What Influenced Shakespeare
During the middle of the 1500s Europe
was a very confusing place. For the
Shakespeare family, the rulers of the
country could completely control their
lives. Also the church was a major
part of peoples lives, but it was controlled
by the country’s rulers as
well. William Shakespeare one of today’s mos
famous writers, playwrights, and poets was raised during this time and was influenced by
many things including his Mother and father, his wife, his children, and the Kings or Queens
in rule at the.William Shakespeare’s father, John Shakespeare, was of a higher-class family
in Europe. He himself was the town mayor, and also a glove maker. During this time a glove
maker was more of a high-class job then it may seem. John was skilled in both leather working
and the curing and processing of fine leather to make ladies gloves and purses for the nobility
and traded as a glove maker. The gloves were worn as a status symbol. The demand for quality
gloves was kept very high, since they were in great need . Williams father had a great
influence on Shakespeare, he gave him the chance to become his apprentice in glove making, but
William chose not too.
.
Literary Influences of Shakespeare
William started at the King Edward V1 Grammar School when he was seven. The grammar schools covered the country and
most boys with the same background as William attended them.There was a national curriculum for the grammar schools, set by the monarch.
Schoolboys had a long, hard, unvaried day, from Monday to Saturday. They started at 6 or seven in the morning depending on if it was in the winter or summer. School finished at 5 or 6 in the evening with a two hour break for dinner. There was no physical education or sport and no vacations apart from the odd religious holiday, which was never more than one day in length. Church on Sunday was compulsory and the service went on for hours. He had to learn Latin and Greek. The school boys had to memorize vast chunks of literature by heart. His parents had to pay for all of his supplies, and he studied plays which influenced him greatly.
most boys with the same background as William attended them.There was a national curriculum for the grammar schools, set by the monarch.
Schoolboys had a long, hard, unvaried day, from Monday to Saturday. They started at 6 or seven in the morning depending on if it was in the winter or summer. School finished at 5 or 6 in the evening with a two hour break for dinner. There was no physical education or sport and no vacations apart from the odd religious holiday, which was never more than one day in length. Church on Sunday was compulsory and the service went on for hours. He had to learn Latin and Greek. The school boys had to memorize vast chunks of literature by heart. His parents had to pay for all of his supplies, and he studied plays which influenced him greatly.
Geoffrey Chaucer
A. Chaucer was born in 1340 in London into a prosperous family of French-Norman origin (the name derives from the French word chaussier, "shoemaker"). He became a Court page at the age of seventeen. In 1359 he fought in France with the English army in The Hundred Years' War, and was imprisoned. Ransomed the following year, Geoffrey returned to London and was at the king's service; he obtained the patronage of John of Gaunt. When peace negotiations were arranged at Calais, the government paid Chaucer to carry letters from Calais to England. These diplomatic errands and messenger services were the first of many journeys during his life. His travelling abroad brought him in touch with European
culture.
B. I. The Canterbury Tales is a story about a group of pilgrims at a tavern outside of London each telling a different tale. The first tale was by the Knight and his tale was about two knights that are in a battle and are imprisoned in Athens under the kings rule. They both fall in love with the same girl. They each break out of prison. They both meet up trying to get the same girl. They end up fighting each other for her. One of them ends up winning the fight, but then gets killed. Then, on his death bed, he tells the other night he deserves to marry the girl. Everyone of the pilgrims tells their own tale, and that is why it is called the Canterbury Tales.
II.“The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.” I chose this because it says my life is so short and you have so long to learn.
“What is better than wisdom? Woman. And what is better
than a good woman? Nothing.” He says nothing is better than a good women and that is why I chose it.
“people can die of mere imagination” He can die of just imagination.
“Purity in body and heart
May please some--as for me,
I make no boast.
For, as you know, no master of a household
Has all of
his utensils made of gold;
Some are wood, and yet they are of use.” I chose this because you don't need all things perfect just to be able to use them.
“How potent is the fancy! People are so impressionable,
they can die of imagination.” I chose this because people he says people can die of imagination.
“If gold rusts, what then can iron do?” I chose this because it is a question of what does iron do if gold can rust?
“Then you compared a woman's love to Hell,
To barren
land where water will not dwell,
And you compared it to a quenchless fire,
The more it burns the more is its desire
To burn up everything that
burnt can be.
You say that just as worms destroy a tree
A wife destroys
her husband and contrives,
As husbands know, the ruin of their lives. ” I chose this because it says that wifes are the ruin of husbands lives.
“No empty handed man can lure a bird” I chose this because you can't lure a bird with an empty hand.
“And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche.” I chose this because it sounded cool.
“. . . if gold rust, what then will iron do?/ For if a
priest be foul in whom we trust/ No wonder that a common man should rust. . . .” I chose this because it shows that we trust a priest and that a common man should rust just like gold.
“And what is better than wisedoom (wisdom)? Woman. And
what is better than a good woman? Nothing. I chose this because nothing is better thatn a good woman.
