Shakespeare: Biography Essay, Research Paper

Shakespeare: Biography

William Shakespeare was a great English playwright, dramatist and poet

who lived during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.

Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest playwright of all time. No other

writer’s plays have been produced so many times or read so widely in so many

countries as his.

Shakespeare was born to middle class parents. His father, John, was a

Stratford businessman. He was a glove maker who owned a leather shop. John

Shakespeare was a well known and respected man in the town. He held several

important local governmental positions. William Shakespeare’s mother was Mary

Arden. Though she was the daughter of a local farmer, she was related to a

family of considerable wealth and social standing. Mary Arden and John

Shakespeare were married in 1557.

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford in 1564. He was one of eight

children. The Shakespeare’s were well respected prominent people. When William

Shakespeare was about seven years old, he probably began attending the Stratford

Grammar School with other boys of his social class. Students went to school

year round attending school for nine hours a day. The teachers were strict

disciplinarians.

Though Shakespeare spent long hours at school, his boyhood was probably

fascinating. Stratford was a lively town and during holidays, it was known to

put on pageants and many popular shows. It also held several large fairs during

the year. Stratford was a exciting place to live. Stratford also had fields

and woods surrounding it giving William the opportunity to hunt and trap small

game. The River Avon which ran through the town allowed him to fish also.

Shakespeare’s’ poems and plays show his love of nature and rural life which

reflects his childhood.

On November 28, 1582, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway of the

neighboring village of Shottery. She was twenty-six, and he was only eighteen

at the time. They had three children. Susana was their first and then they had

twins, Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet, Shakespeare’s son, died in 1596. In 1607,

his daughter Susana got married. Shakespeare’s other daughter, Judith, got

married in 1616.

In London, Shakespeare’s career took off. It is believed that he may

have become well known in London theatrical life by 1592. By that time, he had

joined one of the city’s repertory theater companies. These companies were made

up of a permanent cast of actors who presented different plays week after week.

The companies were commercial organizations that depended on admission from

their audience. Scholars know that Shakespeare belonged to one of the most

popular acting companies in London called The Lord Chamberlain’s Men.

Shakespeare was a leading member of the group from 1594 for the rest of his

career. By 1594, at least six of Shakespeare’s plays had been produced.

During Shakespeare’s life, there were two monarchs who ruled England.

They were Henry the eighth and Elizabeth the first. Both were impressed with

Shakespeare which made his name known. There is evidence that he was a member

of a traveling theater group, and a schoolmaster. In 1594, he became an actor

and playwright for Lord Chamberlain’s Men. In 1599, he became a part owner of

the prosperous Globe Theater. He also was a part owner of the Blackfriars

Theater as of 1609. Shakespeare retired to Stratford in 1613 where he wrote

many of his excellent plays.

There are many reasons as to why William Shakespeare is so famous. He

is generally considered to be both the greatest dramatist the world has ever

known as well as the finest poet who has written in the English language. Many

reasons can be given for Shakespeare’s enormous appeal. His fame basically is

from his great understanding of human nature. He was able to find universal

human qualities and put them in a dramatic situation creating characters that

are timeless. Yet he had the ability to create characters that are highly

individual human beings. Their struggles in life are universal. Sometimes they

are successful and sometimes their lives are full of pain, suffering, and

failure.

In addition to his understanding and realistic view of human nature,

Shakespeare had a vast knowledge of a variety of subjects. These subjects

include music, law, Bible, stage, art, politics, history, hunting, and sports.

Shakespeare had a tremendous influence on culture and literature throughout the

world. He contributed greatly to the development of the English language. Many

words and phrases from Shakespeare’s plays and poems have become part of our

speech. Shakespeare’s plays and poems have become a required part of education

in the United States. Therefore, his ideas on subjects such as romantic love,

heroism, comedy, and tragedy have helped shape the attitudes of millions of

people. His portrayal of historical figures and events have influenced our

thinking more than what has been written in history books. The world has

admired and respected many great writers, but only Shakespeare has generated

such enormous continuing interest. My source states explanations rather than

opinions on why Shakespeare’s contributions to literature are so vast. My

source devoted thirty pages to William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare’s plays are usually divided into three major categories.

These are comedy, tragedy, and history. Three plays which are in the category

of comedy are “The Comedy of Errors”, “The Taming of the Shrew”, and “The Two

Gentlemen of Verone”. Three plays which are in the category of tragedy are

“Romeo and Juliet”, “Titus Andronicus”, and “Julius Caesar”. In the category of

history, three plays are “Henry V”, “Richard II”, and “Richard III”.