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UNIT 3 READ IT
Literature - Shakespeare and
Lope de Vega, two great
playwrights
Student information

This lesson links to the topic of Lope de Vega and classic Spanish theatre, part of the
Literatura programme.

William Shakespeare and Flix Lope de Vega lived and worked at the same time in history and
both wrote plays for the theatre.

Starter activity:

Discuss with a partner what you know about both playwrights and why they are so famous. At the
time of Shakespeare and Lope de Vega the theatre was the main form of entertainment. How do
you think this fact affected the status of a playwright?

Now read the text to see if your ideas are mentioned:

Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) and Lope de Vega (15621635) were both from normal families:
Shakespeares father made gloves, and Lope de Vegas father made clothes.
Lope de Vegas life was very dramatic: he had two wives, three mistresses, many love affairs
and 14 children. He also had many different jobs: private secretary for the Duke of Alba, he
wrote love letters for the Duke of Sessa and finally he became a priest. In comparison,
Shakespeares life was very boring! He was eighteen when he married Anne Hathaway (who
was twenty-six) and they had 3 children. Historians think that he was a teacher for a few
years until he joined a drama company and started writing plays.
Shakespeare and Lope de Vega both wrote for the popular public theatre, where
performances were watched by all social classes, from the illiterate to the cultured. However,
the situation of theatre as an art form was very different in the two countries at this point in
history. Drama was an established, popular pastime in England during Shakespeares time,
but there were only theatres in London. In other towns and cities, the plays were performed
in the street or special outdoor areas. In Spain, at the time of Lope de Vega, theatre was not a
common activity for ordinary people and was really only performed for the Court. This is
why Lope de Vega is often called the father of Spanish national drama. He created
innovative works which mixed tragedy with comedy and introduced dancing and songs to his
theatrical shows. As a result of his work, theatre became a form of entertainment for the
common people, not only for members of the nobility.

Photocopiable Pearson Educacin, S.A., 2011 1

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Check your understanding

1. Find words in the text that mean the opposite of the words below:

Rich Exciting Well-educated

2. Say if the statements are true, false or not mentioned in the text. Give evidence from the
text.

1. When Lope de Vega began to write, people in Spain went to the theatre often.
2. People usually watched plays outside in England.
3. Lope de Vega created a new type of theatre show.

Writing

1. Read the following short summary of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet

1. Verona is described as a violent and feuding city, with two noble families, the Montagues and
Capulets, fighting a constant war. Romeo and Juliet, two teenagers from these families
become involved in a sudden, passionate love affair, but they have to keep their love secret
from their respective families. As a result of this tension, both characters die and this
emphasises the power of their love. This tragic love story has a sad, but optimistic ending
because the Montagues and Capulets decide to end their feud. But it is too late for Romeo and
Juliet.
1. Choose a play by Lope de Vega that you know, and with a partner produce a similar summary
in less than 100 words.

Photocopiable Pearson Educacin, S.A., 2011 2