William Shakespeare: Life, Works, and Elizabethan Contexts
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180 Terms
Who was William Shakespeare?
An English playwright and poet
When was Shakespeare born?
1564
Where was Shakespeare born?
Stratford-upon-Avon, England
What is Shakespeare's traditionally accepted birthday?
April 23, 1564
When was Shakespeare baptized?
April 26, 1564
What era did Shakespeare live during?
The Elizabethan Era
Who was the English monarch during most of Shakespeare's career?
Queen Elizabeth I
When did Shakespeare die?
April 23, 1616
Where was Shakespeare buried?
Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon
Who was Shakespeare's wife?
Anne Hathaway
When did Shakespeare marry Anne Hathaway?
1582
How many children did Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway have?
Three
What were Shakespeare's children's names?
Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith
Which of Shakespeare's children were twins?
Hamnet and Judith
How old was Hamnet when he died?
11
Who was Shakespeare's father?
John Shakespeare
What did John Shakespeare do?
He was a glove maker, businessman, and local official
Who was Shakespeare's mother?
Mary Arden Shakespeare
What family did Shakespeare's mother come from?
The Arden family
How many children did John and Mary Shakespeare have?
Eight
Was William Shakespeare the oldest child?
No, he was the third child and oldest surviving son
What were Shakespeare's Lost Years?
Periods of his life for which few or no records survive
What were Shakespeare's first Lost Years?
1578-1582
What were Shakespeare's second Lost Years?
1585-1592
What happened to London's theaters in 1593?
They closed because of the plague
What did Shakespeare increasingly write when theaters were closed?
Poetry
What were some of Shakespeare's earliest plays?
Henry VI Parts I-III, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Titus Andronicus
What acting company did Shakespeare join in 1594?
The Lord Chamberlain's Men
What roles did Shakespeare have in the Lord Chamberlain's Men?
Actor, playwright, and shareholder
What did the Lord Chamberlain's Men later become called?
The King's Men
Why did the Lord Chamberlain's Men become the King's Men?
James I became king in 1603
What ancient work heavily influenced Julius Caesar?
Plutarch's Parallel Lives
Who translated Plutarch's Parallel Lives into English?
Sir Thomas North
What language did Plutarch originally write in?
Greek
Why did Shakespeare use Roman history?
Roman history was popular and allowed him to explore politics, power, succession, and human behavior
What political concern in Elizabethan England could Julius Caesar reflect?
Concerns about succession and political stability because Elizabeth I had no heir
Where is Shakespeare buried?
Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon
What does Shakespeare's tomb inscription warn people not to do?
Disturb or move his bones
What does Shakespeare's tomb inscription threaten someone who moves his bones with?
A curse
What famous phrase means life is like a performance?
All the world's a stage
What play contains All the world's a stage?
As You Like It
What does All the world's a stage suggest?
People play different roles throughout their lives
What were the two major Christian groups in Elizabethan England?
Catholics and Protestants
What religion was Queen Elizabeth I?
Protestant
Who did Catholics recognize as head of the Church?
The Pope
Who was the head of the Church of England?
The monarch
Why was religion politically important in Elizabethan England?
Catholic-Protestant conflict could threaten political stability and the monarchy
What were sumptuary laws?
Laws regulating what people could wear based on social rank
Why did Elizabethan England have sumptuary laws?
To reinforce social hierarchy and regulate luxury and spending
What could clothing reveal in Elizabethan society?
A person's social status and rank
What color was highly restricted by Elizabethan sumptuary laws?
Purple
What did purple generally represent in Elizabethan fashion?
High status and royal privilege
What expensive fabric was restricted according to social rank?
Velvet
What other luxury fabric was restricted by social rank?
Silk
What expensive material was restricted by social rank?
Cloth of gold
What type of decoration could be restricted by social rank?
Gold, silver, or pearl embroidery and trimming
What type of luxury buttons could be restricted by social rank?
Gold, silver, jeweled, or highly decorated buttons
What luxury fur was restricted to the highest ranks?
Sable
Why were clothing laws important socially?
They made social rank visible
What could happen for violating sumptuary laws?
Fines, confiscation, and other punishments
What were Elizabethan clothes generally like?
Colorful, elaborate, structured, and decorated
What were ruffs?
Elaborate stiff collars worn around the neck
Which social class generally had access to the most luxurious clothing?
The nobility and royalty
Could ordinary people dress exactly like the nobility?
No, sumptuary laws restricted certain materials and decorations
What became a popular form of entertainment across Elizabethan social classes?
Theater
What types of stories were popular in Elizabethan theater?
History, romance, revenge, murder, comedy, and tragedy
What were blood sports?
Entertainment involving animals being hunted, fought, or killed
What were examples of Elizabethan blood sports?
Hunting, fishing, cockfighting, and dog fighting
What were common forms of transportation for ordinary households?
Open carts pulled by animals
What did wealthy and royal people use for transportation?
Enclosed coaches pulled by horses
Who was William Rippon?
A coachmaker associated with making coaches for aristocrats and Queen Elizabeth
What materials were used in Queen Elizabeth's coaches made by William Rippon?
Iron bases, leather sides, and locking doors
What type of government did Elizabethan England have?
A monarchy
What was the Privy Council?
A group of advisers who helped the monarch govern
What was Parliament responsible for?
Passing laws and approving taxation
What theater existed before the Globe?
The Theatre
When was The Theatre built?
1576
Who built The Theatre?
James Burbage
Where was The Theatre located?
Shoreditch
What happened to the timbers of The Theatre?
They were reused to build the Globe
When was the original Globe Theatre built?
1599
Who built the Globe Theatre?
Peter Street
What acting company was associated with the Globe?
The Lord Chamberlain's Men
Where was the Globe located?
Bankside in Southwark, London
What river was the Globe near?
The River Thames
Approximately how many people could the Globe hold?
About 3,000
How many levels of galleries did the Globe have?
Three
About how high was the Globe stage?
Five feet
About how wide was the Globe stage?
40 feet
About how deep was the Globe stage?
27 feet
Why were Shakespeare's plays generally performed during the day?
The theater relied on natural daylight
What happened to the Globe in 1613?
It burned down
What play was being performed when the Globe caught fire?
Henry VIII
What caused the Globe fire?
A theatrical cannon ignited the thatched roof
What happened to women in Elizabethan theater?
Women generally did not perform professionally
Who played female roles in Elizabethan theater?
Male actors, often boys
What were actors commonly called?
Players
Where did the cheapest spectators often stand?
In the pit or yard
How did Elizabethan audiences react if they disliked a performance?
They could boo, hiss, jeer, or throw food
What was the traditional founding date of Rome?
753 BCE