Title: The Scottish Play by William Shakespeare - a visual introduction
1The Scottish Playby William Shakespeare- a
visual introduction
2Religious Conflict in Europe
- Until the early 1500s, the Roman Church was the
only church in western Europe - Pope Leo X (Pope 1513-1521) issued indulgences to
pay for the building of St. Peters basilica - Many, including the German priest Martin Luther
protested this - The Reformation had begun
3Religious Conflict in Europe, continued
- In 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to
the door of a Roman Church - The 95 Theses detailed many corrupt practices of
the Roman Church - Many groups broke away from the church in Rome
- They became known as Protestants
- The followers of Martin Luther became known as
Lutherans
4Religious and Political Conflict in England
- Henry VIII became Prince of Wales in 1502 when
his elder brother, Arthur, died in 1502 - In 1509 he became King
- To help legitimize his kingship, Henry married
his brothers widow, Catherine of Aragon - All their children died in infancy except Mary
(born 1516) - Frustrated at not having a male heir, Henry asked
the pope to annul their marriage. The pope
refused Church of England
5Religious and Political Conflict in England, cont
- In 1533, Anne Boleyn became queen
- Daughter Elizabeth was born on Sept. 7 1533
- They had no further surviving children
- In 1536, Anne was executed for treason
6Religious and Political Conflict in England, cont
- Next, Henry married Jane Seymour
- Their son, Edward who would become King Edward
VI was born in 1537 - Jane died soon after Edwards birth
- Mary and Elizabeth were declared illegitimate
- Henry would have three more wives Anne of Cleves
(annulled), Catherine Howard (executed for
adultery) and Catherine Parr (who outlived Henry)
7Religious and Political Conflict in England
- In the early 1530s, to facilitate changes to his
marital status, Henry created the Church of
England. - This increased his power and wealth, for the
Roman church owned much valuable property - The King became the head of the Church of England
8Henry VIIIs Successors
- In 1547, Henry VIII died
- Edward VI regency Earl of Nottingham
- In 1553, Edward VI - who was always sickly
died - After a struggle, Mary became Queen
- She began the bloody process of reaffirming the
Roman Catholic church in England
9Henry VIIIs Successors
- In 1558, Mary died, childless.
- Earl of Nottingham installed his daughter, Jane,
as Queen - Marys half-sister, Elizabeth, was named queen by
the courts - Earl of Nottingham rebelled and was defeated
- Jane executed she had reigned for nine days
- Elizabeth also became the Head of the Church of
England
10The Elizabethan Era (1558-1603)
- Queen Elizabeth ruled for most of Shakespeares
life - During her reign, England changed from a
backwoods nation to a world power - She also solidified England as a pro-protestant
nation
11The Elizabethan Era (1558-1603)
- It was a time of great exploration and discovery
- Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the world
between 1577 and 1580 in his ship The Golden Hind
12Birth and life in Stratford-upon-Avon
- William Shakespeare was baptized on 26 April,
1564 - Top his birthplace
13William Shakespeare the playwright
- Shakespeare moved to London, a city of about
200,000 people - By the mid-1590s he was a well-known playwright
- He acted minor parts as well
14London in the 1590s
15The Globe Theatre
- Shakespeare was part owner of one theatre in
London, The Globe - It was rebuilt in the 1990s in its original
position on the south bank of the Thames River
16The Globe Theatre
17Shakespeare died 23 April 1616, a wealthy and
famous playwright
18The First Folio
- Shakespeares plays were unpublished in his
lifetime - In 1623 another playwright, Ben Johnson,
published a collection of Shakespeares works - It is known as the First Folio
19The First Folio Macbeth
20