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Life and career of William Shakespeare
Life and career of William Shakespeare
Life and career of William Shakespeare
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Biography of William Shakespeare William Shakespeare is himself a man of mystery. Many facts myths exists about him, as if to say he had many chapters in his life. A complete, authoritative account of Shakespeare's life is lacking, and thus much supposition surrounds relatively few facts that are known. It is commonly accepted that he was born in 1564, and it is known that he was baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He is perhaps the best known English playwright and poet, recognized in much of the world as the greatest of all dramatists. Shakespeare's plays communicate a profound knowledge of human behavior, revealed through portrayals of a wide variety of characters. His use of poetic and dramatic means to create a unified aesthetic effect out of an array of multiple vocal expressions and actions is recognized as a singular achievement. "Poetic lyrics within his plays express the deepest levels of human motivation in individual, social, and universal situations. This considered one of the greatest accomplishments in literary history"(Volume S, 324)#. To understand Shakespeare's point of view you have to understand his background. The third of eight children, he was probably educated at the local grammar school. As the eldest son, Shakespeare ordinarily would have been apprenticed to his father's shop so that he could learn and eventually take over the business, but according to one account he was apprenticed to a butcher because of declines in his father's financial situation. According to another account, he became a schoolmaster#. In 1582 Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, the daughter of a farmer. He is supposed to have left Stratford after he was caught poaching in the deer park of Sir Thomas Lucy, a local justice of the peace. Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway had a daughter in 1583 and twins, a boy and a girl, in 1585. The boy did not survive. Shakespeare apparently arrived in London about 1588 and by 1592 had attained success as an actor and a playwright. Shortly thereafter he secured the patronage of Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton. The publication of Shakespeare's two fashionably erotic narrative poems Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape of Lucrece (1594) and of his Sonnets (published 1609, but circulated previously in manuscript form) established his reputation as a gifted and popular poet of the Renaissance (14th century to 17th century). The Sonnets describe the devotion of a character, often identified as the poet himself, to a young man whose beauty and virtue he praises and to a mysterious and faithless dark lady with whom the poet is infatuated.
William Shakespeare was born on 26 April 1564 (died on 23 April 1616), in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. Shakespeare was a poet, playwright and actor and has written about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. Shakespeare wrote many successful plays such as, Julius Caesar, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet was written in the mid-1590s in London and even today it is considered to be one of the greatest plays ever written. It is a play based on a long dispute between two families, the Montague’s and the Capulet’s, and takes place in the cities of Verona and Mantua, Italy, over the course of four short days.
retired there in 1610. During his time in Stratford he wrote 2 more famous poems, “Venus and
William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in late November or early December 1582 when Shakespeare was 18 and Hathaway was 26 at the Temple Grafton Church. The two did not conform to certain customs such as three “crying of the banns” ceremonies, having an arranged marriage, or marrying at their home parish. According to Wood, Hathaway became pregnant before she married Shakespeare and had to marry Shakespeare before she was visibly pregnant (Wood 89-90). The church banned marriage between Advent Sunday and the middle of January, so the two only had time for one “crying of the banns” ceremony on November 30th, 1582 (Wood 90). The two also married at Temple Grafton Church even though their home parish was Stratford-upon-Avon. After their marriage, Shakespeare and Hathaway had three children, Susanna, and twins Judith and Hamnet. After the birth of the twins, Shakespeare and Hathaway lived apart, and William Shakespeare moved to London. Even after William Shakespeare moved back to Stratford-Upon-Avon, the two lived apart (Bevington, Brown, Spencer). Despite their separation, Anne Hathaway requested to be buried next to William Shakespeare following their deaths. Through their special marriage bond, marrying outside of their home parish, and not having an arranged marriage, William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway’s marriage defied some of the
In 1564, a man was born by the name of William Shakespeare. He was born to a poor family, was given little education, and had no interaction with sophisticated society. Thirty-eight plays and over 150 sonnets are not attributed to this ignorant man. Those who believe that Shakespeare was the author have no definitive proof but instead point to Hamlet’s declaration: "The play’s the thing(Satchell 71)." The true author, however, lies hidden behind he name of Shakespeare. Edward de Vere the premier Earl of Oxford is not only considered a great poet in history, but he may also be the great playwright who concocted the sonnets and plays which are now attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford, England.