III. The Canterbury Tales are important in history because it was considered a masterpiece of the middle english language. Chaucer started this 17,000-line poem after 1387 and had nearly completed it by
the time of his death in 1400. The work weaves together stories told by
twenty-eight pilgrims (people on a religious quest), a poet, and an innkeeper
who are on a journey to the shrine of Thomas Becket (1118–1170) at the
cathedral in Canterbury, England. Becket was the archbishop of Canterbury. In the prologue Chaucer indicates that, to
entertain one another during the trip, each traveler is to tell two tales on
the way to Canterbury Cathedral and two tales on the way back. Although Chaucer
intended to write 120 stories, he produced only twenty-four tales, two of which
remained incomplete. Nevertheless, it is an entertaining work, with characters
who represent a wide cross section of English society at the time—including the
aristocracy, the clergy, commoners, and even the middle class, which was not
yet a formally recognized part of the social structure.
IV. My guess is why it influenced Shakespeare is that he was inspired by the work and dedication Chaucer put into The Canterbury Chaucer used twenty-eight charracters that each told four stories each. That is impressive.
C. In Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio likes to tell a lot of tales and that is very much like all the charracters in The Canterbury Tales. Also Shakespeares in romeo and juliet, Mercutio's famous speech is from Chaucers' Parliment of Fowles. The Knights Tale inspired Shakespeare to to craft the The Two Noble Kinsmen. That is all that I could find of the similarites/connections between Shakespeares' Romeo and Juliet, and Geoffrey Chaucers' The Canterbury Tales.
culture.
B. I. The Canterbury Tales is a story about a group of pilgrims at a tavern outside of London each telling a different tale. The first tale was by the Knight and his tale was about two knights that are in a battle and are imprisoned in Athens under the kings rule. They both fall in love with the same girl. They each break out of prison. They both meet up trying to get the same girl. They end up fighting each other for her. One of them ends up winning the fight, but then gets killed. Then, on his death bed, he tells the other night he deserves to marry the girl. Everyone of the pilgrims tells their own tale, and that is why it is called the Canterbury Tales.
II.“The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.” I chose this because it says my life is so short and you have so long to learn.
“What is better than wisdom? Woman. And what is better
than a good woman? Nothing.” He says nothing is better than a good women and that is why I chose it.
“people can die of mere imagination” He can die of just imagination.
“Purity in body and heart
May please some--as for me,
I make no boast.
For, as you know, no master of a household
Has all of
his utensils made of gold;
Some are wood, and yet they are of use.” I chose this because you don't need all things perfect just to be able to use them.
“How potent is the fancy! People are so impressionable,
they can die of imagination.” I chose this because people he says people can die of imagination.
“If gold rusts, what then can iron do?” I chose this because it is a question of what does iron do if gold can rust?
“Then you compared a woman's love to Hell,
To barren
land where water will not dwell,
And you compared it to a quenchless fire,
The more it burns the more is its desire
To burn up everything that
burnt can be.
You say that just as worms destroy a tree
A wife destroys
her husband and contrives,
As husbands know, the ruin of their lives. ” I chose this because it says that wifes are the ruin of husbands lives.
“No empty handed man can lure a bird” I chose this because you can't lure a bird with an empty hand.
“And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche.” I chose this because it sounded cool.
“. . . if gold rust, what then will iron do?/ For if a
priest be foul in whom we trust/ No wonder that a common man should rust. . . .” I chose this because it shows that we trust a priest and that a common man should rust just like gold.
“And what is better than wisedoom (wisdom)? Woman. And
what is better than a good woman? Nothing. I chose this because nothing is better thatn a good woman.
III. The Canterbury Tales are important in history because it was considered a masterpiece of the middle english language. Chaucer started this 17,000-line poem after 1387 and had nearly completed it by
the time of his death in 1400. The work weaves together stories told by
twenty-eight pilgrims (people on a religious quest), a poet, and an innkeeper
who are on a journey to the shrine of Thomas Becket (1118–1170) at the
cathedral in Canterbury, England. Becket was the archbishop of Canterbury. In the prologue Chaucer indicates that, to
entertain one another during the trip, each traveler is to tell two tales on
the way to Canterbury Cathedral and two tales on the way back. Although Chaucer
intended to write 120 stories, he produced only twenty-four tales, two of which
remained incomplete. Nevertheless, it is an entertaining work, with characters
who represent a wide cross section of English society at the time—including the
aristocracy, the clergy, commoners, and even the middle class, which was not
yet a formally recognized part of the social structure.
IV. My guess is why it influenced Shakespeare is that he was inspired by the work and dedication Chaucer put into The Canterbury Chaucer used twenty-eight charracters that each told four stories each. That is impressive.
C. In Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio likes to tell a lot of tales and that is very much like all the charracters in The Canterbury Tales. Also Shakespeares in romeo and juliet, Mercutio's famous speech is from Chaucers' Parliment of Fowles. The Knights Tale inspired Shakespeare to to craft the The Two Noble Kinsmen. That is all that I could find of the similarites/connections between Shakespeares' Romeo and Juliet, and Geoffrey Chaucers' The Canterbury Tales.
How Romeo and Juliet Influenced Me
Romeo and Juliet influenced me because the play showcases excellent moral representation of the time and period
written, but the fight to differ from normal customs presented from the time has
a positive influence on me to go make something of myself and let nothing get in
my way to personal victory. Also the relationships between the families show
similarities to today’s gangs. While reading I want to interpret and locate
these similarities and differences. It is a very interesting play.
written, but the fight to differ from normal customs presented from the time has
a positive influence on me to go make something of myself and let nothing get in
my way to personal victory. Also the relationships between the families show
similarities to today’s gangs. While reading I want to interpret and locate
these similarities and differences. It is a very interesting play.