This presentation is about Literature in Renaissance England. It explores key factors leading to this movement, its main features, magnificent writers and all their legacy.
In the 18th century, transportation was primitive by today's standards. The majority of the time if you wanted to go anywhere you either walked or rode a horse on trails or rough roads. Most folks could not afford carriages or wagons. People traveled from one country to the next by small wooden ships or stagecoach services.
This presentation is about Literature in Renaissance England. It explores key factors leading to this movement, its main features, magnificent writers and all their legacy.
In the 18th century, transportation was primitive by today's standards. The majority of the time if you wanted to go anywhere you either walked or rode a horse on trails or rough roads. Most folks could not afford carriages or wagons. People traveled from one country to the next by small wooden ships or stagecoach services.
William Shakespeare, often regarded as one of the greatest playwrights and poets in the English language, was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, on April 26, 1564. While there are gaps in his biography, historians have been able to piece together much of his life based on available records and historical documents.
Early Life:
Birth and Family: William Shakespeare was the third of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a glove-maker and local prominent figure, and Mary Arden, the daughter of a wealthy landowner. He came from a middle-class family in a market town.
Education: It is believed that Shakespeare attended the King’s New School in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he received a basic education. His formal education did not extend to university, which was relatively common at the time.
Marriage and Family:
Marriage: In 1582, at the age of 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who was eight years his senior. They had three children, including Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith.
Career:
Theatrical Career: In the late 1580s, Shakespeare moved to London, where he began working in the theater. He became an actor and playwright, eventually becoming a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a prominent theater company.
Playwriting:
Shakespeare wrote and produced many of his most famous works during the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. His plays encompassed various genres, including tragedies (e.g., “Macbeth,” “Hamlet”), comedies (e.g., “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Twelfth Night”), and historical dramas (e.g., “Henry V,” “Richard III”).Shakespeare also wrote 154 sonnets and several narrative poems, including “Venus and Adonis” and “The Rape of Lucrece.”
Later Life:
Return to Stratford: Shakespeare retired to Stratford-upon-Avon in the early 1610s, likely due to financial success. There, he invested in property and became a respected figure in the community.
Death:
William Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, at the age of 52. He was buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford, where his grave remains a popular tourist attraction.
Legacy:
Literary Influence: Shakespeare’s works have had an enduring impact on English literature and theater. His plays and sonnets are still widely read and performed around the world.
Language and Vocabulary:
He made significant contributions to the English language, coining many new words and phrases that are still in use today.
Cultural Icon:
Shakespeare is considered a cultural icon, and his works continue to be studied and celebrated for their exploration of universal themes, complex characters, and unparalleled storytelling.
The Globe Theatre:
Shakespeare was closely associated with the Globe Theatre, one of the most famous theaters of his time. A reconstruction of the Globe, known as the Globe Theatre, stands in London today and hosts performances of his plays.
While many details of Shakespeare’s life remain the subject of speculation and debate, his enduring contributions to literature and
2. His life WillamShakesspeare is an English poet, dramatist, and actor who has many successful pieces such as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. No one knows his birth date only baptised date. His whole family were illiterate. His wife, Anne Hathaway was eight years older than him and was three months pregnant when they got married. He had to become a writer because his family had no money as his father was a glove maker and he needed to make money.
3. His life He lived with three sisters and four brothers and another two who was born before him had died. His father was a merchant and his mother was of a gentry class. Thus, after John married Mary, he was considered as a respectable upper-middle class. Shakespeare grew up in the Tudor market town of Stratford-on-Avon. He had a wife Anna Hathaway and three children name Hamnet, Judith .and Susanna.
4. His life Scholars believe that Shakespeare was a playwright in London by the late 1500s. In his early plays, it was mainly comedy and histories followed by mainly tragedies such as Hamlet till 1608. Furthermore, he was also partially an owner of a playing company. (Lord Chamberlain’s Men) He was inspired to write by nature, especially birds and even other famous writers in his days like Ovid and Seneca. He was respected by many as a playwright and a writer(poet) in his days.
5. His life However, when he lived, he failed to see his name scripted in the literature graduates and reputation was low. In the 19th century, his name were then known to many and started to spread.
7. England in his time Considered as golden age and leading naval along with commercial power.(western) England at that time flourished and there were three types of money pence, shillings and pounds. 12 pence made a shilling and 20 shillings made a pound. Items at the time was cheap. E.g. 7 shillings - gloves, 1-2 pence -water. People believed in ghosts, witches and magicians although they were Christians. Shakespeare proved that with some plays like Macbeth.
8. England in his time There were also enough jobs for people who lived in that time like booksellers, merchants, blacksmiths, etc. People were usually happy especially after they stopped the Spanish from taking over England. (anglo-spanish war 1585-1604) Intermittent conflict between the two kingdoms and was never formally declared. Phillip II of Spain sought to frustrate English crown policy (commercial and religious). However, people were sad after Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, thus, Shakespeare started writing tragedies.
10. The renaissance A cultural movement during the 14th century to about the 17th century that was started in Florence in the late middle ages then later spread to the rest of Europe. Term is used more loosely referring to the historical era but only in general. Marked the rise of modern world with the closing of the middle ages.
11. The renaissance “scientific revolution” Encompassed a revival of learning based on classical sources, gradual but widespread educational reform. Viewed as the bridge of the Middle Ages and the Modern era. The creation of Adam by Michelangelo that had highly realistic linear perspective.
12. The renaissance Renaissance humanism, where there was an emphasis on human potential and beauty in terms of physical and verbal. The tie that binds these two themes in “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare together is a sense of individualism, is also a renaissance ideal.