“The Greatest Playwright”

THE LITERARY PARTY DEVOTED TO

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

1564-1616

 

The Topic of the Party:

“The Greatest Playwright”

Practical Objective:

development of monological speech skills

Educational Objective:

to widen the pupils’ knowledge and outlook on

William Shakespeare’s life and his literary activity.

Developing objective:

to develop quickness of understanding, speech reaction,

language guess work and logical thinking.

Educative Objective:

to foster the pupils to love poetry and  to be interested

 in foreign writers’ poetry

 

На дошці:

 

All the world’s a stage,

and all the men and women are merely players.

William Shakespeare

 

Procedure

Dear friends!

We are glad to meet you at our literary party. It isn’t ordinary. It is dedicated to William Shakespeare – the greatest English poet and playwright.

Reporter 1

William Shakespeare. Some facts from the biography

Dear friends!

I am very pleased to be able to communicate with you and to welcome you to the whole range of facts available from my report. I know that some of you are already familiar with Shakespeare’s biography and hope that many more of you will know something interesting.

Little indeed can be told about the life of Shakespeare with certainty. Even the year of his birth is much doubted. It is considered that W. Shakespeare, one of the greatest writers, was born on the 23d of April in 1564 in a little town called Stratford-on-Avon about one hundred kilometers from London. His native place is generally described as being in the centre of England.

He was born in the family of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden in a well-built house of stone which was two storeys high with small windows, cut in the roof. The house is still standing. It is a museum.

Shakespeare’s father, John Shakespeare, came to Stratford from the country and had a shop there. He wasn’t a rich man and after finishing school, William had started helping his father in many ways.

William was the eldest son and the third child in the family of eight children. Very little is known about his life, especially about his early years. In his seventh year, the boy was placed at the Grammar School of his native town. The priest of the church was also the schoolmaster. At school the boy learned to read and spell  and was taught his “little Latin and less Greek”. For several years he went to school in Stratford. He studied there for six years. On leaving school, Shakespeare began to learn foreign languages in earnest. His teacher was an Italian who taught him his native language and brushed up his Latin and Greek.

He left school because his father fell into debts and William had to help him in a trade. It is known that his father was a man of some importance in Stratford. He was one of the town officers and a dealer in products of the farm. His father was engaged in the wool industry and occupied different municipal posts.

When William was little more than eighteen he married Anne Hathaway, the daughter of a respectable family. Her father was a rich farmer. It is said that his marriage was not a happy one. Anne was eight years older than her husband. Three children were born. They had a daughter Susanna and twins Hamlet and Judith.

It became difficult for Shakespeare to keep such a large family. So in 1585 he left Stratford for London in the hope of making money there. He was a little older than twenty when he came to the capital of England.

Little is known of what Shakespeare did or how he lived the first five years of his life in London, but it is known almost for sure that he suffered from lack of money. Probably he earned first money by looking after the horses of rich men who came to see plays in the theatre.

Shakespeare managed to join the theatre soon after he came to London, and worked there not only as an actor, but wrote the plays as well. Shakespeare was a bad and unsuccessful actor.

But he started writing plays for the theatre soon after he began working there. He wrote new plays almost every year between 1590 and 1613. In some years he wrote one play, more often two and in some years even three new plays. Almost all his tragedies and comedies were success and very soon he became quite famous in London.

There were always many people at the theatre when Shakespeare’s plays were on. So he started earning more and his life became much better. He wrote for the people of London and the people of London loved him. Shakespeare stayed in London for about twenty-five years.

Although Shakespeare made London his home, he probably often visited Stratford, where his family continued to live. Shakespeare bought the largest house in his native town in 1597, paid his father’s debts, but he didn’t spend much time in Stratford. In 1611, at the height of his fame, he returned to Stratford. There he spent the last days of his life. He died on the 23d of April in 1616.

He died at the age of 52 and was buried in a fine old Parish Church at Stratford. It was Shakespeare’s own request to bury him in Stratford. His body was buried in Stratford, not in Westminster Abbey where there are tombs of many famous English writers and poets.

