Introduction
Shakespeare has been called the greatest writer who ever lived. People put on his plays a gazillion times a year all over the world. Audiences, young and old, love the action-packed comedies and tragedies. His characters are all manner of men and women.
He used the English language like a magic wand. In his writing, he used a massive vocabulary of 29,000 words.(His writing totally entertained both the educated and the common people. His writing is just that rich.
Developing a love of Shakespeare gives a person a real gift. Many people hated Shakespeare in school, because they did not have sufficient help appreciating the richness of his writing. Many of us hated his writing, because we were clueless about what it meant. So, developing a love for the excitement in his work at a young age is a priceless gain.
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Task
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So, you think you would like to know a little more about William Shakespeare? You have come to the right place. Hopefully, you have read some of his works (versions written for young people). If not, no problem! You are in for the adventure of your life. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to gain as much information about Shakespeare as possible. You will be provided with the appropriate sources and questions that must be answered using these sources. You will have two class periods to complete this lesson. Please be aware of time, as anything that is not completed in school must be completed at home. |
Process
Let's get started!
Activity 1: William Shakespeare: An introduction to his life
Read the biography on Shakespeare below and try to complete the missing information. Then, visit:http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/people/william_shakespeare to find the correct information and complete the short biography.
Shakespeare was born in ________ ________ ________ in Warwickshire. His father was a ________merchant and ________ maker. It is believed he schooled locally at ________ _________ ________ Grammar School.
At 18 he celebrated his marriage to ________ ________. They married in ________ and in total had ________ children together. Firstly ________ and then ________ Hamnet and Judith. Sadly Hamnet died at the age of ________.
As well as being a playwright Shakespeare was also an ________ and was one of the managing partners in Lord Chamberlain’s Theatre Company, later renamed the King’s Company.
As a playwright Shakespeare was ________ and from 1594 to 1611 he wrote about ________ plays per ________. Most of his early plays were ________ and ________. Due to his increased success, in ________ Shakespeare was able to move upmarket to Silver Street. It was here he wrote King Lear,Macbeth, Othello and his classic play ________.
The final years of his life were spent in ________ ________ in Stratford. He died aged ________ on 23rd April 1616. He famously left his ________ ________ bed to his wife Anne Hathaway. The reason for this is unknown.
Religion in Elizabethan England Click here
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1. What were the two major religions in Elizabethan England? 2. Who dictated the favoured religion? 3. Which Monarchs reigned during this time? When? 4. Which religion did each Monarch believe in? 5. How did each Monarch treat those who did not follow their favoured religion? Elizabethan Period Click here 6. What was the Elizabethan Period? 7. When was this period? 8. What was the most significant invention of this time and why? 9. What did this lead to a renewed interest in? 10. During this period, what were unexplained events blamed on? 11. Why were people of this period superstitious? 12. What were the four humours and what were they associated with? Click here to answer question 20.
13. What was the general feeling towards plays during this period in time? 14. What was the name of the first theatre? 15. What was the name of them most famous theatre? 16. What happened to this theatre? 17. Where did people sit or not sit? 18. When did they have performances? Why? 19. How many women performed in these plays? 20. what did the audience do if they didn't like the performance? Shakespeare's Influence Click here to answer these questions 21. What does Shakespeare's work provide reference for? 22. What were Shakespeare's histories a tribute to? 23. What was Shakespeare attempting to do with these tributes? Click here to answer questions 41-43. 24. How many words did Shakespeare invent? 25. Give an example of a word or phrase we have gotten from Shakespeare. 26. Name one poet who was influenced by Shakespeare. BONUS: Click here for more words or phrases from Shakespeare. Write down two that you know and explain what they mean. We all know that Shakespeare's language is a little different from ours--hey, it was written a few hundred years ago. Click on this link to be insulted "professionally." (which we will see plenty of in the play)!
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Evaluation
For this task you will be assessed on the completion of the webquest. This includes answering the questions in full sentences in your own words.
DO NOT REPEAT ANSWERS WORD FOR WORD FROM THE WEBSITES!
Conclusion
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