This presentation speaks about Shakespeare and the theatre at his time. The Globe and some of his plays are mentioned.

1. SHAKESPEARE
THEATRE AT THIS TIME

2. Shakespeare’s life
 Where and when was he born?
He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in
1564, xvi century.
2.When did he go to London?
After getting married to Anne Hathaway,
at a certain moment in his life.

3. STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
Anne’s cottage

4. In London: actor and
playwright
 What did he do in London?
He performed as an actor and wrote plays
and poetry. He wrote: tragedies,
comedies and historical plays.
 Why were theatres so important at that
time?
They were the only type of entertainment

5. The Globe: characteristics
 Many of his plays were performed in the
Globe.Theatres at that time were
different from today’s.
 The plays took place in the open air in
daylight when the weather was
good.There was no scenery on the
stage. Boys played the female parts

6. THE GLOBE THEATRE
Rounded
roofless
Circular
building

7. THE GLOBE: INSIDE
Heavens
FLAG
Upper
stage
Galleries
Pillars
Main
stage
Inner stage

8. The Globe: parts
Three
Galleries
For
nobles
and
gentlemen
FLAG(whitecomedy)
Colour
coding (black
–tragedy)
FRONS
SCENAE
STAGE
PIT( for
Commoners
Or
Groundlings
YARD

9. THEATRE: MORE DETAILS
 Between two and three thousand
people, from all classes of society, were
in the audience.Toilets didn’t exist.
 Did women go to the theatre?
Yes, they did though it was considered
immoral. That’s why many attended
performances with masks (not to be
recognised)

10. Theatre: more information
Even legend says Queen Elizabeth I
attended the Globe secretly sometimes.
 How much did it cost?(depended on the
comfort of the seats):
To stand in the yard-one penny
To sit in the gallery- two pennies
To have a cushion- three pennies

11. WHEN WERE THEY CLOSED?
 During a short period of time theatres
were closed because they were blamed
for the Bubonic Plague (Black Death) as
The Puritans considered them immoral
and the Death was a God punishment.
 Shakespeare died in 1616 and is buried
in Stradford’s Holy Triniy Church

12. TYPES OF PLAYS
 Shakespeare wrote poetry and 38
plays: tragedies, comedies and
historical plays.
 Tragedies:
Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and
Macbeth are the most important ones.
In tragedies: the ending is sad, many

13. TRAGEDIES
Characters die.
Time is against the characters
The main characters are men, and they
belong to aristocracy or monarchy( they
are queen, kings,nobles etc)
Lady Macbeth is an exception since she
is a main character with an important
role.

14. Comedies
 They have a happy ending.
 Time helps the characters to solve
problems
 Women have important parts and help
to find solutions (cross-dressing)
 Characters don’t belong to monarchy.

15. Shakespeare’s time
 This period of time xvi was called the
Renaissance period: ( the culture of
Greece and Rome was rediscovered)
 For these reason many of his plays are
settled in Europe and Italy mainly:
Romeo and Juliet, Othello etc.

16. HIS TIME: RENAISSANCE
 The printing press resulted in more
books, more education and knowledge.
• Humanism is also essential. God leaves his
place to man: the most important being in the
universe.We find characters who want
something: to be richer, to be more powerful, to
be more intelligent etc. These are humanist
characters.

17. LITERARY IMPORTANCE
 Why do you think Shakespeare’s plays
have been so much adapted into
films,musicals, paintings, operas etc?
The answer is his topics are never out-of –
fashion because he speaks about feelings
and emotions:
( revenge, jealousy, ambition, love) so
these are topics that can take
Shakespeare in
love
Othello

18. IMPORTANCE
Place in the XVI century or nowadays.
 Shakespeare is also famous for his
quotations (citas) sentences that have
become so famous that take part of our
language, culture and everybody knows:
Hamlet’s : “to be or not to be; that’s the
question.”
Othello: “Be aware of the green-eyed monster
that mocks of the meat he feeds on
( refering to jealousy)”

19. Shakespeare’s importance
 It’s essential to understand other literary
works since authors quote him
constantly.
 Most of his characters have become
symbols: Othello is the symbol of
jealousy, Hamlet is the permanent
doubt, Macbeth is personified ambition
and so on.