His tomb in the Stratford Church has four lines that are said to have been written by himself :

“Good friend, for Jesus’ sake, forbear

To dig the dust enclosed here;

Blessed be he that spares these stones

And cursed be that moves my bones.”

It is believed that these lines have prevented the removal of his remains from his native place to Westminster Abbey. A memorial statue of him is set up in Poets’ Corner.

Reporter 2

William Shakespeare and his time

Dear friends!

I am very glad to be the participant of this literary party. I would like to make a report about Shakespeare’s time.

Shakespeare’s time (the second half of the 16 th century) was an era when England became one of the strongest countries in the world. England’s famous Queen Elizabeth I wanted her country to be the leading power in all Europe, and she succeeded in making it one.

English armies were seen again and again on the Continent. Elizabeth never forgot that the English kings had once owned a large part of France. Her armies fought against the unruly Scotsmen in the north of the island of Great Britain, enslaving them.

But perhaps the English fleet was even more important than the army. English ships were not large, but they usually fought very well. In those days, the captains of English ships were often not much better than pirates. They attacked Spanish and French ships whenever they met them in the ocean. Queen Elizabeth did not punish them, she even rewarded those who brought a big plunder.

They were able to fight not only as separate ships, but as a fleet as well. Though the Spanish fleet was called the “Invincible Armada”, it was thoroughly beaten by the English. England was becoming the sovereign of the seas and this meant a possibility of gaining new lands and colonies.

Trade began to prosper, new relations were established. There were contacts even with the far-away Russia, a Russian Merchant Company appeared in London. Captain Drake circumnavigated the globe. Captain Raleigh organized the first colony in North America and reached the heart of the South American continent.

It is not by chance that the scene of many plays by William Shakespeare is laid in distant lands: Italy, Spain, Egypt, Denmark. The air of long voyages bursts into his plays.

Queen Elizabeth liked to think that her city was the capital of the world. London in the sixteenth century was a great metropolis. England was one of the leading trading countries and ships came to the Thames from every corner of the globe. It was an optimistic time and this optimism can be seen in many of Shakespeare’s comedies.

This was the time of enthusiasm and activity, a general striving for knowledge. Science, art and education got rid of old superstitions. The universities were lacking in teachers to spread the ideas of modern thought.

Francis Bacon was shaping his practical philosophy, Edmund Spencer was reviving classical poetry, Christopher Marlowe was reforming classical drama. Shakespeare became the greatest poet and dramatist of his age who managed to express its spirits and ideals.

But at the same time most people of Shakespeare’s time did not know the laws of nature. They thought that the Sun and all the planets went round the Earth; that the Earth was the centre of the Universe.

They believed that the sea and countries far from England were full of strange animals and dragons, that potatoes grew on trees in America. Such mistakes can be found in Shakespeare’s plays, he was not a very good geographer and historian, but we forgot about it when we think of the great problems his plays present: problems that are still alive today.

The plays at that time were presented in a theatre which is not like the ones we know today. The action of the play took place on the platform and the balcony over it. The actors were in costumes, but there were no stage decorations. A sign at the side informed the audience that this was a “Garden”, “In front of the Castle”, “On the Seashore”. The audience had to imagine where the story was taking place.

Reporter 3

William Shakespeare and his theatre

Dear friends!

The theme of my investigation is Shakespeare’s theatre. I have read a lot of literature on this problem. I would like to make a report about it.

Shakespeare’s theatre did not look like our modern theatres. It was a high round building without any roof except over the stage and people sat and stood around the stage right under the sky. So the people did not always enjoy the play; it was not easy to stand in the rain, for example. In late autumn and early spring it was very cold. In winter the theatres were always closed.

As there was no artificial light in those days, the plays could not take place at night or even in the evening. So they took place in the daytime, between one and three o’clock in the afternoon. So as to show to everybody that a play was going on the at the theatre, a flag was put up above the building.

Then there was no scenery either good or bad, and the public was informed about the place where the play was going on by a paper put up in such a way that the people could easily read it. There it was written: field, seacoast, wood and so on. Sometimes the actors told the public where they were.

There were no actresses in those days. Women were not allowed to work in theatres. Boys played all the parts of girls and women. A boy first played the parts of women and when he grew up he started playing men’s parts at the same theatre.

