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William Shakespeare was an English dramatist and poet who had touched society from the Elizabethan age, to the next Generation. Shakespeare is known to be one of the greatest poets and playwrights in the world. He wrote about thirty-eight plays, about 154 sonnets, and a variety of other poems. William changed the way plays were written by creating new styles of writing. He is the most widely read of all Authors and the popularity of the Life and Works of Shakespeare, in English speaking countries, is second only to the Bible. His life, his times, and his notable achievements prove he is, was, and always will be important in our society. (www.imahero.com)
William was born in April, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Even though the exact date of William's birth is not known, we celebrate his birthday on April 23. His birthday was chosen to be celebrated on this day because the Church records from Holy Trinity Church show that he was baptized there on April 26, 1564.It was said to be customary to baptize children three days after they were born. William was the third child of John and Mary Shakespeare. He was brought up in a varied class family, with 7 other siblings. (Ashton 10)
There are no records relating to William Shakespeare's attendance at school but much information is assumed as being a reasonable accurate reflection of his childhood, school days, and education. Shakespeare's parents were both illiterate but because of his father’s position in the community, as the Alderman, free education was offered for his children. No one is sure of how long he attended school or how long his education lasted but Nicholas Rowe, who was the first editor of Shakespeare's Works, reported that "...the want of his assistance at Home, forced his Father to withdraw him from thence.” People have made the assumption that William Shakespeare probably attended King Edward IV Grammar School. There he received an education in Stratford from the age of 7 in 1571 and left school and formal education when he was fourteen in 1578. (www.william-shakespeare.info)
William's nickname is "The Bard of Avon." A bard is another word for poet, and William is known as one of the greatest poets in the world. Therefore, he is known as "The Bard." "Of Avon" is added to this name because William was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. When the two names are put together, William's nickname becomes "The Bard of Avon." (www.imahero.com)
The next documented event in Shakespeare’s life was his marriage. At the age of 18, William was given permission to marry. Anne Hathaway, 26 years old, was his new wife’s maiden name and they had three children together. Their first daughter, Susanna, was born on May 26, 1583. The couple later had twins, Hamnet and Judith, born February 2, 1585 and christened at Holy Trinity. Hamnet died in childhood at the age of 11, on August 11, 1596. (www.bardweb.net)
Shakespeare’s life in the theatre began as an actor, but very little is known of the parts he played. It is said that he probably devoted himself more to writing as soon as he could and in any event did not play the principle roles. (Ashton 18) Shakespeare did most of his theater work in a district northeast of London, in two theaters owned by James Burbage, called the Theatre and the Curtain.
William had a talent for writing about the struggles people face. His stories combine conflicts with which both the Kings and peasants could identify. William's plays are placed in one of three categories; Histories, Comedies, or Tragedies. He is a great playwright and his plays often contained elements of all three categories. He blended common issues into histories, seriousness into comedies, and humor into tragedies. (www.imahero.com) His histories and tragedies almost always claim at some level to be true, to be based on real events. Some of his most important and formative influences, such as the Bible and Montaigne’s Essays, are not sources at all, though evidence of their use can be widely found. (Kay 43)
Shakespeare dedicated his long poems Venus and Adenis and The Rope of Lucrece to Southampton, who inspired the majority of Shakespeare’s sonnets, the greatest of all love poems. (Ashton 15) William Shakespeare never published any of his plays so none of the original manuscripts have survived. Eighteen unauthorized versions of his plays were published during his lifetime. A collection of his works did not appear until 1623 when two of his fellow actors, John Hemminges and Henry Condell, recorded his work and published 36 of William’s plays in the First Folio. (www.william-shakespeare.info)
Romeo and Juliet is the most popular play written by William Shakespeare. It is believed that Romeo and Juliet was first printed in 1597. It is also said that the play was first performed between 1594 and 1595. In the Elizabethan era there was a huge demand for new entertainment and the tragedy would have been produced immediately following the completion of the play. Romeo and Juliet was based on real lovers who lived in Verona, Italy who died for each other in the year 1303. Romeo and Juliet has inspired many other works from many other people. (www.william-shakespeare.info)
William influenced the English language more than any other writer in the world. He created over 2,000 new words and phrases. They include: schoolboy, shooting star, puppy-dog, football, bandit, partner, downstairs, upstairs, leapfrog, alligator, and mimic. Shakespeare uses "dog" or "dogs" over two hundred times in his works. His work contains over 600 references to birds of all kinds, including the swan, bunting, cock, dove, robin, sparrow, nightingale, swallow, turkey, wren, starling, falcon, and thrush, just to name a few. (www.nosweatshakespeare.com)
Shakespeare retired from theatre in 1610 and returned to Stratford. In 1613 the Globe Theatre burned down, but Shakespeare remained quite wealthy and contributed to the building of the new Globe Theatre. Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616 and was buried in the chancel of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford. (Greenblatt 179) A monument to Shakespeare was set up on the north wall of the chancel. In Shakespeare's will, he left most of his property to Susanna and her daughter, except for his "second-best bed," which he left to his wife. William was the first writer to be honored. He was a great poet and playwright and a hero in our hearts. (students.roanoke.edu)
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