Task 1
For your first task, please answer each question from your topic below (make sure to use your packet). The links provided will direct you to websites that will help to answer your questions.
Shakespeare's Life
Go to http://www.bardweb.net/man.html
1. Why don’t we know much about Shakespeare's life?
2. Where was Shakespeare born?
3. What date was he born on?
4. Why do scholars believe that he attended the grammar school in Stratford?
5. Who did Shakespeare marry and what was unusual about their ages?
6. Why are the years between 1585 to 1592 called “The Lost Years”?
7. Shakespeare established himself as an ________________ and a _________________ in 1588.
8. What day did he supposedly die? What is unusual about this date?
9. What did he leave his wife in his will?
10. Who did Shakespeare curse on the epitaph of his gravestone?
Go to http://www.bardweb.net/man.html
1. Why don’t we know much about Shakespeare's life?
2. Where was Shakespeare born?
3. What date was he born on?
4. Why do scholars believe that he attended the grammar school in Stratford?
5. Who did Shakespeare marry and what was unusual about their ages?
6. Why are the years between 1585 to 1592 called “The Lost Years”?
7. Shakespeare established himself as an ________________ and a _________________ in 1588.
8. What day did he supposedly die? What is unusual about this date?
9. What did he leave his wife in his will?
10. Who did Shakespeare curse on the epitaph of his gravestone?
Elizabethan Theatre
Go to http://www.britainexpress.com/History/elizabethan-theatre.htm
11. How did Marlowe (one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries) die?
12. What was the general feeling towards plays during this period in time? (What type of reputation did the theatre have?)
13. Before theatres were built, where were plays performed?
14. What was the name of the most famous theatre (built in 1599)?
15. What happened to this theatre?
16. Where did rich nobles have the option of sitting at the theatre?
17. What time of day were plays performed? Why?
18. How many women performed in these plays?
Go to http://www.britainexpress.com/History/elizabethan-theatre.htm
11. How did Marlowe (one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries) die?
12. What was the general feeling towards plays during this period in time? (What type of reputation did the theatre have?)
13. Before theatres were built, where were plays performed?
14. What was the name of the most famous theatre (built in 1599)?
15. What happened to this theatre?
16. Where did rich nobles have the option of sitting at the theatre?
17. What time of day were plays performed? Why?
18. How many women performed in these plays?
Shakespeare’s Language
Go to http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/resources/shakespeare-early-modern-english/
19. Shakespeare had a large effect on the development of _______________ ______________ English.
20. What word is given in the article as an example of Shakespeare creating a new word by turning a noun into a verb?
21. There was more influence from other European languages at this time because
of the ________________.
22. When addressing a superior, someone in Shakespeare’s time would use the pronoun
__________. When the superior responded to them, they would use the pronoun __________.
Go to http://www.pathguy.com/shakeswo.htm for phrases from Shakespeare. Write down two that are familiar to you and explain what they mean:
23. (phrase w/ meaning)
24. (phrase w/ meaning)
Shakespeare is known for his colorful insults. Go to http://www.pangloss.com/seidel/Shaker/ to receive a Shakespearean insult. Click the “insult me again” button to find one you like. Then record your insult:
25. (record insult)
Go to http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/resources/shakespeare-early-modern-english/
19. Shakespeare had a large effect on the development of _______________ ______________ English.
20. What word is given in the article as an example of Shakespeare creating a new word by turning a noun into a verb?
21. There was more influence from other European languages at this time because
of the ________________.
22. When addressing a superior, someone in Shakespeare’s time would use the pronoun
__________. When the superior responded to them, they would use the pronoun __________.
Go to http://www.pathguy.com/shakeswo.htm for phrases from Shakespeare. Write down two that are familiar to you and explain what they mean:
23. (phrase w/ meaning)
24. (phrase w/ meaning)
Shakespeare is known for his colorful insults. Go to http://www.pangloss.com/seidel/Shaker/ to receive a Shakespearean insult. Click the “insult me again” button to find one you like. Then record your insult:
25. (record insult)
Shakespeare Authorship Debate and First Folio
Go to: http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/authorship/authorship_oxford_arguments.htm
26. What are three key arguments the author gives for believing Shakespeare did not really write what is credited to him?
