The Life of William Shakespeare Essay

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William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was the greatest playwright the world has ever known! His talent with using the English language has never had any competition, not even today. With his wonderful talent he has produced thirty-seven plays. Although Shakespeare has died more than four hundred years ago he is still very famous around the world today.

William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in England. The people of England still celebrate his birthday today, it is known as the feast of St. George. He was the third child and the eldest boy of eight children. His parent’s names were John and Mary Arden Shakespeare. His mother came from a very wealthy family and his father was a glove maker and a tanner. At one time John Shakespeare became a mayor of Stratford, which allowed young William Shakespeare to attend a very good grammar school in his town. The school had highly qualified teachers who were very strict on disciplining the students. Students spent up to nine hours a day studying in school. During his grammar school years was when he got his first taste of what real plays were to look like. Shakespeare did not want to attend a University so at the age of fourteen he was withdrawn from school.

At the age of eighteen William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway who was almost ten years older than him. They got married on November 27, 1582. Together they had three children. The following year after their marriage their first baby girl, Susana, was born. Anne and William also had one set of twins; their names were Hamnet (boy) and Judith (girl). The twins were born on 1585. Hamnet only lived to be eleven years old.

From the years of 1585 (after his twins were baptized) and 1592 not much is known about Shakespeare, these years are called “The Lost Years”. In 1592 Shakespeare left Stratford to London so he can pursue his career, which he was successful in doing so.

In 1592 was when he became well known by many people in London as an established playwright. Shakespeare was an actor, writer, director, and stockholder for a well-known theatrical company in London called Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Soon after he became known as a poet and a playwright and soon many theatres were calling upon him to write more plays. The company was very successful and popular simply because William Shakespeare was performing and working for them. He was the Company’s leading member. His company often performed plays for Queen Elizabeth and her court; they were always satisfied with the outstanding performances and scripts.

Shakespeare began to write poems when London authorities closed public theatres because of the fatal outbreaks of plague that were being exposed to everyone. During that time there was no need to write plays so he began writing poems that most Elizabethans considered more heart breaking and true than his plays.

Shakespeare wrote sonnets, which gained adequate amount of popularity. His sonnets usually described the devotion of a character that was often identified as the poet himself.

Many of Shakespeare’s plays and poems are based on the way life really is. Some of his themes were love, evil, war, heroes, and romance. Many of his characters also came from many different lives. Shakespeare had kings, nobles, knights, and peasants there were generals, lovers, drunkards, and many other types of characters such as gods, angles animals humanity plants and minerals. Shakespeare understood people as few other artists have.

He was able to see in a specific dramatic situation the qualities that relate to all human beings. He created characters that had meaning beyond the time and place of his plays. All his characters are remarkable individuals. The all struggle
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