There are many authors that are widely read. However, none are more universally read and
studied than the great William Shakespeare of the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
His plays and poems have moved millions of people, unofficially giving him the
well-deserved title of the greatest of all dramatists. Shakespeare is the basis for
excellence in literacy and theatrical performances. Although occasionally confusing to
the reader, Shakespeare's work is a blend of inspirational quotes and dramatic plots.
Many details of Shakespeare's childhood in Stratford, England are lacking, but we do
know a few major facts. John Shakespeare, the father of this elite writer was a "burgess
of the borough" (Encarta '96), the position corresponding to mayor for the town of
Stratford. His mother, Mary Arden, was a descendant of a rich, ancient family, and was
the heiress to some land. They got married, thus moving John and Mary Shakespeare up a
step on the social scale. Together, they bore eight children, the third and oldest son,
William Shakespeare was born in 1564, and they baptized him in Stratford-upon-Avon,
Warwickshire.
The Shakespeare family was not rich and therefore could not afford to send their
children to a "private school," and it is commonly accepted that the children attended
Stratford's Grammar School.
"William's education consisted of mostly Latin studies (learning to read, write, and
speak the language almost fluently), and the study of some of the classic historians,
moralists, and poets. Of course, they also had basic math and English, but all this
was only a minimal education, for it was assumed that the children would go to the
university to enhance their knowledge toward the field of their choice" (Britannica
253-254).
William Shakespeare, however, did not go to the university, and instead tried his hand at
life with only the education he received at the local grammar school. This surprises
most historians; they find it hard to believe that one with minimal education could write
such historically accurate plays. This generally makes us assume that he liked school,
and did well in it, but there are no records from the school at Shakespeare's time.
After graduating from the Stratford Grammar School at the age of 18, Shakespeare married
Anne Hathaway. There are no indications of how Ms. Hathaway and William Shakespeare met;
however they got married quickly after meeting. The preserved marriage license is still
in tact, and shows the bishop's authority for the marriage of "William Shakespeare and
Anne Hathaway of Stratford" (Encyclopedia Americana 104). In only a few short years, the
newlyweds gave birth to Susanna, who was baptized on May 26, 1583, then twins Hamnet and
Judith, who were baptized on February 2, 1585. Unfortunately, the boy Hamnet,
Shakespeare's only son, died 11 years later (Britannica 254).
Shakespeare and his new family didn't stay long in Stratford and eight years after the
birth of his twins, they moved to London. There are many theories as to what Shakespeare
had done in those eight years and what made him move. "The most accepted theory is that
he worked odd jobs for minimal pay and decided to move to London to avoid getting in
trouble for poaching deer in the park of Sir Thomas Lucy, a local justice of the peace"
(Encarta 96). As funny as it seems, it is on record that Shakespeare was caught poaching
deer; however, there is no indication of a punishment, leaving room for rumors to begin
about why he actually moved.
Once the Shakespeare family moved to London in 1588, they needed a start. He began
working in the Globe Theater and in his spare time wrote his first poems, Venus and
Adonis and The Rape of Lucrese in 1594, once people started reading his plays and
watching him on stage. They then realized that Shakespeare was a talented man. Other
works began to circulate around like his Sonnets which drew more attention and fame to
his name. The hard part was behind him and Shakespeare now had a base to his career as a
writer and entertainer (Encyclopedia Americana 104).
"Shakespeare's works are usually divided into different groups, according to the time
periods in which they were written" (Encarta '96). His first plays, often called his
worst because they were experimentations, fit into the First Period. These plays are
characterized by stylized verse and obvious construction. It is already known that
Shakespeare probably loved historical events and thus it is not surprising that his
earliest works are the historically accurate Henry VI, Parts I, II, and III (1590), and
Richard III (1593). These are known for their bloody detail and horrendous language,
such that also appears in Titus Andronicus (1594). His comedies from this period
include: The Comedy of Errors (1592), The Taming Of The Shrew (1593), The Two Gentlemen
Of Verona (1594), and Love's Labour's Lost (1594).