Go to: http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/authorship/authorship_shakespeare.htm
27. What are three key arguments that Shakespeare really did write everything that is credited to him?
28. Define folio.
Go to: https://www.folger.edu/publishing-shakespeare#firstfolio
29. How many years after Shakespeare's death was his first folio published? By whom?
30. In your opinion, why would the lengthiness of Shakespeare's first publication after his death affect the authorship debate?
31. Why is the Droeshout portrait (the picture in the first folio) of Shakespeare considered the most authentic?
32. What were the titles of the two long poems that Shakespeare published after becoming a well-known playwright?
33. What year was Shakespeare's sonnets published?
34. What is a quarto?
35. During Shakespeare's lifetime, about what percent of his plays were printed as one-play quartos?
36. What is the discrepancy in Shakespeare's many quartos, as well as, his first folio?
37. When was Shakespeare's second, third, and forth folios published?
38. What is the difference between the first/second folio and the third/forth folio?
39. Why did Shakespeare's plays that were published in the first folio and original quartos present challenges to later editors?
40. Who is Nicolas Rowe? What major contribution did he make to Shakespeare's plays?
41. During which century did Shakespeare start making its way into classroom curriculum?
Go to: http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/authorship/authorship_oxford_arguments.htm
26. What are three key arguments the author gives for believing Shakespeare did not really write what is credited to him?
Go to: http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/authorship/authorship_shakespeare.htm
27. What are three key arguments that Shakespeare really did write everything that is credited to him?
28. Define folio.
Go to: https://www.folger.edu/publishing-shakespeare#firstfolio
29. How many years after Shakespeare's death was his first folio published? By whom?
30. In your opinion, why would the lengthiness of Shakespeare's first publication after his death affect the authorship debate?
31. Why is the Droeshout portrait (the picture in the first folio) of Shakespeare considered the most authentic?
32. What were the titles of the two long poems that Shakespeare published after becoming a well-known playwright?
33. What year was Shakespeare's sonnets published?
34. What is a quarto?
35. During Shakespeare's lifetime, about what percent of his plays were printed as one-play quartos?
36. What is the discrepancy in Shakespeare's many quartos, as well as, his first folio?
37. When was Shakespeare's second, third, and forth folios published?
38. What is the difference between the first/second folio and the third/forth folio?
39. Why did Shakespeare's plays that were published in the first folio and original quartos present challenges to later editors?
40. Who is Nicolas Rowe? What major contribution did he make to Shakespeare's plays?
41. During which century did Shakespeare start making its way into classroom curriculum?
Renaissance Fashion
Go to: http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~cfinlay/sumptuary.html
42. Why was there a vast difference in the attire the different social classes wore?
43. What was the common attire for the lower classes?
44. Why was cotton prohibited in Elizabethan era England? When was this prohibition lifted? Why?
45. What types of fabric did the upper classes wear?
46. How were the clothes made at the time?
47. According to the article, what one thing does Renaissance fashion and today's fashion have in common?
48. Describe woman's fashion.
49. Describe men's fashion.
50. What was children's fashion like at the time?
51. Describe the Sumptuary Statues. Who put the law in place originally? For what reason?
52. Describe the specific items restricted in Elizabeth the First's 1574 statute.
53. How did the theaters at the time break the statutes?
Go to: http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~cfinlay/sumptuary.html
42. Why was there a vast difference in the attire the different social classes wore?
43. What was the common attire for the lower classes?
44. Why was cotton prohibited in Elizabethan era England? When was this prohibition lifted? Why?
45. What types of fabric did the upper classes wear?
46. How were the clothes made at the time?
47. According to the article, what one thing does Renaissance fashion and today's fashion have in common?
48. Describe woman's fashion.
49. Describe men's fashion.
50. What was children's fashion like at the time?
51. Describe the Sumptuary Statues. Who put the law in place originally? For what reason?
52. Describe the specific items restricted in Elizabeth the First's 1574 statute.
53. How did the theaters at the time break the statutes?