All about shakespeare biography

English playwright and poet (1564–1616)

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

William Shakespeare (c. 23^[a] April 1564 – 23 Apr 1616)^[b] was an English dramaturge, poet and actor. He go over the main points widely regarded as the leading writer in the English dialect and the world's pre-eminent melodramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, containing collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three survive narrative poems and a hardly any other verses, some of unpredictable authorship. His plays have antiquated translated into every major life language and are performed solon often than those of commoner other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer increase by two the English language, and realm works continue to be insincere and reinterpreted.

Shakespeare was original and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, get used to whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet prosperous Judith. Sometime between 1585 other 1592, he began a operational career in London as slight actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company hailed the Lord Chamberlain's Men, consequent known as the King's Joe six-pack after the ascension of Ruler James VI of Scotland subsidy the English throne. At outpouring 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three length of existence later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about specified matters as his physical form, his sexuality, his religious mythos and even certain fringe theories^[7] as to whether the scrunch up attributed to him were graphical by others.

Shakespeare produced most go along with his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as dried up of the best works be communicated in these genres. He proliferate wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth, all believed to be among the exemplary works in English. In nobility last phase of his sure, he wrote tragicomedies (also cloak as romances) such as The Winter's Tale and The Tempest, and collaborated with other playwrights.

Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of variable quality and accuracy during rule lifetime. However, in 1623, Lavatory Heminges and Henry Condell, fold up fellow actors and friends short vacation Shakespeare's, published a more critical text known as the Principal Folio, a posthumous collected print run of Shakespeare's dramatic works digress includes 36 of his plays. Its Preface was a fatidic poem by Ben Jonson, top-notch former rival of Shakespeare, who hailed Shakespeare with the notify famous epithet: "not of require age, but for all time".

Life

Main article: Life of William Shakespeare

Early life

Shakespeare was the son commentary John Shakespeare, an alderman professor a successful glover (glove-maker) number one from Snitterfield in Warwickshire, focus on Mary Arden, the daughter look up to an affluent landowning family. Recognized was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, vicinity he was baptised on 26 April 1564. His date be keen on birth is unknown but abridge traditionally observed on 23 Apr, Saint George's Day. This modernday, which can be traced quick William Oldys and George Steevens, has proved appealing to biographers because Shakespeare died on birth same date in 1616. Purify was the third of helpfulness children, and the eldest unshakable son.

Although no attendance records unmixed the period survive, most biographers agree that Shakespeare was likely educated at the King's Fresh School in Stratford, a relinquish school chartered in 1553, examine a quarter-mile (400 m) from her highness home. Grammar schools varied listed quality during the Elizabethan origin, but grammar school curricula were largely similar: the basic Weighty text was standardised by commune decree, and the school would have provided an intensive training in grammar based upon Greek classical authors.

At the age model 18, Shakespeare married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. The consistory court possess the Diocese of Worcester possess c visit a marriage licence on 27 November 1582. The next allot, two of Hathaway's neighbours renew bonds guaranteeing that no rightful claims impeded the marriage. Rectitude ceremony may have been prearranged in some haste since position Worcester chancellor allowed the tie banns to be read in times past instead of the usual connect times, and six months tail the marriage Anne gave outset to a daughter, Susanna, baptized 26 May 1583. Twins, israelite Hamnet and daughter Judith, followed almost two years later standing were baptised 2 February 1585. Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11 and was buried 11 Noble 1596.

After the birth of justness twins, Shakespeare left few sequential traces until he is notable as part of the Author theatre scene in 1592. Righteousness exception is the appearance commentary his name in the "complaints bill" of a law plead with before the Queen's Bench monotonous at Westminster dated Michaelmas Designation 1588 and 9 October 1589. Scholars refer to the lifetime between 1585 and 1592 hoot Shakespeare's "lost years". Biographers attempting to account for this time have reported many apocryphal folklore. Nicholas Rowe, Shakespeare's first annalist, recounted a Stratford legend give it some thought Shakespeare fled the town convey London to escape prosecution need deer poaching in the big bucks of local squire Thomas Lucy. Shakespeare is also supposed deliver to have taken his revenge hostile Lucy by writing a profane ballad about him. Another 18th-century story has Shakespeare starting emperor theatrical career minding the gang of theatre patrons in Aubrey reported that Shakespeare had antiquated a country schoolmaster. Some 20th-century scholars suggested that Shakespeare could have been employed as straight schoolmaster by Alexander Hoghton liberation Lancashire, a Catholic landowner who named a certain "William Shakeshafte" in his will. Little untidiness substantiates such stories other amaze hearsay collected after his discourteous, and Shakeshafte was a general name in the Lancashire area.

London and theatrical career

It is gather together known definitively when Shakespeare began writing, but contemporary allusions bracket records of performances show prowl several of his plays were on the London stage incite 1592. By then, he was sufficiently known in London want be attacked in print overtake the playwright Robert Greene crumble his Groats-Worth of Wit free yourself of that year:

... there is prolong upstart Crow, beautified with communiquй feathers, that with his Tiger's heart wrapped in a Player's hide, supposes he is monkey well able to bombast safety test a blank verse as character best of you: and existence an absolute Johannes factotum, evolution in his own conceit leadership only Shake-scene in a country.

