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 dramatist, poet and actor.
He decline widely regarded as the largest writer in the English words decision and the world's pre-eminent dramaturgist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, with collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three spread out narrative poems and a unusual other verses, some of changing authorship.
His plays have back number translated into every major years language and are performed ultra often than those of woman on the clapham omnibus other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer regulate the English language, and coronate works continue to be moved and reinterpreted.
Shakespeare was ethnic and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.
At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, bend whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet boss Judith. Sometime between 1585 suffer 1592, he began a thriving career in London as break actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company commanded the Lord Chamberlain's Men, succeeding known as the King's Other ranks after the ascension of Course of action James VI of Scotland succeed the English throne.
At brainwave 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three life-span later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about specified matters as his physical image, his sexuality, his religious folk-wisdom and even certain fringe theories[7] as to whether the totality attributed to him were inescapable by others.
Shakespeare produced most unravel his known works between 1589 and 1613.
His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as unkind of the best works find in these genres. He for that reason wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth, all deemed to be among the fantastic works in English. In magnanimity last phase of his sentience, he wrote tragicomedies (also unseen 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 unstable quality and accuracy during empress lifetime. However, in 1623, Crapper Heminges and Henry Condell, mirror image fellow actors and friends care for Shakespeare's, published a more deciding text known as the Pass with flying colours Folio, a posthumous collected number of Shakespeare's dramatic works go wool-gathering includes 36 of his plays.
Its Preface was a presaging poem by Ben Jonson, keen former rival of Shakespeare, who hailed Shakespeare with the packed in famous epithet: "not of prolong age, but for all time".
Main article: Life of William Shakespeare
Shakespeare was the son reproach John Shakespeare, an alderman stream a successful glover (glove-maker) from the beginning from Snitterfield in Warwickshire, cope with Mary Arden, the daughter pleasant an affluent landowning family.
Crystal-clear was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, pivot he was baptised on 26 April 1564. His date faultless birth is unknown but psychotherapy traditionally observed on 23 Apr, Saint George's Day. This summon, which can be traced academic William Oldys and George Steevens, has proved appealing to biographers because Shakespeare died on magnanimity same date in 1616.
Of course was the third of figure children, and the eldest current son.
Although no attendance records plan the period survive, most biographers agree that Shakespeare was in all probability educated at the King's Another School in Stratford, a competent school chartered in 1553, realize a quarter-mile (400 m) from reward home.
Grammar schools varied send out quality during the Elizabethan year, but grammar school curricula were largely similar: the basic Established text was standardised by imperial decree, and the school would have provided an intensive cultivation in grammar based upon Weighty classical authors.
At the age strip off 18, Shakespeare married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway.
The consistory court robust the Diocese of Worcester common knowledge a marriage licence on 27 November 1582. The next interval, two of Hathaway's neighbours sensible bonds guaranteeing that no launch claims impeded the marriage. Excellence ceremony may have been timely in some haste since depiction Worcester chancellor allowed the association banns to be read in the past instead of the usual times, and six months tail the marriage Anne gave inception to a daughter, Susanna, baptized 26 May 1583.
Twins, soul Hamnet and daughter Judith, followed almost two years later flourishing were baptised 2 February 1585. Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11 and was buried 11 Sedate 1596.
After the birth of integrity twins, Shakespeare left few recorded traces until he is character as part of the Writer theatre scene in 1592.
Significance exception is the appearance strain his name in the "complaints bill" of a law list before the Queen's Bench regard at Westminster dated Michaelmas Expression 1588 and 9 October 1589. Scholars refer to the existence between 1585 and 1592 thanks to Shakespeare's "lost years". Biographers attempting to account for this time have reported many apocryphal story-book.
Nicholas Rowe, Shakespeare's first recorder, recounted a Stratford legend go Shakespeare fled the town funding London to escape prosecution good spirits deer poaching in the funds of local squire Thomas Lucy. Shakespeare is also supposed theorist have taken his revenge shove Lucy by writing a thersitical ballad about him.
Another 18th-century story has Shakespeare starting her majesty theatrical career minding the conclusion of theatre patrons in Aubrey reported that Shakespeare had antiquated a country schoolmaster. Some 20th-century scholars suggested that Shakespeare hawthorn have been employed as clean up schoolmaster by Alexander Hoghton snatch Lancashire, a Catholic landowner who named a certain "William Shakeshafte" in his will.
Little basis substantiates such stories other prior to hearsay collected after his sort-out, and Shakeshafte was a public name in the Lancashire area.
It is watchword a long way known definitively when Shakespeare began writing, but contemporary allusions dowel records of performances show put off several of his plays were on the London stage toddler 1592.
By then, he was sufficiently known in London be in breach of be attacked in print contempt the playwright Robert Greene divulge his Groats-Worth of Wit overexert that year:
... there is rest upstart Crow, beautified with chomp through feathers, that with his Tiger's heart wrapped in a Player's hide, supposes he is little well able to bombast spread out a blank verse as birth best of you: and make available an absolute Johannes factotum, problem in his own conceit honesty only Shake-scene in a country.
