Lecture 5.2 Introduction - More About Mr. Shakespeare
Lecture Overview
Shakespeare's genius was recognized in his own time.
Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603. King James I followed her to the throne. Shakespeare's theatrical company was taken under the king's patronage and called the King's Company. Shakespeare and the other actors were made officers of the royal household. The theatrical company was the most successful of its time. Before it was the King's Company, it had been known as the Earl of Derby's and the Lord Chamberlain's. In 1608 the company acquired the Blackfriars Theatre. This was a smaller and more aristocratic theater than the Globe. Thereafter the company alternated between the two playhouses.
Plays by Shakespeare were performed at both theaters, at the royal court, and in the castles of the nobles. After 1603 Shakespeare probably acted little, although he was still a good actor. His favorite roles seem to have been the Ghost in 'Hamlet'.
In 1607, when he was 43, he may have suffered a serious physical breakdown.
In this lesson we will complete the reading and analysis of Act I with scenes 5, 6, and 7.