WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

SHAKESPEARE'S LIFE

• Born April 23, 1564
• Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
• Moved to London in 1592 and began work
• Worked as an actor and a dramatist.
• Between 1590 and 1613 he wrote at least 37 plays.

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

• His major achievement was in The Globe Theater
• His entire life was committed to the theater
• He expressed himself and his beliefs through acting
• He wrote many plays even though it was impractical
• Many people looked up to him as an actor

GLOBE THEATER

• Built in 1599, and burnt down in 1613
• Shakespeare performed in the stadium quite often
• It fits 3,000 people
• Some of his greatest play were written the first 10 years of the theater
• A replica stands near the original location in South London

SHAKESPEARE & HUMANISM

• Wrote plays & acted for fun not to get to heaven
• His plays were about life and how people lived
• Wrote about love, life, and everyday problems
• He wrote plays because he wanted to
• Everyone should have theater and humanism in their life

BELIEFS & FEELINGS

• Everyone needs theater in their life so they can laugh and feel emotions
• Believed there is not always a happy ending and wrote about that
• Expressed his ideas and feelings in his plays
• Reflected modern day (16th century) attitudes in his characters
• Demonstrated humanism in his work

SHAKESPEARE THE HUMANIST

• "But a walking shadow; a poor player. Who struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
• He talks about real people and how they act
• He cares about what they did for fun and for themselves, not what they did to get to heaven
• The quote shows nothing of religion, but it allows us to understand a normal guy just living his life
• Shakespeare demonstrated humanism in his work by focusing on everyday life

SOURCES

• Go.galeproup.com (Elizabethan World Refference Library, William Shakespeare)
• www.bl.uk/treasures/Shakespeare/basics.html
• Go.galegroup.com (Encyclopedia of World Biography, William Shakespeare)
• Go.galegroup.com (Renaissance and Reformation Refrence Library, William Shakespeare)
• Humanism.org.uk (Shakespeare)