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William Shakespeare Fact File

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William Shakespeare Fact File

Read the fact file, then complete the activities. Use evidence from the text to support your answers.

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in 1564. He created verse and dramas, and also appeared in performances. By the late 1500s, he was working in London with a company of actors called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. They later became known as the King’s Men. Shakespeare’s company performed at the Globe Theatre, an open-air playhouse in London. The audience stood in the yard or paid more for seats in covered galleries. Performances took place while daylight filled the open-air theatre. The stage had little scenery, so actors’ words, costumes and actions helped audiences imagine each place.

Shakespeare wrote comedies, tragedies and histories. Romeo and Juliet tells of two young people from rival families. Hamlet is about a Danish prince who tries to discover the truth after seeing his father’s ghost. Macbeth follows a Scottish nobleman whose ambition leads him towards becoming king, with terrible consequences. Shakespeare also wrote sonnets, which are poems with a set structure. His plays are still performed and studied because they explore ideas such as love, power, jealousy and choices. Some expressions first recorded in his works are still used today. Shakespeare died in 1616, aged 52.

Read the evidence

Use the fact file above to solve the questions.

1.In which year was Shakespeare born, and in which town?

2.Which three roles did Shakespeare have? Choose the correct set.

Poet, playwright and actor
King, poet and soldier
Actor, teacher and doctor
Playwright, sailor and judge

3.What was the name of the acting company Shakespeare worked with, and what name did it later take?

4.When did performances at the Globe Theatre take place?

5.Match each play to its story.

Romeo and Juliet
Hamlet
Macbeth

A Danish prince investigates after seeing his father’s ghost
Two young people from rival families
A Scottish nobleman whose ambition leads him towards the crown

6.True or false? Shakespeare wrote only plays and never wrote poems.

TrueFalse

7.Complete the sentence using the fact file: The Globe Theatre had little scenery, so actors used their words, costumes and to help audiences imagine each place.

8.Give two reasons from the fact file why Shakespeare’s plays are still performed or studied.

9.Shakespeare lived from 1564 to 1616. How old was he when he died? Show or explain how you worked it out.

10.The Globe audience could stand in the yard or pay more for a seat in a covered gallery. What does this suggest about the different ways people experienced a play there?