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Shakespeare, William (1564-1616), was an English playwright and poet. He is generally considered the greatest dramatist the world has ever known and the finest poet who has written in the English language. Shakespeare has also been the world's most popular author. No other writer's plays have been produced so many times or read so widely in so many countries. Many reasons can be given for Shakespeare's broad appeal. But his fame basically rests on his understanding of human nature. Shakespeare understood people as few other artists have. He could see in a specific dramatic situation the qualities that relate to all human beings. He could thus create characters that have meaning beyond the time and place of his plays. Yet his characters are not symbolic figures. They are remarkably individual human beings. They struggle just as people do in real life, sometimes successfully and sometimes with painful and tragic failure. Shakespeare wrote at least 37 plays, which have traditionally been divided into comedies, histories, and tragedies. These plays contain vivid characters of all types and from many walks of life. Kings, pickpockets, drunkards, generals, hired killers, shepherds, and philosophers all mingle in Shakespeare's works. In addition to his deep understanding of human nature, Shakespeare had knowledge in a wide variety of other subjects. These subjects include music, the law, the Bible, military science, the stage, art, politics, the sea, history, hunting, woodcraft, and sports. Yet as far as scholars know, Shakespeare had no professional experience in any field except the theater. Shakespeare was born to what today would be called middle-class parents. His birthplace was the small market town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Shortly after he married at the age of 18, Shakespeare apparently left Stratford to seek his fortune in the theatrical world of London. Within a few years, he had become one of the city's leading actors and playwrights. By 1612, when he seems to have partially retired to Stratford, Shakespeare had become England's most popular playwright. Shakespeare has had enormous influence on culture throughout the world. His works have helped shape the literature of all English-speaking countries and of such countries as Germany and Russia. Shakespeare also contributed greatly to the development of the English language. He freely experimented with grammar and vocabulary and so helped prevent literary English from becoming fixed and artificial. Shakespeare's influence on language has not been limited to writers and scholars. Many words and phrases from Shakespeare's plays and poems have become part of our everyday speech. They are used by millions of people who are unaware that Shakespeare created them. For example, Shakespeare originated such familiar phrases as fair play, a foregone conclusion, catch cold, and disgraceful conduct. As far as scholars can tell, Shakespeare also invented such common words as assassination, bump, eventful, and lonely. Many people can identify lines and passages as Shakespeare's even though they have never seen or read one of his plays. Examples include "To be, or not to be," "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears," and "A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!" Shakespeare's genius as a poet enabled him to express an idea both briefly and colorfully. In his tragedy Othello, for example, he described jealousy as "the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on." In the tragedy King Lear, Shakespeare described a daughter's ingratitude toward her father as "sharper than a serpent's tooth." Besides influencing language and literature, Shakespeare has affected other aspects of culture in the English-speaking world. His plays and poems have long been a required part of a liberal education. As a result, Shakespeare's ideas on such subjects as heroism, romantic love, and the nature of tragedy have helped shape the attitudes of millions of people. His brilliant portrayals of historical figures and events have also influenced our thinking. For example, many people visualize Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and Cleopatra as Shakespeare portrayed them, not as they have been described in history books. Even historians themselves have been influenced by Shakespeare's greatness. Shakespeare lived in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a period known as the Elizabethan Age. Historians consider the Elizabethan Age as a peak of English culture. But one can question whether the period would seem so important if Shakespeare had not lived and worked in it. Shakespeare's widespread influence reflects his astonishing popularity. His plays have been a vital part of the theater in the Western world since they were written more than 300 years ago. Through the years, most serious actors and actresses have considered the major roles of Shakespeare to be the supreme test of their art. Shakespeare's plays have attracted large audiences in big, sophisticated cities and in small, rural towns. His works have been performed on the frontiers of Australia and New Zealand. They were part of the cultural life of the American Colonies and provided