Renaissance lesson 5 Shakespeare's plays

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

What do you know about
William Shakespeare?

This lesson

• Shakespeare
• The Globe 
• Comedies
• A Midsummer Night's Dream

Which plays can you name?

Listening/Video activity

• We are going to watch a video
  
• After the video, you'll need to answer some questions 
• take notes in order to answer those questions

! New question form CITO !

True

False

1. Shakespeare's work has had a great influence on the English language. 

2. What we know about Shakespeare is mainly from the time he lived in London. 

3. The Royal Shakespeare Company has some of the best Shakespearian actors in Britain. 

4. Anne and Mariesa learnt a lot about Shakespeare's life at school. 

5. Danny says that Shakespeare moved to London when he was quite old. 

6. Mike says that Shakespeare ran the Globe Theatre when 

he lived in London. 

1

2

3

4

5

6

52

23-04-1564

18

3

37

all types of people

3,000

glove maker

cheap

7

none

daytime

2,000

king and nobles

20

nighttime

Theatres

- Large theatre: up to 3000 people

- Wooden structures

- Open stage, no roof

- Raised stage, pit for watching

- People cheering, booing, throwing

- Dialogue important & costumes

- Little scenery or objects

William Shakespeare

- Born 1564

- Married to Anne Hathaway (not the actress)

- The Lord Chamberlain's Men

- 1599: performing at Globe Theatre

- Performed at Queen Elizabeth I's court 

Globe Theatre

- Opened in 1599

- Staged many of Shakespeare's plays

- Burned down in 1613

- Rebuilt in 1614

- English civil war: theatres broken down 

- Rebuilt again: 1997

Acting Groups

- Shakespeare: "Lord Chamberlain's Men"

- Performed 6 or more times a week

- Travelled around 

- Created their own costumes etc. 

- Very skilled: singing, dancing, acrobatics, play instruments, 

- Women were not allowed

16th Century Acting Group

21st Century Acting Group

Perform 6 plays a week

Perform 1 play a few times a week

Men & Women

Only Men

Create their own costumes

Do not create their own costumes

Which plays can you name?

Theatre

The Globe...

• Theatre with an unsavoury reputation. (outside of city)
• Could hold several thousand people, most standing in the open pit before the stage (shouting at actors!)
• Rich nobles could watch the play from a chair set on the side of the stage itself. 
• Plays were performed in the afternoon, because, of course, there was no artificial lighting
  

00:30

How many people could watch a play if they were crowded in?

1. 1500
2. 3000
3. 2000
4. 300

00:41

How was the term 'box office' coined?

01:20

How much money did you have to pay to get a cushion and a chair?

1. 1 penny
2. 2 pennies
3. 3 pennies
4. 4 pennies

03:16

What was the single, most valuable piece of equipment that the players owned?

1. The costumes
2. Props - a chair or bed
3. A beautiful dress
4. The pillars that held the stage up

04:49

Where was the space called 'hell'?

1. At the back of the theatre
2. Just outside the exit doors
3. Up in the box offices
4. Under the stage