The document provides information about William Shakespeare and the Renaissance period in England. It discusses Shakespeare's life and family, the theatre companies he worked with, the genres of plays he wrote, and some of the challenges he faced. It also describes the development of theatre during the Renaissance, including the first theatre buildings, acting companies, and plays being performed. The printing press helped spread literature and learning during this period of revival and rebirth across Europe that began in Italy in the 15th century.

1. Shakespeare and The
Renaissance

2. Terms
 Allegory
– Story that teaches a political or religious
lesson
 Pound
– British unit of money
 Courtier
– Member of the Royal Court/ A Noble

3. The Renaissance
in Britain and other countries

4. The word Renaissance means
“Rebirth”.
This time period was a rebirth of
society.

5. When and Where it Began
 The Renaissance began in Italy with the
rise of the middle class.
 It began in approximately 1500.
 It spread westward across Europe from
Italy.
 It was based on the culture, creativity, and
education of Greece and Rome.
– It was the rebirth of scholarship in the
classical learning and philosophy.

6. Advancements
 Science
 Literature
– There was more to write about.
 Medicine
 Drama
 Exploration
– Development of Compass
– Advancements in Astronomy
– Columbus Reaching Western Hemisphere

7. Advancements Cont.
 Trade
 Architecture
 Geography
 Religion
 Art
 Philosophy

8. England was not part of the early
Renaissance because of internal
problems, external wars, and its
distance from Italy.

9. The Printing Press
 William Caxton brought it to England
 Set up in London 1476.
 Printed 26,000 works and editions by 1640
 It made books affordable.
– Increased Literacy Rate: By 1530 half of the
British population could read.
– Increased amount of education in population

10. Art and Literature
 This is the most important time for the
arts.
 Courtiers wrote for small audiences of the
educated and noble class.
 Love Poetry was very popular.

11. Science and Religion
 Copernicus discovered that the earth was
NOT the center of the universe.
 This upset traditional religious teachings.

12. Science and Religion Cont.
 The Catholic church has previously split
into Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic.
 The Roman Catholic Church split again
with Martin Luther in Germany in 1517
(Creating the Lutheran Church).
 King Henry VIII broke away from the
Roman Catholic Church and created the
Anglican Church.

13. Queen Elizabeth I

14. Parents and Family
 Her father was Henry VIII.
 He was married six times
 His wife, Anne Boleyn, was Elizabeth’s
mother.
 He had Anne beheaded.
 She had an older ½ sister, Mary.
 She had a younger ½ brother, Edward.

15. Split of the Church
 Henry VIII got into an argument with the
Pope because the Pope refused to annul
his marriage to Catherine of Aragon (Mary’s
mother).
 Henry then changed the national religion
from Catholicism to Protestantism
(Anglicans- Episcopalians).
 He crowned himself head of the Church of
England.

16. Heir to the Throne
 The Catholic Church thought both
daughters were illegitimate.
– Mary because her mother was previously
married to Henry VIII’s brother.
– Elizabeth because Henry’s second marriage
was invalid.
 Edward was therefore thought to be the
child of the first true marriage and
succeeded his father.

17. Edward
 Ruled from age 9 to age 15.
 Was persuaded by advisor,
Duke of Northumberland, to
leave the throne to
Northumberland’s daughter-in-
law, Lady Jane Gray.
 Excluded Mary and Elizabeth
on the grounds they were
illegitimate.

18. Mary
 She was proclaimed Queen at
Edward’s death by the Lord
mayor of London.
– Lady Jane was imprisoned and
sentenced to be beheaded.
 She was Catholic and tried to
restore the Catholicism her
father removed resulting in
turmoil and bloodshed.
 She mercilessly persecuted
Protestants.
 She became known as Bloody
Mary

19. The Family Tree
Henry VII
Mary Elizabeth Edwards

20. Elizabeth’s Crown
 Elizabeth became Queen at 25 when her sister
died.
 There was a lot of support from the Catholic
community for the claim of Mary Stuart.
 There were many plots on Elizabeth’s life until
Mary Stuart was beheaded in 1587.
 She was able to restore order after the religious
turmoil.
 She ruled over England, Holland, and parts of
France

21. Issues with Spain
 Phillip of Spain hoped to  Drake also intercepted
marry Elizabeth in order to Spanish treasure ships at
unite the two nations. sea, and put the gold of
 Spain was the most South America (stolen by
powerful nation of the time. the Spanish) into the
 Spain and England had British treasury.
been long-time enemies.  This helped England to
 When Spanish ships gain power on the seas.
threatened England,
Elizabeth sent Hawkins ant
Drake to destroy the
Spanish Armada.

22. Personality
 Famous for delaying decisions as long as
possible in the hopes that a way would be
found out of the difficulty.
 Famous for her ability to choose wise
advisors and to inspire their loyalty and
devotion.
 Said to have the body of a weak woman and
a the heart and stomach of a king.

23. Achievements
 Supported by the
middle class.
 Summoned Parliament
very little
– Only in session 35
months during her 45
year reign from 1558 to
1603.

