Download Group #1: William Shakespeare

Group #1: William Shakespeare
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Date and location of birth: April
23, 1564 in Stratford-UponAvon, England
Date, location, and cause of
death? April 23, 1616 at age
52. Buried at the Holy Trinity
Church.
Who was he married to? Did he
have any children? Anne
Hathaway and 3 children
Of what did his education
consist? Just grammar school;
Stopped school after age 14
Overview of his career: 38 plays,
154 sonnets, 2 long narrative
poems. Became partner in
Globe theater productions.
Who were his peers? What
influenced him? Richard
Burbage (famous actor), Sir
Walter Raleigh
(writer/spy/aristocrat who
helped colonize North
America), Christopher Marlowe
(Famous playwrite).
Influences: history, everyday
events (jealousy, love, etc.)
Describe the Elizabethan
lifestyle: food, clothing,
entertainment, etc.
Food- Anything that could be
hunted was. Meat was dried
and kept in storage.
Clothing- Many layers of clothes.
The style for women was small
waist, big skirt, powdered faces.
For men they wore stockings,
britches, ornate shirts.
Entertainment- jousting,
festivals, dances, bear and bull
bating, gambling, hawking, etc.
Group #2: The Globe Theater
What was the Globe Theatre? An open
air theater that Shakespeare’s company,
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men (a group of
traveling actors), performed.
The theater consisted of the stage, the pit,
the yard, and the galleries as well as
dressing rooms for men.
What was the layout, cost of tickets,
and method of lighting? The theater was
in the shape of an octagon. It was three
stories high and held 3,000 people. The
stage was 43 feet wide and 30 feet deep.
The stage had trap doors and rigging for
stage effects.
Cost- depended on the seats, usually 1-30
pennies. Expensive seats were as much as
half a crown (30 pennies). Groundlingscheap seats. Cost a penny and people had
to stand and look up at the stage and
actors.
Lighting- Plays were to be performed
during the day because there was no
electricity. Usually ended by 4 or 5.
Label the parts of the theater. Who
attended performances? The queen of
England (Elizabeth) attended
performances.
Who were the actors, playwrights, and
producers? Actors- Lord Chamberlain’s
Men
Who was the audience? All classes of
people would come and see the theater; it
united all.
What was a day at the theatre like?
--If it rained, people got wet.
--They were big productions and people
spent hours at the theater. There were
vendors selling produce and goods in the
streets outside the theater.
--If there was a show that day a flag
would be raised, signifying there is a play
taking place.
Describe the major events in the history
of the theater.
- Opened in 1599
- In 1613 the original theater burned
down (due to a cannon firing).
- Shut down by the Puritans until
it’s rediscovery in 1989
- Richard Burbage built the original
building
Who is the man Julius Caesar?
Group #3: Julius Caesar
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What was his
origin/background? Born July 12 in
100 BC and died March 15 44 BC.
Born in Sabura, Rome. His family was
noble, patrician roots. He was a
Roman General.
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Was he married? Did he have
children? First marriage to Cornelia
Cinnilla, from 83 BC until her death in
childbirth in 69 or 68 BC
Second marriage to Pompeia, from
67 BC until he divorced her around 61
BC
Third marriage to Calpurnia
Pisonis, from 59 BC until Caesar's
death
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Descr-Describe his career.
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- King Ptolemy XIII of Alexandria and
Egypt
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- King Pharnaces II of Pontus (“I came, I
saw, I conquered”)
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-The Pompeian armies
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-Before rising to power as the first Roman
Emperor.
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-Who were his friends? Who were his
enemies? Was murdered by his own
senators at a meeting hall next to
Pompey’s theater. Murdered by his own
friend, Marcus Brutus, who led the
stabbing.
--Had an affair with Queen Cleopatra.
--Mark Antony and Octavious, his
adopted son (technically his nephew) were
his friends.
How did the Roman people feel about
him?
Caesar had the support of the masses since
he built Rome into the powerhouse he was
but the senators were largely against his
plight for power.