“William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was and English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s preeminent dramatist” (vodppl.upm.edu 2). He was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, UK, he also passed away in his hometown. “When Shakespeare died in 1616 the event was barely noticed” (Epstein 7). “Shakespeare’s family was initially prosperous but began having financial difficulties in the 1570’s” (Allen 325). “Shakespeare gained his education by attending the local grammar school, King’s New School, where the curriculum stressed a classic education of Greek mythology and roman comedy”(shakespeareinamericancomunites.org 1). He never carried his educational career to a higher level as in a university. “William Shakespeare was not recognized as an actor, poet, and playwright until 1592” (Allen 346).
Born on approximately April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, William Shakespeare is considered by many to have been the greatest writer the English language has ever known. His literary legacy included 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and five major poems. Among his many plays is the notable, Twelfth Night, a romantic comedy, placed in a festive atmosphere in which three couples are brought together happily.
So to conclude, we can safely agree with most academics that William Shakespeare did exist and that he did indeed write the 37 plays and 154 sonnets credited to him.
William Shakespeare was a great English playwright, writer and poet who lived during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest playwrights of all time in the world. No other writer’s plays, such as Macbethand Romeo and Juliet, have been produced so many times or read so widely in so many countries as his. He is generally considered to be both the greatest dramatist in the world, and the best poet who has written in the English language. Many explanations can be given for Shakespeare’s talent and fame. His fame basically is from his great understanding of human nature itself. He was able to find widespread human qualities and put them in a certain situation creating characters that are everlasting. Sometimes they are successful in life, and sometimes their lives end up being full of pain, suffering, and failure. Shakespeare had a great influence on the culture, literature, and English language throughout the world. He contributed greatly to the development of the English language in itself. Many words and phrases from Shakespear...
Shakespeare was a famous writer who wrote many poems, comedies, tragedies, and histories. His plays have had a lasting impact on the world. He was born on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom. Shakespeare wrote 10 history plays and they were used to educate illiterate audience members. Many of these history plays were not accurate because Shakespeare altered the events to make them more exciting. Shakespeare was forced by the aristocracy to write history plays and they were often based on monarchies. He wrote seven plays on Henry V and VI, and two plays about a character named Richard.
Born in April of 1564 to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden during the Elizabethan era, William Shakespeare grew up experiencing a quiet childhood in a small town of Warwickshire called Stratford. His mother, Mary, was the daughter of a wealthy landowner from a neighboring village, while his father, John, was a middle-class glove-maker and farm produce trader. John also held a number of responsible positions in Stratford's government and served as its mayor in 1569. William was the third oldest of eight children in his household. Rather than attending university (due to financial issues), he married Ann Hathaway at the young age of eighteen. She was eight years his senior. Together, they had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Ann lived for another seven years after William’s untimely death at age fifty-two.
It is not known exactly when Shakespeare began writing, but contemporary allusions and records of performances show that several of his plays were on the London stage by 1592.[30] By then, he was sufficiently well known in London to be attacked in print by the playwright Robert Greene in his Groats-Worth of Wit:
William Shakespeare was a very talented man known for his various works of literature. His works include poems, plays, and sonnets. His works are then broken down into tragedies, comedies, and histories. Shakespeare left this world centuries ago, but his writings continue to live throughout the world today. He has greatly impacted the world of literature and his existence will forever be remembered.
His reputation was established in London around 1592. His first play he wrote was in 1593, it was called Venus and Adonis. He became a "gentleman" after inheriting his fathers coat-of-arms, even though actors were generally looked at as rogues and vagabonds. He probably wrote his 154 sonnets during this time as well. They were published later on in 1609.
Throughout the United States and the entire world people are aware of Shakespeare; however, many people wonder why society wants their citizens to continue to read William Shakespeare’s plays and poems. Shakespeare continues to influence today’s environment and brings people together by speaking of a common author that most people know. All across the world, students must read at least one of Shakespeare’s works; which often develop those children who read his works into better writers. During the Elizabethan Era, William Shakespeare experienced an uneventful childhood and had a basic education; however, his life still seems to be shrouded with mystery and raises the argument that he was not only the most successful, but also the most mysterious playwright, actor, and poet from that time period.
In his time, Shakespeare was the most popular playwright of London. As time passed, his smartness covers all others of his age; Jonson, Marlowe, Kyd, Greene, Dekker, Heywood—none had the craft or the kindness of character. He was the master of poetry writing and he did it well. He created the most vivid characters of the Elizabethan stage. His usage of language, both high and low, shows a remarkable fun and insight. His themes fit all generation even to this day.