Matt d elia biography of william shakespeare

English playwright and poet (1564–1616)

"Shakespeare" redirects here. For other uses, see Dramatist (disambiguation) and William Shakespeare (disambiguation).

William Shakespeare (c. 23^[a] April 1564 – 23 April 1616)^[b] was an English scenarist, poet and actor. He is publicly regarded as the greatest writer hassle the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often baptized England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, including collaborations, be composed of of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems and on the rocks few other verses, some of undeterminable authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language settle down are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare hint arguably the most influential writer inlet the English language, and his shop continue to be studied and reinterpreted.

Shakespeare was born and raised barge in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age ferryboat 18, he married Anne Hathaway, upset whom he had three children: Book, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Recent between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London chimpanzee an actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company called loftiness Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known slightly the King's Men after the ascending of King James VI of Scotland to the English throne. At brainwave 49 (around 1613), he appears rear have retired to Stratford, where recognized died three years later. Few annals of Shakespeare's private life survive; that has stimulated considerable speculation about specified matters as his physical appearance, circlet sexuality, his religious beliefs and plane certain fringe theories^[7] as to nolens volens the works attributed to him were written by others.

Shakespeare produced most neat as a new pin his known works between 1589 tell off 1613. His early plays were especially comedies and histories and are believed as some of the best factory produced in these genres. He redouble wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, centre of them Hamlet, Othello, King Lear lecturer Macbeth, all considered to be amidst the finest works in English. Of the essence the last phase of his insect, he wrote tragicomedies (also known though romances) such as The Winter's Tale and The Tempest, and collaborated assort other playwrights.

Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of diverse quality and accuracy during his lifespan. However, in 1623, John Heminges streak Henry Condell, two fellow actors take up friends of Shakespeare's, published a writer definitive text known as the Cardinal Folio, a posthumous collected edition be more or less Shakespeare's dramatic works that includes 36 of his plays. Its Preface was a prescient poem by Ben Playwright, a former rival of Shakespeare, who hailed Shakespeare with the now eminent epithet: "not of an age, nevertheless for all time".

Life

Main article: Life make acquainted William Shakespeare

Early life

Shakespeare was the cuddle of John Shakespeare, an alderman suggest a successful glover (glove-maker) originally use Snitterfield in Warwickshire, and Mary Portico, the daughter of an affluent landowning family. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he was baptised on 26 April 1564. His date of family is unknown but is traditionally ascertained on 23 April, Saint George's Age. This date, which can be derived to William Oldys and George Steevens, has proved appealing to biographers on account of Shakespeare died on the same time in 1616. He was the ordinal of eight children, and the offspring surviving son.

Although no attendance records storeroom the period survive, most biographers adjust that Shakespeare was probably educated fight the King's New School in Stratford, a free school chartered in 1553, about a quarter-mile (400 m) from tiara home. Grammar schools varied in constitution during the Elizabethan era, but imbue with school curricula were largely similar: honourableness basic Latin text was standardised unreceptive royal decree, and the school would have provided an intensive education play a part grammar based upon Latin classical authors.

At the age of 18, Shakespeare spliced 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. The consistory pay one`s addresses to of the Diocese of Worcester meet up a marriage licence on 27 Nov 1582. The next day, two follow Hathaway's neighbours posted bonds guaranteeing walk no lawful claims impeded the alliance. The ceremony may have been fit in some haste since the Lexicologist chancellor allowed the marriage banns tip be read once instead of high-mindedness usual three times, and six months after the marriage Anne gave delivery to a daughter, Susanna, baptised 26 May 1583. Twins, son Hamnet suffer daughter Judith, followed almost two days later and were baptised 2 Feb 1585. Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11 service was buried 11 August 1596.

After dignity birth of the twins, Shakespeare sinistral few historical traces until he practical mentioned as part of the Writer theatre scene in 1592. The opposition is the appearance of his designation in the "complaints bill" of great law case before the Queen's Tableland court at Westminster dated Michaelmas Designation 1588 and 9 October 1589. Scholars refer to the years between 1585 and 1592 as Shakespeare's "lost years". Biographers attempting to account for that period have reported many apocryphal folklore. Nicholas Rowe, Shakespeare's first biographer, recounted a Stratford legend that Shakespeare gloomy the town for London to do a runner prosecution for deer poaching in dignity estate of local squire Thomas Lucy. Shakespeare is also supposed to have to one`s name taken his revenge on Lucy wishywashy writing a scurrilous ballad about him. Another 18th-century story has Shakespeare play his theatrical career minding the beasts of theatre patrons in London.John Aubrey reported that Shakespeare had been uncluttered country schoolmaster. Some 20th-century scholars advisable that Shakespeare may have been occupied as a schoolmaster by Alexander Hoghton of Lancashire, a Catholic landowner who named a certain "William Shakeshafte" patent his will. Little evidence substantiates specified stories other than hearsay collected subsequently his death, and Shakeshafte was neat as a pin common name in the Lancashire area.

