Famous People

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare Pre-Reading Warm Up Questions ☀

1. Do you enjoy reading poetry?

William Shakespeare is known as the greatest English writer of all 2. Do you like going to live theater performances?
time.
3. Have you ever read a play by William Shakespeare? If so,
which one(s)?
Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. His
father, John, was a glove maker and his mother, Mary, came from a 4. What kind of books do you enjoy reading?
farming family. He had two brothers and four sisters. William went
5. Who is your favorite writer?
to the village school.

In 1582, Shakespeare married a local woman named Anne

Hathaway. Their daughter Susanna was born in 1583 and their
twins, Hamnet and Judith, were born in 1585.

Nothing is known about Shakespeare’s life from 1585 to about

1591. It is known that, by 1592, he was an actor living in London.
He started writing poems about this time and later wrote more than
150 sonnets, which were published in 1609. He was also writing
plays.

In 1594, Shakespeare and some other actors started a new theatre

company. It was sponsored by a wealthy nobleman, the Lord
Chamberlain. When James I became king, he sponsored their
company and it became known as the “King’s Men.”

In 1599, the company built a new theatre, called the Globe.

Shakespeare was one of its owners. For over 20 years, he wrote
about two plays a year for the acting company to perform in the
Globe theatre. Everyone, from royalty to peasants, came to see his COMPREHENSION ✍
plays.
A. True or False. Read the statements below. If the
statement is true, write T beside the sentence. If it is
Shakespeare became a wealthy man and bought a large house in
false, write F. If it is false, correct the information.
Stratford. After about 1611, he spent most of his time there. He died
on April 23, 1616, and was buried at Stratford. He was 52 years old. 1. William Shakespeare’s father was a farmer.

Shakespeare’s plays include comedies, tragedies, and histories. 2. Anne Hathaway came from the same village as
Scholars have studied his plays and poems for over 300 years. Some Shakespeare.
argue about whether he actually wrote some of the plays. Other
3. A rich nobleman helped Shakespeare start a theater
scholars have tried to discover the identities of the man and woman
he wrote about in his sonnets. company.

4. Only rich people came to see Shakespeare’s plays.

Today, all of his plays are still performed and enjoyed by people
around the world. 5. People have been reading Shakespeare’s plays for over 300
years.

1
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 Famous People
William Shakespeare

B. Practice asking and answering the following questions with your partner. Then write the answers in complete sentences.

1. Where was William Shakespeare from?

2. What did Shakespeare do when he went to London?
3. How was Shakespeare able to start a new theater company?
4. What was the name of his theater company? What was the name of his theater?
5. What kind of plays did Shakespeare write?
6. In addition to plays, what else did he write?
7. How long have scholars been studying Shakespeare’s writings? DISCUSS
8. Which period in Shakespeare’s life do scholars know little about? 1. Do you prefer to watch comedies or
tragedies? Have you seen any plays
recently that you particularly enjoyed?
VOCABULARY REVIEW ✍
If so, tell your classmates about them.
A. Choose the word(s) with the closest meaning to the underlined words
2. Have you ever written a poem? Do
in the following sentences.
you like writing?
1. Shakespeare married a local woman.
3. Scholars do not know anything
a) poor b) from the area c) rich about Shakespeare’s life between 1585
2. Shakespeare wrote more than 150 sonnets. and 1591. What do you imagine he was
a) a kind of poem b) a story c) a letter doing during this time?
3. A wealthy nobleman sponsored Shakespeare’s theater company.
4. Do you think Shakespeare would
a) English b) from the city c) rich
have become famous if he had not
4. A wealthy nobleman sponsored his theater company. received support from a nobleman and
a) attended b) liked c) helped by giving money the King of England?
5. Everyone from royalty to peasants came to see his plays.
a) very poor farmers b) noblemen c) children
6. Royalty came to see Shakespeare’s plays.
a) teachers b) poor people c) people belonging to a king or queen’s family
7. Shakespeare was buried at Stratford.
a) born b) put in the ground c) died
8. Shakespeare wrote many comedies.
a) funny stories b) sad stories c) long stories
9. Shakespeare also wrote many tragedies.
a) poems b) funny stories c) stories with very sad endings
10. Scholars have studied his plays for hundreds of years.
a) people who study all their lives b) large schools c) poets

2
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 Famous People
William Shakespeare

ANSWER KEY

Please note:
The reading for this topic is also available in full-page format at the end of the lesson (page 4).

PRE-READING QUESTIONS

1-5. Individual answer

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

A. True or False
1. F 2. T 3. T 4. F 5. T

B. Written Answers
1. William Shakespeare was from Stratford-upon-Avon, England.

2. When Shakespeare went to London, he worked as an actor, wrote poems, plays and sonnets, and started a new theater
company.

3. Shakespeare was able to start a new theater company because he had the financial assistance of a wealthy nobleman,

the Lord Chamberlain.

4. Shakespeare’s theater company was called the “King’s Men” and his theater was called the Globe.

5. Shakespeare wrote comedies, tragedies, and histories.

6. In addition to plays, Shakespeare wrote sonnets and poems.

7. Scholars have been studying Shakespeare’s writings for over 300 years.

8. Scholars know little about Shakespeare’s life from roughly 1585 to 1591.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
A. Choose the word(s)

1. b 2. a 3. c 4. c 5. a 6. c 7. b 8. a
9. c 10. a

3
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photocopied by members of [Link] in accordance with membership terms and conditions. Contact info@[Link] for complete details.
 Famous People
William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is known as the greatest English writer of all time.

Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. His father, John, was a glove maker and his
mother, Mary, came from a farming family. He had two brothers and four sisters. William went to the village
school.

In 1582, Shakespeare married a local woman named Anne Hathaway. Their daughter Susanna was born in 1583
and their twins, Hamnet and Judith, were born in 1585.

Nothing is known about Shakespeare’s life from 1585 to about 1591. It is known that, by 1592, he was an actor
living in London. He started writing poems about this time and later wrote more than 150 sonnets, which were
published in 1609. He was also writing plays.

In 1594, Shakespeare and some other actors started a new theatre company. It was sponsored by a wealthy
nobleman, the Lord Chamberlain. When James I became king, he sponsored their company and it became known
as the “King’s Men.”

In 1599, the company built a new theatre, called the Globe. Shakespeare was one of its owners. For over 20 years,
he wrote about two plays a year for the acting company to perform in the Globe theatre. Everyone, from royalty to
peasants, came to see his plays.

Shakespeare became a wealthy man and bought a large house in Stratford. After about 1611, he spent most of his
time there. He died on April 23, 1616, and was buried at Stratford. He was 52 years old.

Shakespeare’s plays include comedies, tragedies, and histories. Scholars have studied his plays and poems for over
300 years. Some argue about whether he actually wrote some of the plays. Other scholars have tried to discover the
identities of the man and woman he wrote about in his sonnets.

Today, all of his plays are still performed and enjoyed by people around the world.

4
Copyright 2009. This eBook is produced and distributed by Red River Press Inc. All rights reserved. The contents within this e-book/document may only be
photocopied by members of [Link] in accordance with membership terms and conditions. Contact info@[Link] for complete details.