Roman form of government:
DefineSenator: 600 men from Patrician roots
that debated political decisions and
ultimately had to approve ideas
Praetor: 8 voted representatives of the
magistrates that were responsible for the
administration of justice in specific
territories.
Consul: 2 elected officials that had
judicial power over the Army. They had
to agree on their decisions and could only
serve for 1 year terms.
Triumvirate: Triumvirate means 3 men
and refers to a group of three men who
hold political power, regardless of
whether or not the trio has been elected.
The first Triumvirate consisted of Julius
Caesar, Pompey (Pompeius Magnus) and
Marcus Licinius Crassus formed an
alliance that wielded the real power in
Rome from 60-54 B.C. The second
triumvirate consisted of Octavian
(Augustus), Marcus Aemilius Lepidus,
and Mark Antony. The second triumvirate
was an official body created in 43 B.C.,
known as Triumviri Rei Publicae
Constituendae Consulari Potestate.
Consular power was assigned to the three
men. Usually there were only two elected
consuls.
Group #5: Roman Culture
Plebian: Lower class population; the
common folk. Consisted of 90% of the
population. Could not hold office.
Patrician: Upper class. Came from
ruling tribes of ancient Rome. These men
controlled the senate and elected
representatives.
Bondsman: Free men that worked off
debt.
Tribune: Roman official whose task it
was to protect the people against
oppression. Represented Plebeians.
“People’s voice”
Republic: The form of Roman
government after the kingdom was
overthrown. It’s a system of checks and
balances with a senate and two elected
consuls.
Explain:
the Feast of Lupercal: Fertility Festival
celebrated in the Coliseum
the Ides of March: March 15
Who was Pompey? Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus,
also known as Pompey (/ˈpɒmpiː/) or Pompey the
Great (September 29, 106 BC – September 29, 48
BC), was a military and political leader of the late
Roman Republic. He came from a wealthy Italian
provincial background, and established himself in
the ranks of Roman nobility by successful
leadership in several campaigns.
Pompey joined his rival Marcus Licinius Crassus
and his ally Julius Caesar in the unofficial
military-political alliance known as the First
Triumvirate. The first triumvirate was validated by
the marriage between Julia (daughter of Julius
Caesar) and Pompey. After the deaths of Crassus
and Julia, Pompey's wife and Caesar's daughter,
Pompey sided with the optimates, the conservative
and aristocratic faction of the Roman Senate.
Pompey and Caesar contended for the leadership
of the Roman state leading to a civil war. When
Caesar defeated him at the battle of Pharsalus he
sought refuge in Egypt, where he was assassinated.
His career and defeat are significant in Rome's
subsequent transformation from Republic to
Principate and Empire.
Romulus and Remus? Rome’s founders.
Romulus wishes to build the new city on
the Palatine Hill but Remus prefers the
Aventine Hill. They agree to determine
the site through augury. Romulus appears
to receive the more favourable signs but
each claims the results in his favour. In
the disputes that follow, Remus is killed.
Ovid has Romulus invent the festival of
Lemuria to appease Remus' resentful
ghost.[4] Romulus names the new city
Rome, after himself, and goes on to create
the Roman Legions and the Roman
Senate. Rome's population is swelled by
incomers, including landless refugees and
outlaws; most are men. Romulus arranges
the abduction of women from the
neighboring Sabine tribes, which
immediately leads to war but eventually
results in the combination of Sabines and
Romans as one Roman people. Rome
rapidly expands to become a dominant
force in central Italy, due to divine favour
and the inspired administrative, military
and political leadership of Romulus. In
later life Romulus becomes increasingly
autocratic, disappears in mysterious
circumstances and is deified as the god
Quirinus, the divine persona of the Roman
people.
Colossus? Someone or something that is
abnormally large and powerful; giant.
Caesar referred to himself as the colossus
of Rome.
Tarquin? The last known king of Rome
before Rome turned into a republic.
Religion, superstitions and traditions:
- Romans were Pagans, or believed
in many gods and idols.
