Shakespearean Internet Hunt
Directions: Use the links provided to find the answers to the questions.
Useth the Go Menu of thy browser to returnth to this web page. Make your own answer sheet.

1. William Shakespeare lived during the Renaissance.
Write a brief synopsis of one aspect of that time as described in this site. Life in Elizabethan England: A Compendium of Common Knowledge.

2. Take this virtual tour of the Globe Theatre.
Compare or contrast it with your school's auditorium or a local professional theater.

We call it the theater's pit. What was it called in Shakespeare's time?

3. Shakespearean sayings live on. Consider the following quotes from the bard.
Write each quote's contemporary form.

"Though this be madness, yet there is method in't."

 "Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind."

 4. Use the Shakespeare Timeline to ascertain the following:

How many days a week did young Will attend grammar school?

What is meant by "the Lost Years"?

Who called him an Upstart Crow? Why?

Why were the theaters all ordered closed in 1593?

What is the last line on his tombstone?

5. In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare wrote "Beware the Ides of March."
What exactly is the Ides of March? Utilize your online research skills to obtain the answer.

6. In what ways may Gutenberg's invention have contributed to Shakespeare's writing?

7. Go to Shakespeare: Internet Editions. Describe the political climate in England during the time Shakespeare was writing.

Who sat on the throne? What significant political events occurred?

PBS The Shakespeare Dossier lends helpful insight as well.

Which religions sought political power?

8. What is meant by the phrase "fire-new words"?

How many are credited to the Bard?

Give 10 of Shakespeare's phrases that are used today.

Name a fire-new word of your generation. How about cyber, hard drive, byte?

9. Suppose you have a Shakespearean quote. You need to find out in which work he said it.
You could open an edition of his complete works and start reading. Fie on me! Madness you say?
Then harness this online resource The Oxford Shakespeare.

In what work did he write "Sell when you can; you are not for all markets."?

10. In these days of limited vocabulary for the derision of one's fellow man, select three insults from Shakespeare or Insults.
Use a resource to discover exactly what they are saying.

These online resources may be helpful:

Dictionary.com | yourDictionary.com | Silva Rhetoricae | AskJeeves | AEP | Internet Public Library | Bartleby.com | Project Gutenberg

I urge you to employ these insults judiciously. As the Bard would wisely point out, "Discretion is the better part of valor."

1. Shakespearean:

Means:

2. Shakespearean:

Means:

3. Shakespearean:

Means:

Mind expanding experiences: Remarkable Renaissance resource Shakespeare's Life and Times Complete works of Shakespeare online Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet

In Search of Shakespeare - PBS Shakespeare's Works Scrambled Shakespeare Characters - Answer with Caps lock ON. Pardon me? Explore this resource to attain a better understanding of the Bard's language.