespeare
and
Julius Caesar
William Shakespeare
Background Information
William Shakespeare
Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England
April 23, 1564
Married: Anne Hathaway (1582)
He was 18, she was 26.
three children
• Susanna
• Hamnet
• Judith
Died on April 23, 1616
his 52nd birthday
This is the house where Shakespeare was born.
Shakespeare’s Birthplace
King Edward VI Grammar School at
Stratford-upon-Avon
Shakespeare, continued
Shakespeare was in the acting company, Lord
Chamberlain's Men (later called the King’s Men)
He wrote:
37 plays, 154 sonnets, and 2 long poems
His work was not published during his lifetime
but four years later in the "First Folio" book
Shakespeare is considered a "man for all
seasons" because his plays appeal to everyone
(all ages and across time)
The Shakespeare Debate
There is much speculation as to whether or not
there was an actual “Shakespeare.”
Many historians claim that “Shakespeare” is
actually a collection of several poets and
playwrights’ works, while others claim that it
was a pseudonym for another writer.
The three men most associated with the
“Shakespeare Debate” are Edward De Vere,
Francis Bacon, and Christopher Marlow.
The Shakespeare Debate
The reasoning behind the controversy seems to
lie in the fact that many people find it difficult
to accept that a man of poor education and
upbringing could write such eloquent
masterpieces and have such a strong command
of the English language.
It is important not to focus on whether or not he
was real, but instead we should focus on the
great pieces of literature that we have attributed
to him.
The Globe Theater
The Globe
Shakespeare performed his plays here
Constructed in 1599
On the banks of the Thames River
• Near London
Shape: Octagonal
Play time: 2 hours
Cost: One penny
The Globe, continued
Seating:
Pit: General crowd
Galleries: A small additional fee would
get you these seats
Box Seats: Royalty or noblemen only
The capacity for the play performance was
3,000
Sound effects were made in the huts
Ghosts could appear on stage through trap
doors
The Globe, continued
Flags, trumpets, and fliers told when there
would be a play
The flags also told the audience what type
of play they would be seeing:
Red flag = history play
White flag = comedy play
Black Flag = tragedy play
Shakespearean Actors and
Accessories
Shakespearean Actors and
Accessories
Costumes, Continued.
England had “Clothing Acts” which
forbade certain classes of people from
dressing like a higher class.
So, for an actor-a person of the lower
classes- to dress like a nobleman or a
king was something of a scandal.
Inside Shakespeare’s Globe
This is a
photograph of the
newly restored
Globe Theater in
England. This
picture shows
what the stage
looks like.
Parts of the Globe
The Pit- Sometimes referred to as “The Yard”
where the groundlings watched the play for their
one-penny admission.
The Stage- Major playing area jutted into the
Pit, creating a sense of intimacy with the
audience. Hangings curtained off space beneath.
Main entrance- Here the doorkeeper greeted
playgoers and collected one penny from
everyone.
Parts of the Globe
Lord’s Rooms- private galleries; six pennies let
a viewer sit here, or sometimes even on the
stage itself.
Middle Gallery- called “two-penny rooms”
because the seats here were higher priced.
Inner Stage- A recessed playing area often
curtained off, then opened for appropriate
scenes.
Parts of the Globe
Flag- a white flag hoisted above the theatre
meant a show would be performed that day.
White-comedy, Black-tragedy, Red-history
Stage Doors- doors opening into the TiringHouse.
Hut- a storage area that also held a wench
system for lowering enthroned gods or other
characters to the stage.
Parts of the Globe
Tiring-House- The important backstage area
which provided space for storage and business
offices.
Stairs- Ascending to the first level, theatre goers
reached the galleries by wooden staircases
enclosed by stairwells.
Trap Door- Leading down to the Hell area
where equipment included the winch elevator
that raised and lowered actors or properties.
Parts of the Globe
Hell- The area under the stage, used for
ghostly comings and goings or for more
mundane storage of properties.
Elizabethan England
Queen Elizabeth I ruled England
during the time that Shakespeare
wrote many of his plays.
Queen Elizabeth I
Queen Elizabeth I
She ruled England for nearly
50 years (1558-1603) and was very popular
She was such a strong ruler that the time is called
the Elizabethan Age or England’s Golden Age.
Elizabeth never married although she had many
suitors during her lifetime.