24. Successor
 Elizabeth died
unmarried.
 Named Mary Stuart’s
son, James, her
successor.

25. King James
 Established the 1st permanent settlement in
America – Jamestown, VA
 Enjoyed the arts.
 Persecuted the Protestants because he was
Catholic.
 Commissioned a new version of the bible-The
King James Bible
– Completed in 1611
– Influenced prose for generations
– 50-54 people helped write it.

26. King James Cont.
 James and his son, Charles
– were unable to maintain religious peace.
– Struggled with Parliament
 Money
 Absolute rule
 Persecuted the Puritans
– Led to the founding of Plymouth

27. Theatre
One of Ms. Ross’ favorite
subjects.

28. Actors
 Only men could be
actors.
 These men must be
acrobats, dancers, and
duelers.
 They were fined for not
going to rehearsals
because they were so
important.
 The women were played
by men

29. How they produced a play
 Censorship was done by  The biggest parts go the
a royal servant who new costumes.
would edit outlines and  There were no sets and
remove inappropriate only a few props.
things.  There were usually only
 Copies of the script were six men in the acting
made by having a copyist company and as many as
write each part on a 20 characters.
separate scroll
 Advertisements were
done with fliers and flags
on the theatres.

30. Audiences
 There were no  Each play had to
reserve seats. have a lesson or
 Children stood parents wouldn’t let
between their parent’s children see it.
knees.  The audience
 The audience members were from
expected poetry and all levels of society,
violent, realistic including pickpockets.
action.

31. The Closing of the Theatre
 Theatres were sometimes closed due to
crime and disease.
 Complaints were sometimes filed about
how ungodly theatres were.
 Plagues suspended operations.

32. Dramatists
 These are the people who wrote the plays.
 Charles Marlowe
The first Elizabethan Dramatist
 Ben Johnson
 William Shakespeare

33. Queen Elizabeth was
important to theatre
because she enjoyed plays
and kept the theatres open.
Many of London’s acting
companies performed for
her.

34. How a Play Opened
 A trumpet would
sound.
 One actor would
come on stage and
deliver a prologue.
 Things were usually
in verse because they
were easier to
memorize.

35. The first Theatre
 James Burbage built the
first theatre in England.
 It had five levels.  More people could see
 Lowest had trapdoors plays.
 Main Stage  There was storage and
 Balcony protection for costumes
 There were pulleys  Actors no longer had to
under the roof to make share space.
people fly.  Now actors could
 There was a loft room perform in once place
for musicians. instead of traveling.
 Actors could marry
 Actors could have
children

36. Interlude
An interlude is a short play performed
between banquet courses. This was a
new literary form developing during the
Renaissance.

37. W illiam
Shakespeare

38. Family
 His father was John
Shakespeare.
 Mayor of Stratford
 His mother was Mary Arden
 Daughter of an affluent
farmer
 He married Anne Hathaway at
age 18
 Most scholars believe he was
born on April 23, 1564.  He had three children
 Susanna born 1583
 He had 7 siblings.
 Hamnet born 1585
 He saw his first play at age 4  His only son who died in
when his father arranged for 1596
money from the town funds,  Judith born 1585
so that everyone could see  He died on his birthday at the
the first show free of charge.
age of fifty-two in 1616.

39. Family Tr ee

40. Shakespear e’s
Company
 It was Called the  Members
Kings Men under  William Kemp
King James.  A comic Actor
 Richard Burbage
 Idol of London Theatre
 John Hemings
 Business Manager
 Henry Condell
 Helped create the 1st
edition of
Shakespeare’s plays

41. Genr es of Shakespear e
 History
 Most Popular
 He was very knowledgeable in history
 Richard III is an example
 Comedy
 Most like reality
 Usually about love
 Usually involved a clown
 A Midsummer Night’s Dream is an example
 Tragedy
 Usually ended in death for the main character
 Romeo and Juliet is an example.

42. Shakespear e’s Writings
 His first play was Henry  He was no ordinary
VI written in 1592. writer, he did not do what
 He wrote 154 sonnets was expected.
(poems).  He did the opposite of
 When he became what was assumed to be
recognized for his poetry, in the plan.
he stopped writing it.  He is called the common
man’s composer
because he wrote for the
common people not to
gain status or to
entertain nobility.

43. Basis for Romeo and
Juliet
 The idea may have
partly come from his love
for Anne Hathaway and
his parent’s objections to
that marriage.
 Originated from a poem
by Arthur Brook that was
based on an Italian love
story.

44. Pr oblems for
Shakespear e
 The early years of his  Plague of 1592
theatre were hard  Closed theatres
because of  Shakespeare had no
problems. work, so he began to
 Economic Depression write poetry.
 Lots of Rain
 Poor Harvest

45. Fir st Pur chases after
Success
 His own theatre
 Largest home in Stratford
 His father’s coat of arms

46. T he Globe
Built by the Chamberlain’s Company

47. T he Globe is a polygon