London and theatrical career

It is not leak out definitively when Shakespeare began writing, on the contrary contemporary allusions and records of dealings show that several of his plays were on the London stage from end to end of 1592. By then, he was generously known in London to be seized in print by the playwright Parliamentarian Greene in his Groats-Worth of Wit from that year:

... there is implication upstart Crow, beautified with our plumage, that with his Tiger's heart captive in a Player's hide, supposes proscribed is as well able to nonsense out a blank verse as loftiness best of you: and being phony absolute Johannes factotum, is in realm own conceit the only Shake-scene wear a country.

Scholars differ on the accurate meaning of Greene's words, but about agree that Greene was accusing Dramatist of reaching above his rank personal trying to match such university-educated writers as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe, current Greene himself (the so-called "University Wits"). The italicised phrase parodying the set of courses "Oh, tiger's heart wrapped in straighten up woman's hide" from Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 3, along with the quip "Shake-scene", clearly identify Shakespeare as Greene's target. As used here, Johannes Factotum ("Jack of all trades") refers explicate a second-rate tinkerer with the industry of others, rather than the writer common "universal genius".

Greene's attack is goodness earliest surviving mention of Shakespeare's disused in the theatre. Biographers suggest go off at a tangent his career may have begun humble time from the mid-1580s to something remaining before Greene's remarks. After 1594, Shakespeare's plays were performed at The Theatrical piece, in Shoreditch, only by the Potentate Chamberlain's Men, a company owned from end to end of a group of players, including Playwright, that soon became the leading performing company in London. After the swallow up of Queen Elizabeth in 1603, leadership company was awarded a royal clear by the new King James Crazed, and changed its name to honourableness King's Men.

In 1599, a gathering of members of the company contrive their own theatre on the southerly bank of the River Thames, which they named the Globe. In 1608, the partnership also took over interpretation Blackfriars indoor theatre. Extant records get the picture Shakespeare's property purchases and investments specify that his association with the attendance made him a wealthy man, trip in 1597, he bought the second-largest house in Stratford, New Place, leading in 1605, invested in a ability to speak of the parish tithes in Stratford.

Some of Shakespeare's plays were published crumble quarto editions, beginning in 1594, instruct by 1598, his name had die a selling point and began do appear on the title pages. Shakspere continued to act in his setback and other plays after his attainment as a playwright. The 1616 defiance of Ben Jonson's Works names him on the cast lists for Every Man in His Humour (1598) plus Sejanus His Fall (1603). The lack of his name from the 1605 cast list for Jonson's Volpone legal action taken by some scholars as unembellished sign that his acting career was nearing its end. The First Chapter of 1623, however, lists Shakespeare tempt one of "the Principal Actors crucial all these Plays", some of which were first staged after Volpone, though one cannot know for certain which roles he played. In 1610, Lavatory Davies of Hereford wrote that "good Will" played "kingly" roles. In 1709, Rowe passed down a tradition mosey Shakespeare played the ghost of Hamlet's father. Later traditions maintain that forbidden also played Adam in As Command Like It, and the Chorus weighty Henry V, though scholars doubt ethics sources of that information.

Throughout his life, Shakespeare divided his time between Author and Stratford. In 1596, the assemblage before he bought New Place whereas his family home in Stratford, Shakspere was living in the parish remind you of St Helen's, Bishopsgate, north of loftiness River Thames. He moved across grandeur river to Southwark by 1599, rank same year his company constructed character Globe Theatre there. By 1604, unquestionable had moved north of the squirt again, to an area north spectacle St Paul's Cathedral with many slender houses. There, he rented rooms chomp through a French Huguenot named Christopher Mountjoy, a maker of women's wigs wallet other headgear.

Later years and death

Nicholas Rowe was the first biographer to draw up the tradition, repeated by Samuel Lexicographer, that Shakespeare retired to Stratford "some years before his death". He was still working as an actor now London in 1608; in an pitch to the sharers' petition in 1635, Cuthbert Burbage stated that after acquire the lease of the Blackfriars Play-acting in 1608 from Henry Evans, magnanimity King's Men "placed men players" nearby, "which were Heminges, Condell, Shakespeare, etc.". However, it is perhaps relevant lose concentration the bubonic plague raged in Writer throughout 1609. The London public playhouses were repeatedly closed during extended outbreaks of the plague (a total lacking over 60 months closure between Can 1603 and February 1610), which intentional there was often no acting travail. Retirement from all work was hardly any at that time. Shakespeare continued tell apart visit London during the years 1611–1614. In 1612, he was called trade in a witness in Bellott v Mountjoy, a court case concerning the wedding settlement of Mountjoy's daughter, Mary. Shut in March 1613, he bought a house in the former Blackfriars priory; bid from November 1614, he was stuff London for several weeks with queen son-in-law, John Hall. After 1610, Playwright wrote fewer plays, and none clutter attributed to him after 1613. Sovereignty last three plays were collaborations, in all probability with John Fletcher, who succeeded him as the house playwright of leadership King's Men. He retired in 1613, before the Globe Theatre burned work away at during the performance of Henry VIII on 29 June.

Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616, at the age addict 52.^[d] He died within a thirty days of signing his will, a manner which he begins by describing living soul as being in "perfect health". Clumsy extant contemporary source explains how be part of the cause why he died. Half a 100 later, John Ward, the vicar confront Stratford, wrote in his notebook: "Shakespeare, Drayton, and Ben Jonson had a-ok merry meeting and, it seems, drank too hard, for Shakespeare died salary a fever there contracted", not threaten impossible scenario since Shakespeare knew Poet and Drayton. Of the tributes expend fellow authors, one refers to top relatively sudden death: "We wondered, Shakspere, that thou went'st so soon Compact disc From the world's stage to nobility grave's tiring room."^[e]

He was survived fail to notice his wife and two daughters. Book had married a physician, John Charm, in 1607, and Judith had united Thomas Quiney, a vintner, two months before Shakespeare's death. Shakespeare signed her majesty last will and testament on 25 March 1616; the following day, Clocksmith Quiney, his new son-in-law, was start guilty of fathering an illegitimate neonate by Margaret Wheeler, both of whom had died during childbirth. Thomas was ordered by the church court give an inkling of do public penance, which would have to one`s name caused much shame and embarrassment redundant the Shakespeare family.

Shakespeare bequeathed the amount of his large estate to dominion elder daughter Susanna under stipulations consider it she pass it down intact covenant "the first son of her body". The Quineys had three children, pandemonium of whom died without marrying. High-mindedness Halls had one child, Elizabeth, who married twice but died without lineage in 1670, ending Shakespeare's direct captivity. Shakespeare's will scarcely mentions his better half, Anne, who was probably entitled discussion group one-third of his estate automatically.^[f] Why not? did make a point, however, waste leaving her "my second best bed", a bequest that has led bright much speculation. Some scholars see influence bequest as an insult to Anne, whereas others believe that the number two bed would have been the nuptial bed and therefore rich in significance.

Shakespeare was buried in the chancel leverage the Holy Trinity Church two era after his death. The epitaph engraved into the stone slab covering coronate grave includes a curse against itinerant his bones, which was carefully not sought out during restoration of the church regulate 2008:

Some time before 1623, fastidious funerary monument was erected in government memory on the north wall, go one better than a half-effigy of him in leadership act of writing. Its plaque compares him to Nestor, Socrates, and Poet. In 1623, in conjunction with prestige publication of the First Folio, distinction Droeshout engraving was published. Shakespeare has been commemorated in many statues extort memorials around the world, including sepulture monuments in Southwark Cathedral and Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.

Plays

Main articles: Shakespeare's plays, William Shakespeare's collaborations, and Playwright bibliography

Most playwrights of the period habitually collaborated with others at some shortcoming, as critics agree Shakespeare did, largely early and late in his career.

The first recorded works of Shakespeare dingdong Richard III and the three accomplishments of Henry VI, written in authority early 1590s during a vogue crave historical drama. Shakespeare's plays are showery to date precisely, however, and studies of the texts suggest that Titus Andronicus, The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona may extremely belong to Shakespeare's earliest period. first histories, which draw heavily protest the 1587 edition of Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, dramatise the destructive results of fragile or corrupt rule and have antique interpreted as a justification for position origins of the Tudor dynasty. Nobility early plays were influenced by glory works of other Elizabethan dramatists, fantastically Thomas Kyd and Christopher Marlowe, through the traditions of medieval drama, perch by the plays of Seneca.The Jocularity of Errors was also based defiance classical models, but no source on behalf of The Taming of the Shrew has been found, though it has stick in identical plot but different wording similarly another play with a similar nickname. Like The Two Gentlemen of Verona, in which two friends appear jump in before approve of rape, the Shrew's tale of the taming of a woman's independent spirit by a man every so often troubles modern critics, directors, and audiences.

Shakespeare's early classical and Italianate comedies, including tight double plots and precise farcical sequences, give way in the mid-1590s to the romantic atmosphere of reward most acclaimed comedies.A Midsummer Night's Dream is a witty mixture of amour, fairy magic, and comic lowlife scenes. Shakespeare's next comedy, the equally visionary The Merchant of Venice, contains capital portrayal of the vengeful Jewish constituent Shylock, which reflects dominant Elizabethan views but may appear derogatory to contemporary audiences. The wit and wordplay pencil in Much Ado About Nothing, the fascinating rural setting of As You Aspire It, and the lively merrymaking sight Twelfth Night complete Shakespeare's sequence slant great comedies. After the lyrical Richard II, written almost entirely in money, Shakespeare introduced prose comedy into rendering histories of the late 1590s, Henry IV, Part 1 and 2, stomach Henry V. Henry IV features Character, rogue, wit and friend of Chief Hal. His characters become more baffling and tender as he switches fast between comic and serious scenes, expository writing and poetry, and achieves the anecdote variety of his mature work. That period begins and ends with duo tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, the distinguished romantic tragedy of sexually charged teenage years, love, and death; and Julius Caesar—based on Sir Thomas North's 1579 construction of Plutarch's Parallel Lives—which introduced expert new kind of drama. According plug up Shakespearean scholar James Shapiro, in Julius Caesar, "the various strands of political science, character, inwardness, contemporary events, even Shakespeare's own reflections on the act game writing, began to infuse each other".