Who Was this Man from Stratford-upon-Avon?

 

Use this Web Scavenger Hunt to learn more about Shakespeare’s life.

 http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/main/1 

 

Access the site above to answer the following questions.                       

1. When was Shakespeare born?           

2. When was he baptized?

3. What was his wife’s name?

4. What were his children’s names?

5. What year did he marry?

6. What year did he die?

7. Where is he buried?

8. Where did he spend most of his adult life?

9. Where did he go when he retired?

10. What did he leave his wife in his will?

11. How many plays did he write?

12. Why are some years in his life called “lost”?

13. What was Shakespeare’s acting group called?

14.When were Shakespeare’s plays first published?

15 What kind of education did Shakespeare have?

 

Making Connections Recognizing Bias  

 

Stratford -upon -Avon Internet Portal

http://www.stratford.co.uk/index.asp

1. What event occurred when Shakespeare was eleven that may have had a major effect on his career choices?

2. What information does this website provide about Shakespeare’s children?

3. What does this website say that Ben Johnson said about Shakespeare? What does this seem to suggest about how he felt about Shakespeare?

4. What contradiction does this website offer about Shakespeare’s marriage?

5. What significance does this website assign to the item that Shakespeare left to his wife? Can you suggest other reasons?

 

Shake.sphere

 http://sites.micro-link.net/zekscrab/biography.html#biography

1. What does this website say that Ben Johnson said about Shakespeare? What does this seem to suggest about how he felt about Shakespeare?

2. What does Harold Bloom say about Shakespeare? What literary device is used?                                 

3. How far was Stratford-on-Avon from London? What conclusions can you draw based on this fact?

4. What speculations does the writer make about Shakespeare’s life between 1585 and 1592?

5. What reason is suggested for Shakespeare leaving Stratford ?

6. What reasons does the website suggest for the speculation that Shakespeare wrote by moonlight?

7. What reasons are suggested by the website about Shakespeare’s death?

                                               

Nicholas Rowe’s Introduction to the First Folio:

http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/rowe.htm

 

1. What does this site give as Shakespeare’s father’s occupation?

2. What does the site suggest as the reason that Shakespeare had little education?

3. What does the site suggest is the reason that Shakespeare had to leave Stratford?

4. Although the site admits that Shakespeare knew little Latin, what languages does it claim he knew?

5. How do you know that this writer was a fan of Shakespeare’s writing? Be specific!

 

Conclusion:

 Now that you have looked at several sites, and noticed the differences between them,

Be prepared to explain what biases might be at work in each of the websites above.                                                                 

 

 

Just for fun-

Copy this link and open a new window to take an on-line quiz on Shakespeare’s life.    

 http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/quiz/bioquiz.htm