entertainment in the mining camps of the Old West. Today, there are theaters in England, the United States, and Canada dedicated to staging some of Shakespeare's works yearly. Shakespeare's plays appeal to readers as well as to theatergoers. His plays-and his poems-have been reprinted and translated countless times. Indeed, a publishing industry flourishes around Shakespeare, as critics and scholars examine every aspect of the man, his writings, and his influence. Each year, hundred of books and articles appear on Shakespearean subjects. Thousands of scholars from all over the world gather in dozens of meetings annually to discuss topics related to Shakespeare. Special libraries and library collections focus upon Shakespeare. Numerous motion pictures have been made of his plays. Composers have written operas, musical comedies, and instrumental works based on his stories and characters. The world has admired and respected many great writers. But only Shakespeare has generated such varied and continuing interest-and such constant affection. Shakespeare, William/Shakespeare's life During the Elizabethan Age, the English cared little about keeping biographical information unrelated to affairs of the church or state. In addition, playwriting was not a highly regarded occupation, and so Elizabethans saw little point in recording the lives of mere dramatists. However, a number of records exist that deal with Shakespeare's life. They include church registers and accounts of business dealings. Although these records are few and incomplete by modern standards, they provide much information. By relating these records to various aspects of Elizabethan history and society, scholars have filled in the gaps in the factual account of Shakespeare's life. As a result, they provide a reasonably clear and dependable biography of the playwright. His life in Stratford Shakespeare's parents. John Shakespeare, William's father, was a glove maker who owned a shop in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Stratford lies about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of London in the county of Warwickshire. John Shakespeare was a respected man in the town and held several important positions in the local government. William Shakespeare's mother was born Mary Arden. She was the daughter of a farmer but related to a family of considerable social standing in the county. John Shakespeare married Mary Arden about 1557. The Ardens were Roman Catholics. Mary may also have been a Catholic, but the Shakespeares publicly belonged to the Church of England, the state church. Early years. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford in 1564, the third of eight children. The register of Holy Trinity, the parish church in Stratford, records his baptism on April 26. According to the custom at that time, infants were baptized about three days after their birth. Therefore, the generally accepted date for Shakespeare's birth is April 23. The Shakespeares were a family of considerable local prominence. In 1565, John Shakespeare became an alderman. Three years later, he was elected bailiff (mayor), the highest civic honor that a Stratford resident could receive. Later, he held several other civic posts. But toward the end of his life, John Shakespeare had financial problems. Beginning at about the age of 7, young William Shakespeare probably attended the Stratford grammar school with other boys of his social class. The school's highly qualified teachers were graduates of Oxford University. Students spent about nine hours a day in school. They attended classes the year around, except for three brief holiday periods. The teachers enforced strict discipline and physically punished students who broke the rules. The students chiefly studied Latin, the language of ancient Rome. Knowledge of Latin was necessary for a career in medicine, law, or the church. In addition, Latin was considered a sign of an educated person. Young Shakespeare may have read such outstanding ancient Roman authors as Cicero, Ovid, Plautus, Seneca, Terence, and Virgil. By modern standards, the Stratford grammar school must have been demanding, dull, and strict. And no evidence exists that Shakespeare had any teacher who might have stirred his imagination and brought routine studies alive. In spite of the long hours he spent in school, Shakespeare's boyhood was probably not all boring study. As a market center, Stratford was a lively town. In addition, holidays provided popular pageants and shows, including plays about the legendary outlaw Robin Hood and his merry men. By 1569, traveling companies of professional actors were performing in Stratford. Stratford also held two large fairs each year, which attracted numerous visitors from other counties. For young Shakespeare, Stratford could thus have been an exciting place to live in. Stratford also offered Shakespeare other pleasures. The fields and woods surrounding the town provided opportunities to hunt and trap small game. The River Avon, which ran through the town, had fish to catch. Shakespeare's poems and plays show a love of nature and rural life. This display undoubtedly reflects his childhood experiences and his love of the Stratford countryside. Marriage. In November 1582, Shakespeare