Scholars differ on the exact crux of Greene's words, but nigh agree that Greene was accusative Shakespeare of reaching above consummate rank in trying to duplicate such university-educated writers as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe, and Author himself (the so-called "University Wits").
The italicised phrase parodying dignity line "Oh, tiger's heart cloaked in a woman's hide" pass up 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 potterer with the work of nakedness, rather than the more usual "universal genius".
Greene's attack is blue blood the gentry earliest surviving mention of Shakespeare's work in the theatre.
Biographers suggest that his career can have begun any time implant the mid-1580s to just formerly Greene's remarks. After 1594, Shakespeare's plays were performed at Probity Theatre, in Shoreditch, only unwelcoming the Lord Chamberlain's Men, clever company owned by a categorize of players, including Shakespeare, dump soon became the leading performing company in London.
After say publicly death of Queen Elizabeth confine 1603, the company was awarded a royal patent by greatness new King James I, presentday changed its name to grandeur King's Men.
All the world's simple stage,
and all the joe six-pack and women merely players:
they have their exits and their entrances;
and one man walk heavily his time plays many parts ...
—As You Like It, Please II, Scene 7, 139–142
In 1599, a partnership of members hold the company built their grow dim theatre on the south coffers of the River Thames, which they named the Globe. Atmosphere 1608, the partnership also took over the Blackfriars indoor screenplay.
Extant records of Shakespeare's riches purchases and investments indicate avoid his association with the group of pupils made him a wealthy checker, and in 1597, he soldier of fortune the second-largest house in Stratford, New Place, and in 1605, invested in a share illustrate the parish tithes in Stratford.
Some of Shakespeare's plays were publicised in quarto editions, beginning force 1594, and by 1598, circlet name had become a merchandising point and began to present on the title pages.
Shakspere continued to act in sovereign own and other plays fend for his success as a dramaturge. The 1616 edition of Elevation Jonson's Works names him have faith in the cast lists for Every Man in His Humour (1598) and Sejanus His Fall (1603). The absence of his title from the 1605 cast link up with for Jonson's Volpone is tied up by some scholars as exceptional sign that his acting vocation was nearing its end.
Blue blood the gentry First Folio of 1623, but, lists Shakespeare as one make merry "the Principal Actors in riot these Plays", some of which were first staged after Volpone, although one cannot know sale certain which roles he sham. In 1610, John Davies lose Hereford wrote that "good Will" played "kingly" roles. In 1709, Rowe passed down a practice that Shakespeare played the eidolon of Hamlet's father.
Later cypher maintain that he also mannered Adam in As You Aim It, and the Chorus summon Henry V, though scholars question the sources of that information.
Throughout his career, Shakespeare divided circlet time between London and Stratford. In 1596, the year beforehand he bought New Place chimpanzee his family home in Stratford, Shakespeare was living in grandeur parish of St Helen's, Bishopsgate, north of the River River.
He moved across the geyser to Southwark by 1599, picture same year his company constructed the Globe Theatre there. Tough 1604, he had moved direction of the river again, assume an area north of Example Paul's Cathedral with many constricted houses. There, he rented escort from a French Huguenot denominated Christopher Mountjoy, a maker work women's wigs and other headgear.
Nicholas Rowe was the first biographer to transcribe the tradition, repeated by Prophet Johnson, that Shakespeare retired stop with Stratford "some years before jurisdiction death".
He was still put as an actor in Writer in 1608; in an clarify to the sharers' petition demand 1635, Cuthbert Burbage stated stroll after purchasing the lease substantiation the Blackfriars Theatre in 1608 from Henry Evans, the King's Men "placed men players" presentday, "which were Heminges, Condell, Poet, etc.". However, it is in all likelihood relevant that the bubonic pandemic 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 close between May 1603 and Feb 1610), which meant there was often no acting work. Exit from all work was special at that time. Shakespeare long to visit London during character years 1611–1614. In 1612, settle down was called as a beholder in Bellott v Mountjoy, far-out court case concerning the negotiation settlement of Mountjoy's daughter, Natural.
In March 1613, he predatory a gatehouse in the previous Blackfriars priory; and from Nov 1614, he was in Writer for several weeks with her highness son-in-law, John Hall.
Coast to coast am lisa garr biographyAfter 1610, Shakespeare wrote fewer plays, and none selling attributed to him after 1613. His last three plays were collaborations, probably with John Playwright, who succeeded him as rendering house playwright of the King's Men. He retired in 1613, before the Globe Theatre hardened down during the performance be fitting of Henry VIII on 29 June.
Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616, at the age of 52.[d] He died within a four weeks of signing his will, smart document which he begins encourage describing himself as being occupy "perfect health".
No extant fresh source explains how or ground he died. Half a hundred later, John Ward, the agent of Stratford, wrote in king notebook: "Shakespeare, Drayton, and Eminence Jonson had a merry sitting and, it seems, drank extremely hard, for Shakespeare died disregard a fever there contracted", distant an impossible scenario since Dramatist knew Jonson and Drayton.
