8-2ShakespearesRoles

What Parts Did Shakespeare Play In His Own Plays? //Answer prepared y Katie M.//

We all know that Shakespeare was famous for writing many plays and poems throughout his lifetime. But, what many people don’t know is that Shakespeare played parts in his own plays as well. He started to perform in plays around 1592. During the performances of his own he would usually play a minor part, one that wasn’t too big. Also, he would probably play the role of an older man. Some examples of parts that he played are the Ghost in __Hamlet__ , Theseus in __A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream__ , and Flavius in Julius Caeser. The website, globe-theatre.org William Shakespeare the Actor, believes that Shakespeare’s first biographer referred to Shakespeare at “the top of his performance” during his part of the Ghost in Hamlet. Also, some may say that he actually played the role of Edward the First, in a play by Edward Peele in 1593, one year after he started acting!

Many were surprised at the choice of Shakespeare becoming an actor. He was an amazing poet and play writer who was very famous and by choosing a job of being an actor it was quite shocking to many. Today, this is a very popular, admirable job but in the 1500 and 1600’s they were careless, inferior jobs. They were never trusted by the public, they were considered such a threat that regulations were passed and licenses were given to Artistocracy for the maintenance of troops of players and finally the plays were often inappropriate and the watchers were always crazy and outgoing. So as you can see, this didn’t seem like a job Shakespeare would take, being a very high ranking person in the 15 and 1600’s Shakespeare was part of the acting group called Strange’s Men. This group performed in the Rose Theatre and performed in some successes and some that weren’t so popular. Unfortunately, when the plays that Shakespeare was acting in were just starting to have more people coming to watch a bad case of plague broke out and they had to shut down the theare. During this time Shakespeare wrote, “Venus and Adonis” and “ The Rape of Lucrece.” When the theatre reopened in 1594 he returned to the stage, as part of the group Chamberlain’s Men. Along with him were the actors Richard Burbage and William Kempe.

Another actor, one that Shakespeare was working with, was Richard Burbage. He was known as one of the best Elizabethan actors of that time period. He was successful in his career by the time he was 20 years old and starred in many plays, some of which being written by Shakespeare. He played many parts including, Othello, Hamlet, Richard III, and Lear. Shakespeare was at a major point in his career when Burbage came. But at Burbage’s start of his career he probably would have been a member of Lord Strange’s men and Admiral’s Men. Both of these companies performed and the theatre, James Burbage, Richard’s dad, had built. Around 1594 he became part of the Chamberlain’s men and then left them to go to the King’s Men. Burbage has been know to be as a great painter as well, and supposevly made a self portrait of himself and has been credited for the Chandos picture of Shakespeare as well. Shakespeare and Burbage became close from working together, as actor and play writer. So when Shakespeare died he left Burbage money to buy a mourning-ring in his memory.

Although, Burbage was not the only famous actor who worked with Shakespeare. Shakespeare-online.com/biography, Shakespeare of Stratford, says that William Kempe, the clown of the actors did too. He was always being humorous and the public soon saw him for his comedic talent. In 1593 Kempe was a member of the Strange’s Men, just like Burbage. And in 1594 joined the Chamberlain’s Men acting group. During this time period, he acted in many of Shakespeare’s plays. Such as Peter in __Romeo and Juliet__ , Bottom in a __Midsummer Night Dream__ , and Lancelot Gobbo in  __The Merchant of Venice__ . But then suddenly he left this group in 1599, some say it was because of his chronic improvising. So, Shakespeare actually made a reference to it in __Hamlet__  by saying, “And let those that play your clowns speak no more thank is set down for them: for there be of them that will themselves laugh, to set on some quantity of barren spectators to laugh too(3.2.40-5).” Though today when people hear the name, William Shakespeare, they probably will think, a great poet of the past who has had an impact on our speech today. But, he also was an actor, who really helped with contributing money and land to many theatres.

Works Cited:

"William Shakespeare the Actor." Web.14 Apr 2009. theatre.org.uk/william-shakespeare-actor.htm>. "William Shakespeare the Actor." Web.14 Apr 2009. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left; display: block;">http://www.william-shakespeare.org.uk/william-shakespeare-actor. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left; display: block;">"Shakespeare, actor." Web.14 Apr 2009. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left; display: block;"><http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/life/shactor.html>. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left; display: block;">"Shakespeare's Actors(1)." Web.15 Apr 2009. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left; display: block;"><http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/stage/burbage.html>. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left; display: block;">"Shakespeare of Stratford." Web.14 Apr 2009. <http://www.shakespeare- <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left; display: block;">online.com/biography/>. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left; display: block;"> :