The actors were often partners in the theatre business. Shakespeare was one of the partners in the theatre where he played and for which he wrote his dramas. This was the famous Globe.

After his arrival to London Shakespeare joined Richard Burbage’s company of players who soon began to perform at “The Globe”. He became a part-proprietor of the theatre and adopted a double profession of actor and dramatist. He was a very good actor but he seldom had a chance to play the principal roles even in his own plays. Richard Burbage, a far worse actor, was always the first Romeo, the first Othello and the first Hamlet.

We are told that Shakespeare himself only played the Ghost of Hamlet’s father and sometimes he even played women’s parts which at that time were played by men. Although the beginning of his career was troublous and difficult, he soon became the favourite dramatist of his age. The Queen showed her admiration of his genius, some noblemen passed away their time in London going to his plays every day. “The Globe” prospered.

Although the audience favoured his own plays most, Shakespeare as an honest manager never refused to read the plays of younger playwrights. It was he who first recommended the play of Ben Johnson to the public and the plays of this author are still on the stage of British theatres. Ben Johnson and Shakespeare became friends.

Reporter 4

William Shakespeare and his plays

Dear friends!

I was proposed to take the floor during this literary party. My speech is devoted to Shakespeare and his plays. By the way William Shakespeare is my favourite playwright. His plays are famous in all countries. In England there is a special Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-on-Avon. A Shakespeare festival is held here every year and people come from all over the world to honour England’s greatest dramatist. All Shakespearean plays are staged or have been staged in this theatre and though Stratford is a small town, the house is always packed.

Before the terrible plague that raged through England, Shakespeare’s plays were notable for their light wit and optimism. His comedies such as “Two Gentlemen of Verona”, “The Comedy of Errors”, “All’s Well That Ends Well”, “The Taming of the Shrew” are written in his playful manner and the bright spirit of the Renaissance. The heroes are the creators of their own fate and the scene is laid mostly in Italy.

These plays enjoy great popularity with the audience until now. Many of them have been screened and the best actors played the principal roles. Here you can see Elizabeth Taylor, a famous American actress, playing the part of Catharine in “The Taming of the Shrew”.

But at the same time he produces some of his historical plays, telling about the War of the Roses full of dramatic tension. This was the war of two royal families, that had brought much disaster to the country.

He reaches the height of tragedy in his plays about the villain – King Richard III. The part of Richard III attracted many first-class actors who became interested in the idea to play absolute evil. A famous English actor Lawrence Olivier was a great success in this role.

Many critics think that Shakespeare’s best works were written after 1592, when the plague raged throughout England and the theatres were closed. The tragedy suffered by his people was revealed in his tragic plays. These are his greatest tragedies such as “Romeo and Juliet”, “Hamlet”, “Othello”, “King Lear” and “Macbeth”.

But there are also beautiful comedies of this period: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “Merry Wives of Windsor”, “As You Like It” and “Twelfth Night”. All these plays are about love, and the heroes rely on their cleverness to achieve happiness. In his comedies he mocks hypocrisy, evil spirit, self-interest and envy.

Merry and spectacular comedies of this period remain favourite plays of modern theatre-goers.

At the beginning of the 17^th century Shakespeare wrote most of his Roman plays, presenting different epochs of ancient history. They are “Anthony and Cleopatra”, “Coriolanus”, “Timon of Athens”, “Pericles”, “Titus Andronicus” and “Julius Caesar”.

Shakespeare is greatly interested in the problems of man and power, hero and mediocrity. He gave his own interpretation of history which was always a convincing one. Lawrence Olivier and Vivien Leigh who played the parts of Anthony and Cleopatra in the London production of Shakespeare’s play were probably among the best performers of these parts and those who saw the play will remember their acting for a long time.

It is interesting to note that almost all plots of Shakespeare’s plays were not original. He took them from the works of other authors. At that time the audience was rather ignorant and the playwrights tried to attract it to the world literature through their plays. Shakespeare took his plots from history, old legends, novels and poems, he also used Plutarch’s “Historical Portraits”. The plot of “Othello” and “Twelfth Night” was taken from Italian novels and those of “Hamlet” and “King Lear” – from early English authors. But every borrowed plot began to live a new life in his plays.

At the end of his life Shakespeare retired to Stratford. There he created his third cycle of plays called the “romantic dramas”. These are the plays “Cymbeline”, “The Winter’s Tale”, “The Tempest”. The emotional and ideological conflicts in these plays are less strong. Shakespeare transports us to the world of fantasy and allegory. These plays are less popular than those of he previous periods, they are staged mainly in England.

Shakespeare’s plays are often blemed for their supposed irregularity of construction. But though they are in reality composed in strictest accordance with the essential rules of dramatic art, this seeming irregularity is what makes the plays eternal. Shakespeare pays no attention to arbitrary rules of classic drama, the action takes place in different places – from king’s palace to the graveyard, many years pass between the two acts, and some side-lines are often more vivid and expressive than the main ones. Moral and psychological truth is with him more important than mere beauty of style

 

 

Reporter 5

William Shakespeare and his characters

Dear friends!

I am very glad to be the participant of this literary party. My report is devoted to Shakespeare’s characters. I came to the conclusion that you won’t find ideal characters in Shakespeare’s plays. He considered that such characters should be in the Bible and moral literature. Even his favourite characters have certain drawbacks: Romeo likes merry escapades with his friends, he is hot-tempered and lacks self-control. Hamlet is stern and cold with the woman he loves. But these drawbacks make the characters more human.

As in real life his characters are gradually unfolded to us, and it is only in the end that we come to know them completely. A light-minded Fool in “King Lear” proves to be the most faithful friend. And as in real life, we have no second copy of one and the same individual. His kings, fools, lovers and wits have each their distinguishing traits, nor are any two alike, even though they may seem so to a superficial observer. It is impossible to ascribe any important speech or incident to the wrong person. Every character has a face of his own.

We find Shakespeare’s humanistic ideas in all his plays, of course. But they are presented most clearly in his great philosophical tragedies. “Hamlet” is the story of a man who loved good and hated evil, who loved truth and hated lies. He thought more about all the people in the world than he did about himself. He thinks about his time and decides that it is a bad time, a sick time, and he is ready to give his life to bring a better era to his people.

Hamlet is a thinking person who detests murder. He studies the people around him, their hopes and passions, he is eager to forgive their weakness but he cannot forgive meanness. The character of Hamlet is one of the most difficult in world literature. It is not yet discovered in full. This role was played by the best actors of all times and peoples. John Gielgud in London theatres was one of the best in England, whereas poet and actor Vladimir Vysotsky was brilliant in Russia.

“King Lear” is the story of a man who was so proud, so egoistic that he could not understand the world around him. He heard only what he wanted to hear; he saw only what he wanted to see. He believed the lies that his eldest daughters told him, because they were pleasant. He refused to believe his youngest daughter, who told him the unpleasant truth. And it is only when he has lost everything, when he is cold and alone, that he realizes he has been wrong. King Lear suffers deeply and we suffer together with him. Together with him we learn the lesson always to look for truth in life, not to listen to lies, even though they may be pleasant to our ears. The role of King Lear is very difficult because an actor has to maintain the tragic tenseness all through the play. Only great artists could show the suffering of the King abandoned by his daughters. Here you can see the great tragic actor Lawrence Olivier, whom you came to know already, in the part of King Lear.

“Romeo and Juliet” is one of the greatest love-stories in the world. Two young people fall in love and want to marry. But their families have quarreled, and they will never allow the boy and girl to unite their lives. The young people do everything in their power to escape from the anger and hatred around them. But they can find no way out of their terrible situation and they die.

“Romeo and Juliet” is often called an optimistic tragedy. Although the main characters both die, their death brings the two families together. “Romeo and Juliet” is staged in all kinds of theatres, sometimes as a play and sometimes as an opera or ballet.

Shakespeare’s work is more alive and well known today than it ever has been in the past. His name and his wonderful art will never die.

 

Thank you, dear friends. You helped us to learn better the literary legacy of a famous English poet and playwright, William Shakespeare.