Queen Elizabeth had red hair and green eyes, and
was known for her love of fashion; she had over
2,000 dresses. Some of her more elaborate gowns
weighed over 200 pounds each.
Elizabethan Theater
During this time, theater was not the
only form of entertainment. People also
enjoyed music and dancing.
No women were allowed to act in the plays. Young
boys acted the female parts.
Actors wore clothes from their own time period,
regardless of the play’s setting. The costumes were
often very fancy.
Audiences were very rowdy. They talked during the
plays, and if they did not like one, they would throw
garbage at the actors.
Elizabethan England
England was very dirty
Most people bathed only once a year.
Doctors worried about the Queen
because she took a bath once a month.
People dumped garbage into the city streets.
School
Boys went to school from age 7 to about 15 where
they learned math, Latin, and Greek.
Girls were usually educated at home.
Men’s Clothing
Women’s Clothing
More Women’s Clothing
King James I (Elizabeth’s successor)
Julius Caesar:
The Man and the Play
“Veni, vidi, vici!”
Caesar the Man
Born around 100 B.C.
Died March 15, 44 B.C.
He was one of the greatest
military leaders of all time. He
helped to make Rome the center
of an empire that encompassed
much of Europe.
He is also known as a talented
speaker, politician, and writer.
These skills frightened Caesar’s
political opponents and led
directly to his death.
Julius Caesar
Caesar, continued
He married at the age of 17 to Cornelia.
They had a daughter, Julia.
Cornelia died in 68 B.C.
In 60 B.C., Caesar joined with Pompey and
Marcus Crassus to form the First
Triumvirate, which means “three men” or
“rule by three.” This is an alliance that
ruled Rome.
Caesar, continued
They took over the Senate and the rulings of
Rome for a while. The idea was that Caesar had
the backing of the Legions (army), Pompey had
the political power, and Crassus had financial
backing.
In 59 B.C. Caesar remarried. His wife’s name
was Calpurnia.
The same year, Pompey married Caesar’s
daughter, Julia.
Pompey
Caesar, continued
After much military success, Pompey became
increasingly jealous of Caesar. Pompey decided
to join with Rome’s conservative leaders and try
to get rid of Caesar. This ripped apart the
triumvirate and caused a civil war in 49 B.C.
When Caesar returned to Italy, Pompey warned
him that if he crossed the Rubicon River then
Caesar was declaring war on Rome.
Caesar responded with “Alea iacta est,” which
translates to “the die is cast.”
The Rubicon River
Roman Helmets
Caesar, continued
So the war began. Within 60 days, Caesar
had conquered Italy, but it took him almost
5 years to take over the rest of the Roman
Empire. In 49 B.C., Caesar appointed
himself dictator of this empire. It was
during this 5 years that Caesar won the war
that made Cleopatra the ruler of Egypt.
Roman Legionaire
Caesar, continued
The name “Caesar” eventually became not a name,
but a word meaning “ruler” or “chief” in Latin.
The word “Caesar” evolved into different
languages such as German, which took the name
and turned it into Kaiser. The Russian word Czar
as well traces its roots back to “Caesar.”
The term “caesarian sections,” or “C-sections”
can trace its origins back to Julius Caesar because
it was believed that Caesar did have not a natural
childbirth, but instead was “cut from the womb.”
Caesar, continued
After defeating Pompey,
Caesar pardoned his
enemy’s supporters.
These same men later
took part in Caesar’s
assassination.
The Mediterranean
The Roman Empire
Shakespeare’s
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
It is believed that Shakespeare wrote The
Tragedy of Julius Caesar in 1599.
The play is a historical play based upon the
assassination of Julius Caesar by his close
friends and confidants.
Shakespeare gained much of his knowledge
about Caesar and Roman life from Plutarch’s
The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans.
Shakespeare’s
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
The play takes place during a time of great
political turmoil. Julius Caesar and Gnaeus
Pompey have been fighting against each
other during a civil war.
The play begins as Caesar returns to Rome
after his defeat of Pompey.
The action of the play is spread out over 5
acts. In this play, we will encounter
betrayal of friendships and the result of too
much ambition.
Interesting Areas of Rome
Outside the Roman Coliseum
Inside the Roman Coliseum
The Pantheon
The Forum of Julius Caesar
Any Questions?