Shakespeare’s Life
On what date was William Shakespeare born (estimated)?
April 23, 1564 (estimated)
What was the name of the theatre built in 1599 that Shakespeare part-owned?
The Globe
Name the two main kinds of speech used in Shakespeare’s plays (one is ordinary talking).
Prose and blank verse
Give one example of a modern English word and its older Shakespearean equivalent from the list (e.g., "you" → ?).
Example: you → thou (or you → thou per list)
Name two members of the Montague household listed in the notes.
Romeo; Lord & Lady Montague; Benvolio; Mercutio (any two from the Montague list)
Name the town where Shakespeare was born and later buried.
Stratford-upon-Avon
What color flag signaled that a performance was a tragedy?
Black
Why did performances use little or no scenery?
Scenery was minimal to focus on language and let words "paint" the scene
How many words is Shakespeare credited with introducing into English?
Credited with introducing 3,000 words
Name two members of the Capulet household listed in the notes.
Juliet; Lord & Lady Capulet; Nurse; Tybalt (any two from the Capulet list)
At what age did Shakespeare marry Anne Hathaway, and what was notable about her age relative to his?
He married at 18; Anne Hathaway was about 8 years older than him
Why were plays typically performed in the afternoon?
They performed in the afternoon to use natural sunlight
Explain one consequence of there being no curtain between scenes and acts.
Actors had to exit between scenes because there was no curtain; each character needed an exit
What is the Shakespearean equivalent of "it is" from the provided list?
"'tis"
Who is Romeo’s close relative and also a peacemaker in the family?
Benvolio
How many plays is Shakespeare credited with writing?
37 plays
What happened to the Globe in 1613 and what year was it rebuilt on the same site?
Why did young boys act the female roles in Shakespeare’s time?
Females were illegal to act, so young boys played female roles
Provide two pairs from the vocabulary list showing the modern word and its Shakespearean counterpart.
Examples: you → thou; are → art (other valid pairs: does → doth; yes → ay; it is → 'tis)
Which character is Juliet’s caregiver and confidante listed in the notes?
Nurse
Aside from plays, what major poetic form did Shakespeare write 154 of?
Sonnets (154 sonnets)
Approximately how many people could the Globe hold?
Up to 3,000 people
t was illegal for females to act; companies used boys to portray women
Shakespeare’s inventive vocabulary and coinages expanded English vocabulary, introduced many new words and usages, and influenced modern English structure and expression
Name two important characters outside the two families who play key roles in Romeo & Juliet according to the notes.
Friar Lawrence; Prince Escalus