Biography of William Shakespeare Essay

In the mid- half dozenteenth century, William Shakespe atomic number 18s father, John Shakespeare, moved to the idyllic townspeople of Stratford-upon-Avon. There, he became a successful landowner, m iylender, glove-maker, and dealer of wool and agricultural goods. In 1557, he married bloody shame Arden. John Shakespeare lived during a time when the middle class was expanding in both size and wealth, allowing its members more freedoms and luxuries as well as a louder voice in local government. He took advantage of the change in times and in 1557 became a member of the Stratford Council. This regulart marked the beginning of his illustrious political career.By 1561, he was elected one of the towns fourteen burgesses and subsequently served successively as constable, one of two chamberlains, and alder patch. In these positions, he administered borough property and revenues. In 1567, he became bailiffthe highest elected office in Stratford and the like of a modern-day mayor. Town reco rds indicate that William Shakespeare was John and Marys third child. His birth is unregistered, simply legend pins it on April 23, 1564, possibly because it is cognize that April 23 is the day on which he died 52 long time later.In some(prenominal) event, his baptism was registered with the town on April 26, 1564. Little is known about his childhood, although it is generally assumed that he attended the local grammar school, the queens New School. The school was staffed by Oxford-educated faculty who taught the students mathematics, natural sciences, logic, Christian ethics, and classical language and literature. Shakespeare did not attend university, which was not at all unusual for the time. University genteelness was taciturn for pixilated sons of the elite, mostly those who wanted to become clergymen.The numerous classical and literary references in Shakespeares plays are a testament, however, to the excellent education he received in grammar school (and to his ability as an autodidact). His ahead of time plays in particular draw on the works of Seneca and Plautus. Even more impressive than his formal education is the wealth of general knowledge exhibited in his works. His vocabulary exceeds that of any other English writer by a wide margin. In 1582, at the age of eighteen, William Shakespeare married the twenty-six-year-old Anne Hathaway.Their outgrowth daughter, Susanna, was baptized only six months latera fact that has given rise to speculation concerning the circumstances surrounding their marriage. In 1585, Anne bore-hole twins, baptized Hamnet and Judith Shakespeare. Hamnet died at the age of eleven, by which time Shakespeare was al show upy a successful playwright. Around 1589, Shakespeare wrote his suppositious first play, heat content VI, Part 1. Sometime between his marriage and writing this play, he moved to London, where he pursued a career as a playwright and actor.Although many records of Shakespeares feel as a citizen of Stratfor dincluding marriage and birth certificateshave survived, very pocket-size information exists about his life as a young playwright. Legend characterizes Shakespeare as a roguish young man who was once obligate to flee London under suspect circumstances perhaps having to do with his love life. But the little written information we have of his early years does not necessarily confirm this characterization. In any case, young Will was not an immediate and universal success.The earliest written record of Shakespeares life in London comes from a statement by the rival playwright Robert Greene. In his Groatsworth of Witte (1592), Greene calls Shakespeare an upstart boast who supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you. While this is hardly high praise, it does suggest that Shakespeare rattled the London theatrical hierarchy even at the beginning of his career. It is natural, in retrospect, to attribute Greenes complaint to jealousy of Shakespeares abilit y, but of personal credit line we cant be sure.With Richard III, Henry VI, The Comedy of Errors, and Titus Andronicus under his belt, Shakespeare was a popular playwright by 1590. * The year 1593, however, marked a major leap forward in his career. By the end of that year, he secured a prominent patron in the Earl of Southampton and his Venus and Adonis was published. It remains one of the first of his known works to be printed and was a huge success. Next came The Rape of Lucrece. Shakespeare had also made his mark as a poet and most scholars agree that the majority of Shakespeares sonnets were probably written in the 1590s.In 1594, Shakespeare returned to the discipline and became a charter member of the Lord Chamberlains Mena group of actors who changed their name to the Kings Men when James I ascended to the throne. By 1598, he was the principal comedian for the troupe by 1603, he was principal tragedian. He remained associated with the organization until his death. Although acting and playwriting were not considered noble professions at the time, successful and wanton actors were relatively well respected. Shakespeares success left him with a fair amount of money, which he nvested in Stratford real estate.In 1597, he purchased the second largest house in Stratfordthe New Placefor his parents. In 1596, Shakespeare utilise for a coat of arms for his family, in effect making himself a gentleman. Consequently, his daughters made good matches, marrying wealthy men. The same year that he joined the Lord Chamberlains Men, Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, along with Loves grates Lost, The Taming of the Shrew, and several other plays. Two of his greatest tragedies, Hamlet and Julius Caesar, followed around 1600.Hamlet is widely considered the first modern play for its multi-faceted main character and unprecedented depiction of his psyche. The first decade of the seventeenth century witnessed the debut performances of many of Shakespeares most celebrated w orks, including many of his so-called history plays Othello in 1604 or 1605, Antony and Cleopatra in 1606 or 1607, and King Lear in 1608. The last play of his to be performed was probably King Henry VIII in either 1612 or 1613. William Shakespeare lived until 1616. His wife Anna died in 1623 at the age of 67.He was inhumed in the chancel of his church at Stratford. The lines above his tomballegedly written by Shakespeare himselfread Good friend, for Jesus sake forbear To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones And cursed be he that moves my bones. *The dates of composition and performance of almost all of Shakespeares plays remain uncertain. The dates utilize in this note are widely agreed upon by scholars, but there is still probative debate around when and where he wrote most of his plays.