by Jocelyn Wiebe www.shakespearedallas.org
The Life of William Shakespeare (1564 1616) Within the class system of Elizabethan England, William Shakespeare did not seem destined for greatness. He was not born into a family of nobility or significant wealth. He did not continue his formal education at university, nor did he come under the mentorship of a senior artist, nor did he marry into wealth or prestige. His talent as an actor seems to have been modest, since he is not known for starring roles. His success as a playwright depended in part upon royal patronage. Yet in spite of these limitations, Shakespeare is now the most performed and read playwright in the world. Born to John Shakespeare, a glove maker and tradesman, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent farmer, William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon- Avon. At that time, infants were baptized three days after their birth, thus scholars believe that Shakespeare was born on April 23, the same day on which he died at age 52. As the third of eight children, young William grew up in this small town 100 miles northwest of London, far from the cultural and courtly center of England. Shakespeare attended the local grammar school, King s New School, where the curriculum would have stressed a classical education of Greek mythology, Roman comedy, ancient history, rhetoric, grammar, Latin, and possibly Greek. Throughout his childhood, Shakespeare s father struggled with serious financial debt. Therefore, unlike his fellow playwright Christopher Marlowe, he did not attend university. Rather, in 1582 at age 18, he married Anne Hathaway, a woman eight years his senior and three months pregnant. Their first child, Susanna, was born in 1583, and twins, Hamnet and Judith, came in 1585. In the seven years following their birth, the historical record concerning Shakespeare is incomplete, contradictory, and unreliable; scholars refer to this period as his lost years. In a 1592 pamphlet by Robert Greene, Shakespeare reappears as an upstart crow flapping his poetic wings in London. Evidently, it did not take him long to land on the stage. Between 1590 and 1592, Shakespeare s Henry VI series, Richard III, and The Comedy of Errors were performed. When the theaters were closed in 1593 because of the plague, the playwright wrote two narrative poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, and probably began writing his richly textured sonnets. One hundred and fifty-four of his sonnets have survived, ensuring his reputation as a gifted poet. By 1594, he had also written, The Taming of the Shrew, The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Love s Labor s Lost. Having established himself as an actor and playwright, in 1594 Shakespeare became a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain s Men, one of the most popular acting companies in shakespearedallas.org 1
London. He remained a member of this company for the rest of his career, often playing before the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Shakespeare entered one of his most prolific periods around 1595, writing Richard II, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night s Dream, and The Merchant of Venice. With his newfound success, Shakespeare purchased the second largest home in Stratford in 1597, though he continued to live in London. Two years later, he joined others from the Lord Chamberlain s Men in establishing the polygonal Globe Theatre on the outskirts of London. When King James came to the throne in 1603, he issued a royal license to Shakespeare and his fellow players, organizing them as the King s Men. During King James s reign, Shakespeare wrote many of his most accomplished plays about courtly power, including King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra. In 1609 or 1611, Shakespeare s sonnets were published, though he did not live to see the First Folio of his plays published in 1623. In 1616, with his health declining, Shakespeare revised his will. Since his only son Hamnet had died in 1596, Shakespeare left the bulk of his estate to his two daughters, with monetary gifts set aside for his sister, theater partners, friends, and the poor of Stratford. A fascinating detail of his will is that he bequeathed the family s second best bed to his wife Anne. He died one month later, on April 23, 1616. To the world, he left a lasting legacy in the form of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and two narrative poems. When William Shakespeare died in his birthplace of Stratford-upon- Avon, he was recognized as one of the greatest English playwrights of his era. In the four centuries since, he has come to be seen as not only a great English playwright, but the greatest playwright in the English language. Reflecting upon the achievement of his peer and sometimes rival, Ben Jonson wrote of Shakespeare, He was not of an age, but for all time. *Biography from Shakespeare in American Communities, wwwshakespeareinamericancommunities.org *Image 1- Shakespeare- The Chandos Portrait, National Portrait Gallery *Image 2- Reconstruction of the Globe Theare, c. Gary Reggae *Image 3- Shakespeare s Epitaph, c. Gary Reggae shakespearedallas.org 2