Shakespeare's second period shows his more important plays which were concerned with
history, comedy, and tragedy. During this period, his style and approach became more
mature and individualized. The historical plays include Richard II (1595), Henry IV,
Parts I, II (1597), and Henry V (1598), all of which show excellent examples of
Shakespeare's new, mature writing style. The outstanding comedies, which include the
best of all the periods are: A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595), The Merchant of Venice
(1596), Much Ado About Nothing (1599), As You Like It (1599), The Twelfth Night (1600),
and The Merry Wives of Windsor (1599). His two most famous tragedies, Romeo and Juliet
(1595) and Julias Caesar (1599), are also included in this period. This period began to
show quotes that seemed to linger in people's minds, such as the quote from A Midsummer
Night's Dream, "The course of true love never did run smooth" (A Midsummer Night's Dream
1.1.134).
The Third Period includes more of the tragedies than anything else. It seems as if
after seeing the success and popularity that Romeo and Juliet and Julias Caesar brought
him, he decided that more tragedies would do his reputation nothing but good. Hamlet
(1601), Othello (1604), King Lear (1605), Antony and Cleopatra (1606), Macbeth (1606),
Troilus and Cresside (1602), Coriolanus (1608), and Timon of Athens (1608) are the
tragedies that were done in this period. "Each of them presents such an uncontrollable
amount of action that the audience can't resist being emotionally attached to all of the
actors" (Reese 6). There were also two comedies in this period: All's Well That Ends
Well (1602), and Measure For Measure (1604). Both of these plays question the ways of
Shakespearean people, but they surprisingly don't give better alternatives. (Encarta 96).
The Fourth and final period includes his principal romantic tragic-comedies. Pericles,
Prince of Tyre (1608), Cymbeline (1610), and The Winter's Tale (1611), were his last
complete plays. While using a humorous atmosphere, Shakespeare stages the dramatic
plots, creating a mixture of two of his best types of plays. Besides containing the
least amount of Shakespeare's works, it also contains the most controversial. The two
final plays, almost always ascribed to Shakespeare, are probably the works of a
collaboration. The historical drama, Henry VIII (1613), is believed to also be written
with the English dramatist John Fletcher, and so is The Two Noble Kinsmen (1613;
published 1634). "When these rumors began to circulate, Shakespeare's name began
to be the center of attention, attention he did not want. People against him used
this as an example to show how one man alone could not excel in writing as Shakespeare
did" (Burgess 101).
Toward the end of Shakespeare's career, he began to settle down. The family moved back
to Stratford and bought a summer house they called New Place and they became leading
local citizens (Encarta 96). With no records that show why, William Shakespeare died in
1616 and is buried in Stratford church. After his death, Shakespeare's greatness began
to flow to other European countries, and America.
It was around this time that people beganto study his works. Universities were reading
his plays, and more and more people were learning about what Shakespeare had written, his
literary tactics and not only the plot. Today, more than ever, Shakespeare is studied
and widely read in every country and language. With the increase in the study of
Shakespeare, there are also movies made about his plays, (including the famous Romeo and
Juliet, Hamlet, and the recent Othello), the bigger turnouts at places of interest in his
life (his grave, home. . .) and especially the use of his famous quotes.
"If you walked down the street, you could hear quotes from Shakespeare being said
as if they were verses from the Bible. Shakespeare's legacy only began there. With
movies based on his work still being made today, people just can't get enough of
this great writer" (Foakes 26).
In reading the plays Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, I found myself not
only entertained, but I felt as if I was right in the play. In A Midsummer Night's
Dream, the love triangle between Hermia, Lysander, Demietrus, and Helena was confused by
Puck, the fairy who struck the wrong couple with his flower. Trying to enhance the love
that each of the couples already had, Puck made everything worse, and the wrong people
fell in love with each other. Oberon, the king of the fairies, told Puck to undo his
mess, and he did, leaving the happy couples back to the way they were before, and the
beautiful weddings ended the childlike-romantic play. In Romeo and Juliet, the feuding
families, the Capulets and the Montagues, did not know that there was a love brewing
between Romeo and Juliet, teenagers from each side. They met with the help of Juliet's
nurse, and planned to get married by tricking everyone into believing they were dead.
Bringing an end to their families' history of feuding, the teens end up killing
themselves in a huge misunderstanding. At times, there were confusing parts, where it
was hard to understand because of the difference our language has undergone since
Shakespeare's time. While reading the famous parts for the first time that are acted out
over time and time again, I began to see why people regard Shakespeare as a world-
renowned author and an excellent source of history. Not only does he have the war drawn
male hero for the women to drool over, he has love stories that are strong and moving,
even for the manliest of men.
In conclusion, Shakespeare has something for every kind of reader. Be it historical
accuracy, comedy, tragedy, or romance, Shakespeare is the le
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