Shakespeare's Day: 23rd April

Explore Shakespeare's Day! Learn about the Bard, his works, and the Globe Theatre with fun activities.

Love is blind is one of the phrases we owe to Shakespeare. Here are only some of them: Shakespearean dating tips WATCHthis video on William Shakespeare.Thinkabout what you already know and what is new information for you. READthe text. Five sentences have been removed. Match each gap with a sentence (A-F) given here. WRITEonly the CAPITALletter.A However, his poems were also very popular. Shakespeare wrote a special type of poem, called sonnets.B He died at his house in New Place three years later.C The town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Britain.DThe original Globe Theatre was built in 1599 and possibly paid for by Shakespeare and other members of his acting company.E They are often read together in groups of poems on a similar theme, called for example the Dark Lady and Fair Youth. Stratford-upon-Avon is set in a beautiful rural Warwickshire countryside. C William Shakespeare, the most famous writer in the English language, was born on 23 April 1564 and he died on the same day in 1616. He was a poet, playwright and actor for most of his life. He wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets or short poems. Shakespeare is most famous for his plays, including Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A The word ‘sonnet’ refers to the form of the poem which has a special rhythm and rhyme. Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets were published in a book in 1609. The poems are about many topics including love, beauty and death. E Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582 and the couple had three children. By 1592 Shakespeare was in London, writing plays and probably performing in them too in the Globe Theatre. D Shakespeare retired in 1613 and came back to Stratford from London. B Shakespeare’s plays are performed all over the world and in almost every language. CHOOSEthe correct answers a, b or c.1. Stratford is located in _. Devon Midsummer Warwickshire 2. Shakespeare was born in the _century. 15th 16th 17th 3. Shakespeare is famous for writing plays and _. stories essays poems 4. A sonnet is a poem with a special sort of _. rhythm theme story 5. Shakespeare was born in _. Stratford Oxford London 6. He spent most of his life working in _. Stratford Oxford London 7. The original Globe theatre was_. financed by the taxes. co-financed by the actors themselves. financed by the queen. 8. In 1613, the original Globe Theatre _. burned to the ground was closed because of the pleague was sold in an auction 9. The Globe Theatre that you can see in London today_. is the theatre where Shakespeare worked was paid for by Shakespeare alone is a copy of the original 10 things you didn't know about the Globe theatre WATCHa short video on the Globe theatre carefully and do the following task. MATCHthe information from the video you have just seen. 1 000 trees 3 000 audience £5 the groundling special licence thatched roof stewards volunteers Insults by Shakespeare Use the quotation marks, don't forget to write thename of the play as well. WATCHthis video and then do some research on Shakespearean insults.Use those you find funny or strange in the discussion section below. FILL in the gaps with the words below. Write the chosen word in the gap Chinese Writer to Have Shakespeare’s Face A well-known Chinese writer is planning to go under the knife to become a William Shakespeare look-alike. The Shanghai Daily newspaper reports that best-selling author Zhang Yiyi will undergo ten operations in the next ten months. After the surgeries he will be the spitting image of Britain’s most famous writer. Mr Zhang said he wants to “let the people across the world mourn” one of the world's greatest ever playwrights and literary figures. The cost of the plastic surgery will be around $150,000 – the same as the royalties he earned for his last book. Zhang justified the surgery and cost, saying: "Life is a process of striving to become a better person. I think the surgeries are worth the money."Zhang Yiyi’s upcoming surgeries have become a talking point in China. He is already a controversial figure after he compared himself to China’s great philosopher Confucius. Many Chinese believe he is simply an attention seeker while others believe he has the right to spend his money the way he wants. He is set to become the most famous cosmetic surgery patient since Michael Jackson. Zheng Churong, the head of the team of surgeons who will perform the operations, told reporters that the surgeries would not be so difficult. He said Zhang’s face is the right shape, with a “sharp nose” and “deep eyes”. The big question on everyone’s lips is whether Zhang’s new look will prompt him to write as well as Shakespeare 1.(a)arrive(b)come(c)leave(d)go2.(a)undergo(b)undercut(c)undermine(d)underworld3.(a)chewing(b)salivating(c)spitting(d)munching4.(a)allow(b)let(c)consider(d)permit5.(a)remunerated(b)earned(c)paid(d)taxed6.(a)by(b)for(c)to(d)and7.(a)talking(b)shouting(c)whispering(d)discussing8.(a)simple(b)simpler(c)simpleton(d)simply9.(a)get(b)let(c)bet(d)set10.(a)players(b)team(c)squad(d)coaches11.(a)deep(b)deepening(c)deepen(d)depend12.(a)prom(b)promise(c)prompt(d)promiscuous A NOTEfrom your teacher: I hope you now understand why Shakespeare is so important for English literature and language as well.Please, do not follow Yiyi's example , just remember everything you know about Shakespeare next time you have a chance to see or read some of his plays. See them in a new light! Sources YoutubeBreaking news EnglishGoogle image library