Glossary of Words from Shakespeare s Plays: Alas a word used to express concern, unhappiness, or pity Art Are Beget to procreate as a father Discretion cautious reserve in speech Doth Does Forbear To hold back, refrain, or cease Lief glad, willing O erstep overstep O erdone overdone Temperance moderation in action, thought, or feeling Tempest a violent storm Thee You Thine Yours Twere Combination of the words it were. Nowadays, we would say, it was. Wherefore Why Wilt Will Ye You Shakespeare s Plays There are three major categories that most Shakespeare plays fall into: comedy, tragedy, and history. Comedies are plays that have happy endings. Most of Shakespeare s comedies end with at least one wedding. And, as the category suggests, there is a lot of humor. Some of Shakespeare s comedies include A Midsummer Night s Dream, The Tempest, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Tragedies are plays that have sad endings. Most of Shakespeare s comedies end with several characters dying. Even in the tragedies, Shakespeare includes humorous scenes. Some of his tragedies include Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, King Lear, Hamlet, Othello, and Julius Caesar. Shakespeare s histories are plays based on the lives of English kings. Some of the histories include Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, Richard III, and Henry VIII. Online Resources www.absoluteshakespeare.com- Information about Shakespeare, study guides, and more! www.folger.edu- The Folger Shakespeare Library houses the largest collection of Shakespeare s printed works. http://the-tech.mit.edu/shakespeare/- Full-text versions of Shakespeare s plays. www.bardweb.net- Provides information about all things related to Shakespeare. www.rdg.ac.uk./globe/- Information about the Globe Theatre and Shakespeare. http://web.uvic.ca/shakespeare/- A guide Shakespeare s life and times. shakespearedallas.org 3
Pre-Show Activities Sometimes it may seem like Shakespeare s language is not accessible to us today because it sounds different than the way we talk. The following activities expose students to Shakespeare s language and provide opportunities for them to use the language. The objective of these exercises is for students to see that Shakespeare s words still hold a lot of meaning and power for audiences today. Prep Activity: Shakespeare s Words Materials: Blackboard, pen and paper for students Give the students a word bank of words from Shakespeare s plays. These words can be written on the blackboard or provided to students on pieces of paper. Some words to include in the word bank (definitions in the glossary section): Doth Forbear Tempest Wherefore Wilt O erstep Thee Art Lief Alas Twere Beget 1. Ask students to choose one or two words and write a short sentence or phrase using their chosen words. 2. Have students share their sentences with the class. Main Activity: Learning Language Room Set-up: Open space, students in pairs Optional Materials: Pieces of paper with the full lines printed on them only give to students after they have said the shorter versions of the lines. Purpose: Demonstrates that Shakespeare s language is not as tricky as it first sounds. Sometimes we have to break it down to understand its meaning. With the following lines, they sound more complicated when spoken all at once. But if you break them down, they are easier to understand. This activity also gives the students practice in listening to a partner and conveying emotions with theatrical language. Younger classes may want to have a discussion beforehand about what the lines mean. 1. Have students divide into pairs. One student in each pair should be A and the other should be B. 2. Have all of the A s say I wonder to their partner and have the B s respond with What. Repeat this with students exploring different ways they can use these words to communicate something new. shakespearedallas.org 4
3. Next, ask the A s to say I wonder that you will still be talking. The B s should respond with What, my dear Lady Disdain! Again, repeat this, asking students to use the words they are saying to communicate a clear idea to their partner. 4. Have the A s say I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick: nobody marks you. The B s should respond with, What, my dear Lady Disdain! Are you yet living? Encourage the students to really use the words to communicate emotions. Have them repeat these lines a few times to get the full meaning and impact. These lines come from a scene in Much Ado About Nothing. The main characters, Beatrice and Benedick, spend a lot of time insulting each other. But, in the end, they fall in love. These two lines are insults that they use near the beginning of their relationship. These are also lines that will be used in the Shakespeare on the Go! play you are going to see. Main Activity: Making the Language Your Own (for any age) Sometimes, when Shakespeare couldn t think of a word that would fit in one of his lines, he would just make words up. Some examples of words that Shakespeare made up are words that we still use like downstairs and assassination. Below is a list of other nonsense words that Shakespeare created. Choose one word as a class and try to come up with a definition for the word. Think about how the word sounds and how it makes you feel. Write the definition on the board. The definition does not have to be right. It should be based on what the student s impression of the word is. Next, divide students into groups of 2-3. Give them all different words from the list below. Have the students come up with their own definitions for the words. Then have them come up with a short scene that they will act out using the word their group has been given. The scene should help others understand the definition that the group has created. Have students act out their short scenes for the class. Ask the class to guess what the group s definition was. hurly burly miching mallecho boggler hugger mugger pignut oppugnancy wittolly hodge-podge skimble skamble noddles Additional activity: If you want to extend this activity, then ask students to create their own nonsense words and draw a picture of their definition. For example, a student might look out the window and see a sunlit tree. They could call it a sunnyleafy. They should then draw a picture of a sunnyleafy. You could also ask students to write short sentences on their picture describing their nonsense word. (Ex: The sunnyleafy blows in the wind.) shakespearedallas.org 5
