The
Basics
Birth: April 1564; raised in Stratford-upon-Avon,
England
Death: April 1616
Occupation: English poet and playwright
Works: approximately 38 plays and 154 sonnets, as well as
several poems
Parents: Mary Arden and John Shakespeare
Wife: Anne Hathaway
Children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith
William's
Life
William Shakespeare was born in 1564, his birthday traditionally
being observed as April 23rd. The third children of eight children,
he is thought to have attended King's New School in Stratford. At
18, he married 26 year old Anne. They had a daughter named Susanna,
followed by a set of twins named Hamnet and Judith. Later on in
1597 Shakespeare would purchase a large property named New
Place for his home in Stratford. New Place is known as his
final place of residence before retiring.
Shakespeare was part of the Lord Chamberlain's
Men, a leading acting troupe in London at the time. From
1594, they were the only company that performed his plays. He was
both a playwright and an actor in his own plays. In 1599, the
company built their own theatre by the south bank of the Thames
river - and called it the Globe. Their company was
later changed to the King's Men in 1603 when given
a royal patent by King James I.
William's
Sexuality
His sexuality has been a great topic of controversy in recent
years. Several of his sonnets are directed towards a male lover,
but it may been a close friendship rather than sexual. There are
also 26 sonnets for a married woman named "Dark Lady", which may
have indicated an affair.
William's
Works
Shakespeare's plays can be generally classified as either
comedies, tragedies or histories. In the late 19th
century, four of his late comedies were referred to instead as
romances, or tragicomedies.
Shakespeare did not write every single word in his plays, but would
probably have collaborated with John Fletcher, another playwright
in the Lord Chamberlain's Men, for his last three plays. It has
often been speculated that perhaps another person has written his
works - but not real evidence exists to prove it.
William's
Influence on Arts and Culture
Shakespeare's reputation did not rise to the prominence it holds
today until the 19th century, during the Romantic period.
His works were especially revered by the Romantic poets of that
time.
Because of his universal ideas, characters and themes, many use
Shakespeare has an inspiration for their own writing. He has
influenced novelists such as Charles Dickens, who has drawn 25 of
his titles from the Bard's writings. Even Herman Melville's
Moby Dick has a tragic hero similar to that of King
Lear.
Today, many festivals celebrate the plays of Shakespeare. There are
also companies which perform Shakespeare in the Park, or Bard on
the Beach. There are various adaptations of his plays, such as Baz
Luhrmann's film Romeo and Juliet and the musical West
Side Story (which is a modern-day retelling of the play
Romeo and Juliet.
It is important to note that his use of language has helped shape
modern English language. His writing style, expressions and famous
passages all make their way into everyday life. For example, there
are over 20,000 songs in music which reference his
work!
References:
http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare
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