(GASPS)
(LAUGHS)
Oh, Shakespeare!
And, no, I'm not talking about the competitive sport
of shaking a spear.
I'm talking about the playwright.
The Bard, Will to his friends.
Yes, that's right - William Shakespeare.
Act I - the "Shake who?" of Shakespeares.
Our protagonist was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon in England
in the month of April, 1564.
The day on which he was born is a mystery.
No, really.
(BABY CRIES)
He was the third child of eight to Mary Arden and John Shakespeare,
who, BT-dubs, was a rather good glove maker,
and he grew up and married Anne Hathaway,
just, uh, not the actor.
Over the next several years, Shakespeare...
Oh!
Oh, this page is blank. Blank...
Yeah, not much is known about Shakespeare's earlier life.
Historians often refer to them as the lost years,
but whatever he was doing,
it led to him performing in London in 1592.
Which brings us to Act II - Get Thee To A Theatre.
Shakespeare performed his plays
with an acting group called the Lord Chamberlain's Men,
who later became known as the King's Men.
And, yes, they were all men,
because women weren't allowed to act back then,
something I and Anne Hathaway are very glad is no longer a thing.
Lord Chamberlain's men performed here at the Globe Theatre.
Well, not this one. This is a replica.
The real one burnt down.
But what about the actual plays?
During his lifetime,
Shakespeare wrote 37 plays - that we know about anyway -
from tragedies... Romeo?
It is my soul that calls upon my name!
..comedies... God be with you.
Let's meet as little as we can. (LAUGHTER)
..and historical dramas.
Once more unto the breach, dear friends! Once more!
He also wrote a whole bunch of poems and sonnets,
all with his now famous Shakespearean way,
using stylish language and elaborate metaphors.
And the audience were eating up what he was serving.
Just like I'm about to sink my teeth into Act III -
Playwright, Play Right! Right?
Well, there is no one clear answer as to why Shakespeare's plays
have stood the test of time and continue to be very popular,
many agree that it's because, well, they're well written.
The themes and characters are still relatable
to a lot of different people,
and they've been the inspiration for countless movies,
TV shows, songs.
In fact, you've probably seen some of Shakespeare's work
without even realising it.
# Oh, I just can't wait to be king... #
Shakespeare is also credited with introducing more than 1,700 words
to the English language, like...
'Bandit'! ..and...
'Bubble'! ..and...
'Unreal'!
..and... 'Swagger'.
..as well as common phrases we still use today, like...
"Jealousy is the green-eyed monster."
..and...
"The world is my oyster."
..and...
"All that glitters isn't gold."
Which brings us to the epilogue.
I know, Shakespeare plays typically have five acts,
but we just don't have the time.
Plus, this wig is getting itchy.
But I will leave you with this quote - "Hakuna-matata".
WOMAN: Shakespeare didn't write that.
What? He didn't?
The Lion King was inspired by Hamlet.
Ah.
Oh! Yeah, no, no. I totally see that now.
He did write She's The Man, though.
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