Practicing: Hamlet s Speech (for advanced students) Materials: Enough copies of the following speech for students to work in groups of 2-3. Or put on overhead projector. Divide students into groups of 2-3. Hand out copies of the speech to students. Select a student to read the speech out loud. The groups should then discuss what they think the speech means. Write down key ideas. Use definitions from the glossary (above) as needed. Ask groups translate the speech into more modern language. When everyone has done this, ask for volunteers to share their translations with the class. This speech reveals some of Shakespeare s views on what good acting is. As a class, discuss what Shakespeare (though the character of Hamlet) thinks good actors should do. Perhaps make a list on the board of the different attributes of a good actor. Ask students how they can apply these principles to their own work as actors. *From Hamlet (Act III, Scene 2) HAMLET Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue. But if you mouth it as many of our plays do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand thus, but use all gently, for in the very torrent, tempest, and as I may say, whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget temperance that may give it smoothness.be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion be your tutor. Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special observance, that you o erstep not the modesty of nature; for anything so o erdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end both at the first, and now, was and is, to hold as twere the mirror up to nature, to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure. Culminating Activity: Group Discussion After students participate in the activity, lead a discussion about what they learned. 1. Were students able to make interesting sentences uses words from Shakespeare s plays? 2. What did it feel like to use these new (old) words? 3. In the partner exercise, how did it feel to keep adding more words? At first, did it feel like you were just speaking regular modern-day English? What was it like when you kept adding the words? Did you understand what you were saying? shakespearedallas.org 6
Post-Show Activities These activities are meant to help students reflect on the production they just saw. Prep Activity: One Word Story Room setup: Open space, students in a circle Have the students vote on a favorite scene from the Shakespeare on the Go! production they saw. If needed, review the scene with the class so they are all familiar with the story. Then have students sit in a circle and re-tell the story themselves. This time, though, the students can only speak one word per turn. For example, player one says once. Player two says upon. Player three says a. Player four says time. And so on. Continue going around the circle until the story reaches a satisfying ending. Main Activity: You Try It Materials: Printed pages with the following text on it Have students get into small groups of 4 or 5. Younger classes may want to do this as a whole class. Give the following scenes to the groups and have them spend some time rehearsing the scene with the group. One student can serve as the director of the scene, if some students do not want to perform. You will need a Romeo 1 and Romeo 2 and a Juliet 1 and a Juliet 2. Variation (might be easier for younger classes): Read the modernized version of the scene out loud. As a class, ask the students to put the major actions of the scene in order. Write their answers on the board. (So it would start with Juliet talking about Romeo from her balcony. Romeo sees her from the ground and talks about how beautiful Juliet is, etc.) This scene works onstage for two reasons: the great words and the interesting physical action. It is funny that we, the audience, know that Romeo is there when Juliet does not. When Juliet is surprised by Romeo, it is also funny and the audience loves that moment of discovery. The deep emotion that both Romeo and Juliet feel about each other can be conveyed in many different ways. Talk to students about how important facial expression and physical movements are for actors on the stage it is one of the best tools that actors have in telling us their story! Next, ask for four volunteers, two boys and two girls. Send one boy and one girl out of the room. Ask the other boy and girl to pantomime the scene the class just described. They can use the words on the board to help them remember the sequence of the events.they should not use words. The focus of this exercise is on how to tell a story with their movements and facial expressions. shakespearedallas.org 7
Ask the second pair to come back in the room. Have them do the same activity, acting out the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene without words. After both pairs have done the pantomime, ask the class to discuss what types of actions and facial expressions helped them understand the story. Ask the actors what it felt like to just tell the story with their face and bodies. Did it work? What might they do differently next time? *From Romeo and Juliet (Act II, Scene 2) ROMEO 1 But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief, That thou her maid art far more fair than she. ROMEO 2 Wait a minute! Is there light coming through that window up there? It s Juliet. And she is so hot, she is like the sun. She shines so much brighter than even the moon. ROMEO 1 It is my lady, O, it is my love! O, that she knew she were! ROMEO 2 It is Juliet, my love! If only she knew I loved her JULIET 1 Ay me! JULIET 2 I don t know what to do! ROMEO 1 She speaks: O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art As glorious to this night, being o er my head As is a winged messenger of heaven ROMEO 2 She said something! Her voice is like an angel s! JULIET 1 O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I ll no longer be a Capulet. JULIET 2 Oh Romeo, why do you have to be ROMEO? You are a Montague, the enemies of my family. shakespearedallas.org 8