- March 1st was the first day of new
year
- Girls married at 12 and boys
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married at 14
Choosing a name was an honor
Romans believed objects or living
beings could possess spiritual
power (
Nightmares were considered
omens of bad luck
Believed in “signs” from the Gods
and would have religious vessels
interpret these signs.
Daily life in Rome as a patrician and a plebian:
Patricians: The patricians were the upper
class, the nobility and wealthy land
owners.
Plebeians: The plebeians were the lower
class (about 90% of population).
Nicknamed "plebs", the plebeians
included everyone in ancient Rome
(except for the nobility, the patricians)
from well-to-do tradesmen all the way
down to the very poor. Had no political
stronghold or ranking.
What were their jobs? Social Life: A
wealthy plebeian family and a wealthy
patrician family did not meet socially.
Under the kings, it was illegal for a pleb
and a patrician to marry. In 445 BCE,
about 60 years after the Roman Republic
was formed, a new law was written that
said it was no longer illegal for plebs and
patricians to marry.
Apartment Houses: Many plebeians
lived in apartment houses called flats.
Some the apartments were above or
behind their shops. Even fairly well to do
tradesmen might chose to live in an
apartment-building compound over their
store, with perhaps renters on the upper
stories. Their own apartments might be
quite roomy, sanitary and pleasant,
occasionally with running water. But
others were not that nice.
The Poor, Unsanitary Living
Conditions: In the poorer apartment
houses, an entire plebeian family
(grandparents, parents, children) might all
be crowded into one room, without
running water. They had to haul their
water in from public facilities. Fire was a
very real threat because people were
cooking meals in crowded quarters, and
many of the flats were made of wood.
They did not have toilets. They had to use
public latrines (toilets). The lower class
Romans (plebeians) might have a
breakfast of bread, dry or dipped in wine,
and water. Sometimes olives, cheese, or
raisins were sprinkled on the bread.
Rich and Poor Life Style: The rich had
beautiful mosaics on the floors of their
home. They wore lots of jewelry made of
gold and gemstones. They had beautiful
clothing. They enjoyed a great deal of
leisure time. The poor wore shabby
clothing. Their jewelry was made of
painted clay. They worked all the time.
Group #6: Marcus Brutus, Mark
Antony, Cassius
What did they do for entertainment?
Poetry readings, debated philosophy,
studied astrology, cultivated the arts
(mosaics, statues), put on plays, fished
and hunted, chariot races, gladiator
matches
Who is Marcus Brutus? Marcus Brutus
was a close friend of Caesar who Caesar
took under his wing after he defeated him
in battle. Caesar had an affair with
Brutus’ mother, which is what incited his
sympathy. However, Brutus was uneasy
with the thought of a king of Rome and
was talked into conspiracy by Cassius.
Who is Mark Antony? Marcus Antonius (in
Latin: M·ANTONIVS·M·F·M·N[1]) (January 14, 83 BC
– August 1, 30 BC), known in English as Mark
Antony, was a Roman politician and general. He
was an important supporter and the loyal friend of
Gaius Julius Caesar as a military commander and
administrator, despite his blood ties, through his
mother Julia, to the branch of Caesars opposed to
the Marians and murdered by them. After Caesar's
assassination, Antony formed an official political
alliance with Octavian (Augustus) and Marcus
Aemilius Lepidus, known to historians today as
the Second Triumvirate.
The triumvirate broke up in 33 BC. Disagreement
between Octavian and Antony erupted into civil
war, the Final War of the Roman Republic, in
31 BC. Antony was defeated by Octavian at the
naval Battle of Actium, and in a brief land battle at
Alexandria. He and his lover Cleopatra committed
suicide shortly thereafter. His career and defeat are
significant in Rome's transformation from
Republic to Empire
Who is Cassius? Brother-in-law of
Marcus Brutus, helped convince Brutus to
kill Caesar. Roman senator who took the
lead in planning the assassination of
Caesar. Formerly was under the
commandment of Pompey, Caesar’s once
friend turned enemy.