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Humanities 9
Romeo and Juliet
Background Information
Viewing Guide
1.
Where does our knowledge about Shakespeare come from?
His work: his plays, his sonnets, and some historical documents
2. Year of birth: 1564 (April 23rd)
Place of birth: Stratford upon Avon
Education: He benefited from schooling up until about age 14. He learned Latin and
many of the classics.
Year of death: 1616 (April 23rd  died on his birthday)
3. Describe Shakespeare’s parents: John was from a farming family. He became a
glover, a money lender, a wool dealer, and eventually high Bailiff. Mother Mary was
intelligent and also from a well to do farming (land owning) family
4. Describe Shakespeare’s first experiences with the theater: His father would take
him to the traveling festivals where the traveling players would put in shows, sing,
and dance. (age 11)
5. What was the name of Shakespeare’s theatrical company?
He started in the group called Lord Chamberlin’s Men but his troop (in which he was part
owner) was the King’s Men (for King James 1)
6.
How many plays did Shakespeare write?
37
7. What types of plays did Shakespeare write?
All different : tragedies, comedies, historical plays, romances, …
8. What might Shakespeare have done in his 20s? From where does such speculation
come?
Since he was out of school and his fame as a writer came in his late twenties, his early
twenties are a mystery. Based on some of the characters in his plays (on which he likely
based on himself) it is believed he could have been a soldier, a sailor, even a teacher.
9.
What was the name of the theater in which he performed?
The Globe theatre was the first one in which he acted and wrote, and then it was shut down
and torn down and relocated in the “seedy” red light /brothel district of Suffolk where it
was called The New Globe theatre and he was part owner (here he made all money from the
sales)
10. What was the name of Shakespeare’s wife? Their children?
Anne Hathaway. She was 26 and he was 18 when she got pregnant and they were forced
to marry. Susannah was their first child and then they had twins Hamnet (boy) and
Judith (another girl)
11. Who played the women’s parts? Men. And the girls’ parts were played by young boys
who were frailer looking and had higher voices.
12. It was believed that Shakespeare dedicated his sonnets to two people. Who were
they? The earl of SouthHapmpton, who was his patron and lover, and the Dark Lady.
He seemed torn in his love for both of them, most likely because his love for the
earl could not by open (homosexuality was a sin and not socially accepted. The earl
also had lots of other lovers) and the dark lady and he seemed to have a volatile
relationship at best.
13. How did Shakespeare’s plays change after the death of Hamnet?
They became very angry, dark, and psychologically/ deeply layered. He seemed to be
able to delve into people’s most base feelings and articulate them clearly.