Lesson 5.1A: The Life of William Shakespeare
 Here are some quick facts about Shakespeare's writing. He wrote:
- 37 plays-tragedies, comedies, romances, and histories
- 154 sonnets
- 2 longer poems
- plays that contain over 100 songs
He introduced over 1700 new words into the English language, many of which we commonly use today, such as advertising, gloomy, puking, and torture.
To learn more about Shakespeare's influence on the English language, go to the English 10 Website and play the interactive game, “Will's Words.”
Wow! Shakespeare was a busy man!
These are just some facts about what Shakespeare wrote and he was more than just a writer. This doesn't tell us, however, about his personal life, the theatre he was so involved with, and the world in which he lived.
This lesson will focus on the life of William Shakespeare to give you a better idea of this man and the world he lived in.
 A Snapshot of Shakespeare's Life
The Journal
As part of your English 10 course, you will keep a journal that will be submitted with each section assignment. You will continue using your Journal from the previous module. Turn to the Appendix at the end of this module to review the Journal description, instructions, and assessment criteria.
You will submit your Journal to your teacher at the end of each section. You must submit work of good quality to earn full marks. Be sure to be writing in your Journal often and well in advance of the due date. |
Make certain that your entries represent your very best ideas and writing.
Journal Entry 5.1A: What Do You Know?
Now complete the first Journal Entry for this module. In the table provided, include three to five points under each column. If you know little about Shakespeare now, don't worry - you will be very familiar with him and his work at the end of this module. You will find the table in the assignment template for this section assignment.
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 To learn about the life and times of William Shakespeare, go to Will’s World.
To view a comprehensive list of Shakespeare festivals and theatres around the world, go to the English 10 Website.
To learn more about Shakespeare's influence on the English language, go to the English 10 Website and play the interactive game, “Will's Words.”
| Discussion Prompt |
| Search the Internet for two sites that cover the life and times of William Shakespeare. Use a search engine such as Google, Live.com, or Yahoo. Look for any answers to questions you had about Shakespeare at the beginning of this lesson. |
Guidelines for contribution:
Write a one-sentence summary evaluating each site. Respond to the post of one other student-visit the site listed, then indicate whether or not you found it useful.
Click here to make your contribution now. |
Summary
Completing this lesson has helped you to:
- understand who William Shakespeare was
- understand England during the time of Shakespeare
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