Say that you are not a Montague and I ll say I m no longer one of the Capulets. ROMEO 1 (Aside) Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? ROMEO 2 (Aside) Should I stay here and listen, or should I tell her that I am here? JULIET 1 Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What s Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet. JULIET 2 It is only your name that is the problem. You are ROMEO. Just because you are a Montague, doesn t mean I can t love you. The word Montague doesn t mean anything. If you used another name for a rose, it wouldn t stop being beautiful and smelling great! Extension Activity: Materials: Old magazines and newspapers, construction paper Now have students read the scene just using Shakespeare s language (Romeo 1 and Juliet 1 s lines). Ask the class to pay special attention to the images that the characters use to describe one another and their emotions. Listen to the beautiful language. Have the students go through the old magazines and newspapers and find words or pictures that describe the way one of the characters in this scene is feeling. Students can also write and draw images. Have students create collages on the construction paper with their words and images. These collages might be about the entire Romeo and Juliet scene. They might be collages of beautiful images used in Shakespeare s text (a rose, a beautiful woman, etc.). Let students be creative as they make collages based on their understanding of the scene. Culminating Activity: Small Group Discussion/Activity Have students get into small groups and discuss the play they saw. What did they learn? What was their favorite part? Did it make them like Shakespeare anymore than they did before? What did they think was funny? Sad? Sweet? Have students write a short letter to Shakespeare Dallas describing their experience. Younger classes might want to draw pictures of their favorite parts. Ask them to write a brief caption on the picture describing what they have drawn. Why was that their favorite part? If you want, you can send the letters/pictures to Shakespeare Dallas s office so we can hear what your students had to say too! Mail to: Shakespeare Dallas, 3630 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75219 shakespearedallas.org 9
More from Shakespeare Dallas! Inspired by the democratic spirit of the New York Shakespeare Festival, Robert Bob Glenn started Shakespeare Dallas in 1971. Today, Shakespeare Dallas is a treasured North Texas cultural landmark and the only company in the area that provides accessible programs for audiences of all ages. Shakespeare in the Park: As the area s veteran producers of Shakespeare in the Park, Shakespeare Dallas has invited audiences to enjoy accessible productions in an open-air amphitheatre since 1971. Reaching over 50,000 people in the summer and fall. Performances are in both the Addison and Dallas areas. The summer season is performed at the Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre in Dallas, during the months of June and July. During the month of October, performances begin at the Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre and then tour to Addison Circle Park. Shakespeare on the Go!: Shakespeare on the Go! is a supplemental arts education program designed to make Shakespeare accessible to students in grades 3-12. Presented in conjunction with regularly scheduled arts-in-education studies, Shakespeare on the Go! is geared toward contemporary youth, with specially conceived programs that keep students on the edge of their seats as Shakespeare s timeless characters come alive on the stage. Reaching over 10,000 students annually. Shakespeare on the Go! plays the lead role in fulfilling our mission to make Shakespeare accessible to everyone. We are the only arts organization in North Texas that offers a program designed to assist educators in teaching young people about Shakespeare and his works. Shakespeare Unplugged: Shakespeare Unplugged is an educational and outreach program devised to give our community an opportunity to explore the works of William Shakespeare in new ways. This program features a large variety of events performed all around Dallas. Previous programs have included Staged Readings at the Bath House Cultural Center, co-productions with local theatre companies, and the popular StageNotes series prior to select Shakespeare in the Park performances. Reaching 2,500 annually. shakespearedallas.org 10
is supported by: Dallas Shakespeare Club, Hillcrest Foundation, IBM, The Theodore and Beulah Beasley Foundation, North Texas Honda Dealers, City of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs Mission The mission of Shakespeare Dallas is to utilize the works of William Shakespeare as a catalyst for producing the performing arts throughout greater North Texas. The company serves an audience of adults and children of all ages through year-round staged productions, a unique touring education program and community outreach services. A guiding focus of Shakespeare Dallas and its flagship outdoor performances is to make the arts accessible to all. Through this commitment, Shakespeare Dallas is uniquely qualified to provide the community with a blend of artistic purpose, creative energy and cultural richness. Vision Shakespeare Dallas aspires to be North Texas most innovative performing arts organization offering unparalleled educational and artistic programs that enrich lives through the works of William Shakespeare. Programs Shakespeare in the Park, Shakespeare On The Go!, and Shakespeare Unplugged shakespearedallas.org