Shakespeare Biography
Brief History of William Shakespeare /Terms
Shakespeare was born in April of 1564. He did not receive a lot of education, attending Stratford grammar school specifically serving prominent citizens. Nobody really knows how long Shakespeare attended, but it is believed to be the only education he received. On November 28, 1582 Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. At the time of their marriage Shakespeare was only 18 and Hathaway was 26. They had a daughter named Susanna on May 26, 1582. Two years later Hathaway gave birth to twin boys, Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died when he was eleven years old.
In 1592 Shakespeare successfully established himself as a playwright and actor. Shakespeare's work in the theaters came to a sudden stop in January of 1593 when the theaters closed because of the plague. The company that Shakespeare worked for was called "Lord Chamberlain's Men." This name was later changed to "The King's Men" after King James I took over in 1603. This company became the biggest and most famous acting company. Shakespeare became very wealthy as a director, writer, actor, and stockholder in "The King's Men."
Shakespeare had retired and left London in 1611. On March 25, 1616 he made a will and later died on April 23, 1616 at the age of 52.
Key terms for understanding Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
Roman Play: This is used to describe the three Shakespeare plays that are set in Ancient Rome. These plays include; Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, and Coriolanus, which are based on Plutarch's Lives.
Tragedies: They trace the loves of important people from a state of comfort and security to despair and dissolution. They are multigeneric. They develop through carefully interwoven multiple plots. They repeatedly dramatize moral ambiguity.
Antagonist: A person or force, which opposes the protagonist in a literary work
Protagonist: The hero or central character of a literary work. In accomplishing his or her objective, the protagonist is hindered by some opposing force either human (one of Batman's antagonists is The Joker).
Soliloquy: In drama, a moment when a character is alone and speaks his or her thoughts aloud.
ambition: for the Elizabethans the word had the special meaning of unscrupulous pursuit of power (Act 1. Scene II, Act 2. Scene I, Act 3. Scene I, & Act 3. Scene II.)
augurers: priests who interpreted omens (Act 2. Scene I, & Act 2. Scene II.)
betimes: at once. (Act 2. Scene I, & Act 4. Scene III.)
bird of night: the owl (Act 1. Scene III.)
carrion men: decaying corpses. (Act 3. Scene I.)
carrions: living carcasses (Act 2. Scene I.)
chafing with: beating on. (Act 1. Scene II.)
charactery: what is written upon, i.e., the meaning. (Act 2. Scene I.)
cobbler: this means bungler as well as shoemaker. (Act 1. Scene I.)
dropping  fire: thunderbolts. (Act 1. Scene III.)
coronets: small crown, or perhaps a laurel wreath. (Act 1. Scene II.)
factious: active. (Act 1. Scene III.)
falling sickness: epilepsy. (Act 1. Scene II.)
from the main: not the strong. (Act 2. Scene I.)
high-sighted: ambitious. (Act 2. Scene I.)
lethe: in classical mythology Lethe was a river in Hades, the waters of which induced forgetfulness. (Act 3. Scene I.)
naughty: insolent, wicked. A stronger term for the Elizabethans than for us. the association is with death generally. (Act 1. Scene I.)
prodigies: unnatural events. (Act 1. Scene III, & Act 2. Scene I.)
put to silence: a euphemism for executed. (Act 1. Scene II.)
quick mettle: mentally sharp. (Act I. Scene II.)
rheumy: moist. (Act 2. Scene I.)
several bastardy: not true Roman blood. (Act 2. Scene I.)
sick offence: harmful illness. (Act 2. Scene I.)
stand close: stand back, conceal yourself. (Act 1. Scene III.)
well conceited: both correctly conceived and aptly expressed. (Act 1. Scene III.)
your mind hold: if you don't change your mind; if you are still sane. (Act 1 Scene II.)
These key terms were from The Tragedy of Julius Caesar in The Norton Shakespeare. Click here for an online version of the text
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