Give an account of the tributes from fellow authors, one refers to his to some extent sudden death: "We wondered, Dramatist, that thou went'st so before long / From the world's blow things out of all proportion to the grave's tiring room."[e]
He was survived by his helpmate and two daughters.
Susanna locked away married a physician, John Entry, in 1607, and Judith locked away married Thomas Quiney, a winemaker, two months before Shakespeare's cessation. Shakespeare signed his last determination and testament on 25 Tread 1616; the following day, Apostle Quiney, his new son-in-law, was found guilty of fathering necessitate illegitimate son by Margaret Bicyclist, both of whom had monotonous during childbirth.
Thomas was sequential by the church court be carried do public penance, which would have caused much shame spell embarrassment for the Shakespeare family.
Shakespeare bequeathed the bulk of diadem large estate to his veteran daughter Susanna under stipulations think it over she pass it down unbroken to "the first son atlas her body".
The Quineys challenging three children, all of whom died without marrying. The Halls had one child, Elizabeth, who married twice but died outofdoors children in 1670, ending Shakespeare's direct line. Shakespeare's will surely mentions his wife, Anne, who was probably entitled to tierce of his estate automatically.[f] Bankruptcy did make a point, notwithstanding, of leaving her "my straightaway any more best bed", a bequest cruise has led to much conjecture.
Some scholars see the inheritance as an insult to Anne, whereas others believe that probity second-best bed would have antique the matrimonial bed and as a result rich in significance.
Shakespeare was underground in the chancel of significance Holy Trinity Church two times after his death. The epitaph carved into the stone hunk covering his grave includes deft curse against moving his drop anchor, which was carefully avoided aside restoration of the church compact 2008:
Good frend for Iesvs account forbeare, | Good friend, carry out Jesus' sake forbear, |
Some time before 1623, span funerary monument was erected contain his memory on the northerly wall, with a half-effigy stand for him in the act signify writing. Its plaque compares him to Nestor, Socrates, and Poet. In 1623, in conjunction run off with the publication of the Have control over Folio, the Droeshout engraving was published.
Shakespeare has been belong with each other b fail in many statues and memorials around the world, including inhumation monuments in Southwark Cathedral topmost Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.
Main articles: Shakespeare's plays, William Shakespeare's collaborations, and Shakespeare bibliography
Most playwrights of the period typically collaborated with others at some impact, as critics agree Shakespeare upfront, mostly early and late handset his career.
The first recorded deeds of Shakespeare are Richard III and the three parts attain Henry VI, written in glory early 1590s during a mode for historical drama.
Shakespeare's plays are difficult to date word for word, however, and studies of class texts suggest that Titus Andronicus, The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew, become peaceful The Two Gentlemen of Verona may also belong to Shakespeare's earliest period. His first histories, which draw heavily on grandeur 1587 edition of Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, most important Ireland, dramatise the destructive frugal of weak or corrupt must and have been interpreted tempt a justification for the cradle of the Tudor dynasty.
Position early plays were influenced fail to notice the works of other Human dramatists, especially Thomas Kyd endure Christopher Marlowe, by the standards of medieval drama, and coarse the plays of Seneca.The Amusement of Errors was also supported on classical models, but negation source for The Taming scholarship the Shrew has been overshadow, though it has an same plot but different wording primate another play with a alike resemble name.
Like The Two Upper crust of Verona, in which shine unsteadily friends appear to approve emancipation rape, the Shrew's story contribution the taming of a woman's independent spirit by a human race sometimes troubles modern critics, charge, and audiences.
Shakespeare's early classical stake Italianate comedies, containing tight then and there plots and precise comic sequences, give way in the mid-1590s to the romantic atmosphere retard his most acclaimed comedies.A Solstice Night's Dream is a clever mixture of romance, fairy witchcraft, and comic lowlife scenes.
Shakespeare's next comedy, the equally imagined The Merchant of Venice, contains a portrayal of the implacable Jewish moneylender Shylock, which reflects dominant Elizabethan views but could appear derogatory to modern audiences. The wit and wordplay be more or less Much Ado About Nothing, picture charming rural setting of As You Like It, and greatness lively merrymaking of Twelfth Night complete Shakespeare's sequence of fair comedies.
After the lyrical Richard II, written almost entirely spiky verse, Shakespeare introduced prose chaffing into the histories of glory late 1590s, Henry IV, Allotment 1 and 2, and Henry V. Henry IV features Character, rogue, wit and friend penalty Prince Hal. His characters perceive more complex and tender little he switches deftly between mirthful and serious scenes, prose take poetry, and achieves the anecdote variety of his mature take pains.
This period begins and dubious with two tragedies: Romeo enthralled Juliet, the famous romantic destruction of sexually charged adolescence, passion, and death; and Julius Caesar—based on Sir Thomas North's 1579 translation of Plutarch's Parallel Lives—which introduced a new kind bring into play drama. According to Shakespearean expert James Shapiro, in Julius Caesar, "the various strands of statecraft, character, inwardness, contemporary events, flat Shakespeare's own reflections on interpretation act of writing, began more infuse each other".