WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
1564-1616
ROMEO AND JULIET
BY ALL ACCOUNTS, SHAKESPEARE IS THE GREATEST WRITER IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
MORE THAN 350 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH, SHAKESPEARE’S DRAMAS CONTINUE TO BE READ AND PERFORMED AROUND THE WORLD.
HIS NICKNAME WAS THE BARD. THE DEFINITION OF BARD IS POET.
HE WAS BORN ON APRIL 23, 1564 IN THE ENGLISH TOWN OF STRATFORD-ON-AVON, THE TOWN IS STRATFORD ON THE AVON RIVER.
HE DID NOT HAVE A BIRTH CERTIFICATE.
HE WAS BAPTIZED ON APRIL 26 AT THE HOLY TRINITY CHURCH. ACCORDING TO CUSTOM, AN INFANT WAS BAPTIZED THREE DAYS AFTER BIRTH.
WILLIAM GOES TO LONDON IN 1592 WHERE HE QUICKLY DEVELOPS THE REPUTATION AS A GOOD ACTOR BUT AN EVEN BETTER WRITER.
BY 1549, HE WAS PART OWNER AND HEAD PLAYWRIGHT FOR AN ACTING COMPANY CALLED LORD CHAMBERLAIN’S MEN.
IN 1599, SHAKESPEARE BUILT THE GLOBE THEATER.
HE RETIRED IN THE YEAR 1610 AND MOVED BACK TO STRATFORD.
HE DIED ON APRIL 23, 1616 AND IS BURIED IN THE CEMETERY AT HOLY TRINITY CHURCH.
HE IS CREDITED WITH WRITING:
37 PLAYS
154 SONNETS (14 LINED POEMS)
FOR YEARS SCHOLARS AND HISTORIANS HAVE TRIED TO PROVE HE DID NOT WRITE ALL THIRTY-SEVEN PLAYS. NO LUCK SO FAR.
SHAKESPEARE’S DRAMAS CAN BE DIVIDED INTO TRAGEDIES, COMEDIES, AND HISTORIES.
TRAGEDIES
HAMLET
MACBETH
KING LEAR
OTHELLO
COMEDIES
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
AS YOU LIKE IT
HISTORIES
RICHARD II
HENRY V
HENRY VIII
JOHN I
NOW ON TO MACBETH
MACBETH IS THE LAST OF SHAKESPEARE’S FOUR SPIRITUALLY EVIL TRAGEDIES.
THE PLAY WAS COMPOSED IN 1606 FOR KING JAMES.
OTHER SPIRITUALLY EVIL TRAGEDIES ARE HAMLET, OTHELLO, AND KING LEAR.
POLITICAL TRAGEDIES ARE JULIUS CEASAR AND ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA.
MACBETH IS A TRAGEDY. THIS IS A DRAMA WHERE THE MAJOR CHARACTER UNDERGOES A MORAL STRUGGLE THAT ENDS DISASTEROUSLY.
DRAMA IS LITERATURE WRITTEN TO BE PERFORMED IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE.
TRAGEDY IS A DRAMA WHERE THE MAIN CHARACTER CANNOT OVERCOME HIS FLAWS AND DIES.
COMEDY IS A DRAMA WHERE THE MAIN CHARACTER OVERCOMES HIS FLAWS AND LIVES.
MACBETH IS A TRAGIC CHARACTER WHO HAS A TRAGIC FLAW. HIS TRAGIC FLAW IS HIS GREED.
THE SETTING OF THE PLAY IS SCOTLAND.
THERE IS ONE SCENE SET IN ENGLAND.
NORWAY AND IRELAND ARE MENTIONED BUT THE PLAY IS NEVER SET IN EITHER OF THOSE COUNTRIES.
THE ATMOSPHERE IS THE PLAY IS ONE OF GLOOM AND DOOM. IT IS ALMOST ALWAYS DARK WITH BAD WEATHER.
SOLIQUOY IS A SPEECH GIVEN BY AN ACTOR WHEN HE SPEAKS ALONE ON STAGE.
ASIDE IS A SPEECH GIVEN BY AN ACTOR WHERE THE AUDIENCE CAN GET THE THOUGHTS OF THE CHARACTER.
CAST OF CHARACTERS:
MACBETH IS THE THANE OF GLAMIS, A SCOTTISH NOBEL AND GENERAL IN KING DUNCAN’S ARMY. LATER HE WILL RECEIVE THE TITLE THANE OF CAWDOR AND KING OF SCOTLAND. HE BELIEVES THE WITCHES ARE ON HIS SIDE WITH WHAT THEY TELL HIM.
THANE IS A LORD OR BARON WHO HAS PROPERTY AND DOES MILITARY DUTY FOR THE KING.
LADY MACBETH IS MACBETH’S WIFE.
DUNCAN IS THE KING OF SCOTLAND.
MALCOLM IS DUNCAN’S OLDEST SON WHO IS HEIR TO THE THRONE. HE WILL FLEE TO ENGLAND AFTER HIS FATHER’S DEATH.
DONALBAIN IS DUNCAN’S YOUNGEST SON WHO GOES TO IRELAND.
BANQUO IS AN ARMY GENERAL WHO IS MACBETH’S FRIEND. THE WITCHES TELL HIM THAT HE WILL NOT BE A KING, BUT HIS DESCENDENTS WILL BE KINGS.
FLEANCE IS BANQUO’S SON.
MACDUFF IS THE THANE OF FIFE WHO IS MACBETH’S NUMBER ONE ENEMY.
ROSS IS CALLED THE HOLY MAN IN THIS VERSION OF THE PLAY.
SEYTON IS AN OFFICER ATTENDING MACBETH.
THREE MURDERERS WILL ONLY BE TWO IN THIS PLAY. THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR THE THIRD GUY.
THREE WITCHES MAKE MACBETH BELIEVE THEY ARE HELPING HIM WHEN IN REALITY THEY ARE TRYING TO DESTROY HIM. IT IS NEVER EXPLAINED WHY THE WITCHES DO NOT LIKE MACBETH.
HECATE IS THE LEADER OF THE WITCHES.
ORSON WELLES STARS IN THIS VERSION OF THE PLAY.
THE PRODUCTION COMPANY IS THE MERCURY THEATER GROUP.
WELLES BECAME FAMOUS FOR THE 1939 RADIO PLAY WAR OF THE WORLDS. THE PERFORMANCE WAS BASED ON THE NOVEL BY H. G. WELLS
HE IS ALSO FAMOUS FOR THE MOVIE CITIZEN KANE. THE MOVIE WAS LOOSELY BASED ON THE LIFE OF NEWSPAPER TYCOON WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST.