WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Before we read the play “Romeo and Juliet” we need to learn a little bit about the author William Shakespeare. Who was he, when did he live?

To learn about him we are going to use two web sites. With your partner, answer the questions listed below. First, copy and paste this page into a word document and then save it to your directory. You can then work off that document and print it when you are finished.

start here Find information on “Shakespeares Life and Times” then answer the questions below.

• Where did Shakespeare get his ideas from?
• Did he expect his plays to be studied or even published?
• How long did it take him to write a play?
• Why did he write his plays?
• Was he successful?
• How were his feelings about his poetry different than his feelings about his plays?

Continue using that same web site, but now research the Globe Theater and answer these questions:

• What was it like to watch a play as a groundling? As a rich person?
• Was there any interaction between the actors and their audience?
• Was it quiet in the theatre?
• Who played the ladies' roles in the plays?
• What was the difference between the Globe and the Blackfriar's theatre?

Now, do you think you learned something about William Shakespeare? Go to this site, check out the time line first and then take the online quiz. Keep track of your percentage.

http://daphne.palomar.edu/shakespeare/default.htm

Write a short paragraph below about how you did on the quiz. Include something you learned that you did not know before doing this activity.