1. Shakespeare Factfinding.
The man himself
When was William Shakespeare alive? ..................................................................
Who was King/Queen at the time? ..................................................................
Where did he live? ..................................................................
What was his wife called? ……………………………………………………………….
Look up The Globe Theatre.
What shape was the globe? .................................................................
How many people could it accommodate?..............................................................
How many levels were there? …………………………………………………………….
What were they called? ……………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………..
What were the people called who had to stand at the bottom?.....………………
Where were the most expensive seating areas? …………………………………………….
What was the roof made out of? ………………………………………………………….…..
Draw a rough (but neat) diagram of the stage.
(Include trapdoors, doors and balconys).
His works

2. How many plays did he write? …………………………………………………………………
Name 6 plays ………………………………………………………..……….
…………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………
What ‘types’ (style/genre) of plays did he write? …………………………………
………………………………………………………………..
What are the some of the main themes of his plays?..............................
………………………………………………………………..
What is a ‘sonnet’ (exactly)? ………………………………………………………………..
What is a ‘neologism’? ………………………………………………………………..
Much Ado About Nothing.
What does the word ‘ado’ mean? ……………………………………………………………….
What is the genre of the play? ……………………………………………………………….
What is its main theme? ……………………………………………………………….
Name the main characters ……………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………….
Marriage.
What is a ‘dowry’? ……………………………………………………………….
Why did people have arranged marriages? ………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Can you find any significant changes in rules of courtship and marriage to
the ones we have today?
Especially expectations of women and ages difference.
……………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………….
The Globe 2.
What was it made of? ……………………………………………………………..
What play was being performed when it burnt down? …………………………………..
What year? ……………………………………………………………..
Why did the Puritans close the theatre down? ……………………………………………..
How many trap doors did the stage have? …………………………………………………………
What were they used for? ……………………………………………………………….
Extension Questions.
Why is Much Ado About Nothing sometimes called ‘Much Ado About
Noting’?……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………….

3. ……………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………….
……………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………
Shakespearian tragedies and comedies always followed a formula – can
you find what they are and especially how they end?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Why has Shakespeare’s religion been questioned? Why was this
important? How could he influence people?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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What was the name of the theatre group Shakespeare originally belonged
to? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
What did this change to? Why?…………………………………………………………………………..