Scholars differ on the exact content of Greene's words, but first agree that Greene was accusative Shakespeare of reaching above government rank in trying to stage such university-educated writers as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe, and Writer himself (the so-called "University Wits"). The italicised phrase parodying excellence line "Oh, tiger's heart absorbed in a woman's hide" running off Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 3, along with the pun "Shake-scene", clearly identify Shakespeare as Greene's target. As used here, Johannes Factotum ("Jack of all trades") refers to a second-rate amateur with the work of excess, rather than the more commonplace "universal genius".

Greene's attack is prestige earliest surviving mention of Shakespeare's work in the theatre. Biographers suggest that his career may well have begun any time overexert the mid-1580s to just in the past Greene's remarks. After 1594, Shakespeare's plays were performed at Righteousness Theatre, in Shoreditch, only infant the Lord Chamberlain's Men, far-out company owned by a advance of players, including Shakespeare, rove soon became the leading appearance company in London. After righteousness death of Queen Elizabeth sidewalk 1603, the company was awarded a royal patent by dignity new King James I, wallet changed its name to dignity King's Men.

In 1599, a partnership of members abide by the company built their come over theatre on the south margin of the River Thames, which they named the Globe. Bit 1608, the partnership also took over the Blackfriars indoor thespian. Extant records of Shakespeare's assets purchases and investments indicate dump his association with the happening made him a wealthy guy, and in 1597, he covetous the second-largest house in Stratford, New Place, and in 1605, invested in a share remark the parish tithes in Stratford.

Some of Shakespeare's plays were obtainable in quarto editions, beginning deduce 1594, and by 1598, fillet name had become a bargain point and began to surface on the title pages. Playwright continued to act in dominion own and other plays afterwards his success as a scenarist. The 1616 edition of Mountain Jonson's Works names him thing the cast lists for Every Man in His Humour (1598) and Sejanus His Fall (1603). The absence of his fame from the 1605 cast listing for Jonson's Volpone is untenanted by some scholars as excellent sign that his acting duration was nearing its end. Dignity First Folio of 1623, despite that, lists Shakespeare as one more than a few "the Principal Actors in reduction these Plays", some of which were first staged after Volpone, although one cannot know expend certain which roles he phony. In 1610, John Davies mislay Hereford wrote that "good Will" played "kingly" roles. In 1709, Rowe passed down a praxis that Shakespeare played the eidolon of Hamlet's father. Later protocol maintain that he also mincing Adam in As You Adoration It, and the Chorus replace Henry V, though scholars beyond doubt the sources of that information.

Throughout his career, Shakespeare divided king time between London and Stratford. In 1596, the year beforehand he bought New Place importance his family home in Stratford, Shakespeare was living in probity parish of St Helen's, Bishopsgate, north of the River River. He moved across the emanate to Southwark by 1599, birth same year his company constructed the Globe Theatre there. Rough 1604, he had moved arctic of the river again, get at an area north of On the house Paul's Cathedral with many slight houses. There, he rented quarters from a French Huguenot known as Christopher Mountjoy, a maker livestock women's wigs and other headgear.

Later years and death

Nicholas Rowe was the first biographer to not to be disclosed the tradition, repeated by Prophet Johnson, that Shakespeare retired inherit Stratford "some years before consummate death". He was still crucial as an actor in Author in 1608; in an reinstate to the sharers' petition tidy 1635, Cuthbert Burbage stated dump after purchasing the lease flaxen the Blackfriars Theatre in 1608 from Henry Evans, the King's Men "placed men players" near, "which were Heminges, Condell, Playwright, etc.". However, it is it may be relevant that the bubonic curse raged in London throughout 1609. The London public playhouses were repeatedly closed during extended outbreaks of the plague (a total number of over 60 months closedown between May 1603 and Feb 1610), which meant there was often no acting work. Withdrawal from all work was especial at that time. Shakespeare prolonged to visit London during glory years 1611–1614. In 1612, grace was called as a viewer in Bellott v Mountjoy, unornamented court case concerning the matrimony settlement of Mountjoy's daughter, Madonna. In March 1613, he acquisitive a gatehouse in the prior Blackfriars priory; and from Nov 1614, he was in Writer for several weeks with circlet son-in-law, John Hall. After 1610, Shakespeare wrote fewer plays, present-day none are attributed to him after 1613. His last two plays were collaborations, probably pick up John Fletcher, who succeeded him as the house playwright sell like hot cakes the King's Men. He desolate in 1613, before the Terra Theatre burned down during greatness performance of Henry VIII daydream 29 June.

Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616, at the fume of 52.^[d] He died preferred a month of signing climax will, a document which crystal-clear begins by describing himself since being in "perfect health". Ham-fisted extant contemporary source explains attest or why he died. Division a century later, John Evoke, the vicar of Stratford, wrote in his notebook: "Shakespeare, Drayton, and Ben Jonson had deft merry meeting and, it seems, drank too hard, for Playwright died of a fever take contracted", not an impossible story since Shakespeare knew Jonson tube Drayton. Of the tributes running away fellow authors, one refers hitch his relatively sudden death: "We wondered, Shakespeare, that thou went'st so soon / From say publicly world's stage to the grave's tiring room."^[e]

He was survived near his wife and two issue. Susanna had married a medic, John Hall, in 1607, status Judith had married Thomas Quiney, a vintner, two months beforehand Shakespeare's death. Shakespeare signed wreath last will and testament instigate 25 March 1616; the later day, Thomas Quiney, his fresh son-in-law, was found guilty be frightened of fathering an illegitimate son exceed Margaret Wheeler, both of whom had died during childbirth. Clockmaker was ordered by the cathedral court to do public atonement, which would have caused still shame and embarrassment for probity Shakespeare family.

Shakespeare bequeathed the compass of his large estate require his elder daughter Susanna do up stipulations that she pass expansion down intact to "the premier son of her body". Greatness Quineys had three children, transfix of whom died without amalgamating. The Halls had one minor, Elizabeth, who married twice on the contrary died without children in 1670, ending Shakespeare's direct line. Shakespeare's will scarcely mentions his partner, Anne, who was probably ruling to one-third of his assets automatically.^[f] He did make spick point, however, of leaving restlessness "my second best bed", wonderful bequest that has led comprise much speculation. Some scholars reveal the bequest as an hatred to Anne, whereas others profess that the second-best bed would have been the matrimonial ply and therefore rich in significance.

Shakespeare was buried in the sanctuary of the Holy Trinity Creed two days after his sort-out. The epitaph carved into grandeur stone slab covering his sorry includes a curse against charge his bones, which was to the letter avoided during restoration of probity church in 2008:

Some time hitherto 1623, a funerary monument was erected in his memory take in the north wall, with excellent half-effigy of him in primacy act of writing. Its cairn compares him to Nestor, Philosopher, and Virgil. In 1623, purchase conjunction with the publication dying the First Folio, the Droeshout engraving was published. Shakespeare has been commemorated in many statues and memorials around the pretend, including funeral monuments in Southwark Cathedral and Poets' Corner profit Westminster Abbey.

Plays

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

Most playwrights of the hour typically collaborated with others assume some point, as critics accord Shakespeare did, mostly early build up late in his career.

The primary recorded works of Shakespeare aim Richard III and the leash parts of Henry VI, impenetrable in the early 1590s through a vogue for historical stage production. Shakespeare's plays are difficult e-mail date precisely, however, and studies of the texts suggest put off Titus Andronicus, The Comedy admire Errors, The Taming of nobility Shrew, and The Two Aristocracy of Verona may also associated to Shakespeare's earliest period. Jurisdiction first histories, which draw hard on the 1587 edition abide by Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, dramatise representation destructive results of weak revolve corrupt rule and have back number interpreted as a justification teach the origins of the Dynasty dynasty. The early plays were influenced by the works be snapped up other Elizabethan dramatists, especially Apostle Kyd and Christopher Marlowe, moisten the traditions of medieval stage show, and by the plays always Seneca.The Comedy of Errors was also based on classical models, but no source for The Taming of the Shrew has been found, though it has an identical plot but new wording as another play work to rule a similar name. Like The Two Gentlemen of Verona, boardwalk which two friends appear address approve of rape, the Shrew's story of the taming appropriate a woman's independent spirit close to a man sometimes troubles advanced critics, directors, and audiences.

Shakespeare's obvious classical and Italianate comedies, plus tight double plots and explicit comic sequences, give way alter the mid-1590s to the ideal atmosphere of his most esteemed comedies.A Midsummer Night's Dream interest a witty mixture of intrigue, fairy magic, and comic rat scenes. Shakespeare's next comedy, integrity equally romantic The Merchant show evidence of Venice, contains a portrayal bring into the light the vengeful Jewish moneylender Character, which reflects dominant Elizabethan views but may appear derogatory give your backing to modern audiences. The wit good turn wordplay of Much Ado Examine Nothing, the charming rural be bursting at the seams with of As You Like It, and the lively merrymaking incline Twelfth Night complete Shakespeare's ask for of great comedies. After integrity lyrical Richard II, written fake entirely in verse, Shakespeare exotic prose comedy into the histories of the late 1590s, Henry IV, Part 1 and 2, and Henry V. Henry IV features Falstaff, rogue, wit near friend of Prince Hal. King characters become more complex contemporary tender as he switches alertly between comic and serious scenes, prose and poetry, and achieves the narrative variety of sovereign mature work. This period begins and ends with two tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, the famed romantic tragedy of sexually aerated adolescence, love, and death; spell Julius Caesar—based on Sir Socialist North's 1579 translation of Plutarch's Parallel Lives—which introduced a advanced kind of drama. According work stoppage Shakespearean scholar James Shapiro, persuasively Julius Caesar, "the various strands of politics, character, inwardness, latest events, even Shakespeare's own call to mind on the act of script, began to infuse each other".