received a license to marry Anne Hathaway. She was probably the daughter of a farmer who lived in Shottery, a village about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) from Stratford. At the time of their marriage, Shakespeare was 18 years old and Anne was 26. Their first child, Susanna, was baptized on May 26, 1583. The lost years. Early in 1585, Anne Shakespeare gave birth to twins-a boy, Hamnet, and a girl, Judith. No significant factual information exists on Shakespeare's life for the period between Feb. 2, 1585, when the twins were baptized, and 1592, when evidence indicates Shakespeare was living in London. Scholars sometimes call this period the lost years. Shakespeare's name appears with his parents' names in a Stratford lawsuit in 1588. But he may not have been living in Stratford at that time. Scholars believe that sometime during the lost years Shakespeare moved to London and served a period of apprenticeship in the city's busy theatrical life. Early career in London First recognition. There is some indication that Shakespeare had become well known in London theatrical life by 1592. That year, a pamphlet appeared with an apparent reference to Shakespeare. This reference suggested he had become both an actor and a playwright. A writer named Robert Greene had written a letter attacking theater owners, actors, and writers who, he believed, had abused the talents of university-educated playwrights, such as himself. After his death, the letter was published in a pamphlet called Greene's Groatsworth [a few cents' worth] of Wit Bought with a Million of Repentance. Most scholars agree that in one passage Greene attacked Shakespeare as an actor who thought he could write plays as well as educated dramatists could. This passage follows, with the Elizabethan spelling and punctuation modernized: ... an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tiger's heart wrapped in a Player's hide, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you: and being an absolute Johannes fac totum [Johnny-do-everything], is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country. The line "Tiger's heart wrapped in a Player's hide" pokes fun at a line spoken by the Duke of York in Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part III. The line is "O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide." Following the publication of Greene's Groatsworth of Wit, Shakespeare must have complained about the attack to Henry Chettle, Greene's editor. Chettle then published an apology in which he appeared to praise Shakespeare as a polite and honest man as well as a fine writer. Part of Chettle's apology follows, with the spelling modernized: ... I am as sorry as if the original fault had been my fault because myself have seen his demeanor no less civil than he excellent in the quality [acting occupation] he professes: Besides, divers of worship [various people of good reputation] have reported his uprightness of dealing, which argues his honesty, and his facetious [polished] grace in writing, that approves his Art. His work in theater companies. Sometime after he arrived in London, Shakespeare probably joined one of the city's repertory theater companies. These companies consisted of a permanent cast of actors who presented a variety of plays week after week. The companies were commercial organizations that depended on admission prices for their income. They staged most of the plays Londoners attended. Scholars do not know which theater company or companies Shakespeare joined before 1594. But he was a sharer (stockholder) of a company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men in 1594. The evidence consists of a record of payment to Shakespeare and his fellow actors for performances by the company at Queen Elizabeth's court. The Lord Chamberlain's Men was one of the most popular acting companies in London. Shakespeare was a leading member of the group for the rest of his career. By 1594, at least six of Shakespeare's plays had been produced. His first poems. From mid-1592 to 1594, London authorities often closed the public theaters because of repeated outbreaks of plague. The need for new plays thus declined. At this time, Shakespeare began to write poems. The Elizabethans considered the writing of poetry much more important than the writing of plays. Shakespeare perhaps believed that by writing poems he might be able to win the praise that mere playwriting never received. In 1593, Shakespeare's long poem Venus and Adonis was printed by Richard Field, a Stratford neighbor who had become a London printer. Shakespeare dedicated the poem to 19-year-old Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton. The poet may have believed that the dedication would win him the earl's favor and support. Venus and Adonis quickly became a success. Field printed Shakespeare's next long poem, The Rape of Lucrece, in 1594. Shakespeare also dedicated this poem to the Earl of Southampton. The wording of the dedication suggests the possibility that the young nobleman had rewarded the author, probably financially, for his dedication in Venus and Adonis. Both poems went through many editions during Shakespeare's lifetime. But their success did not lead Shakespeare to give up playwriting. After the public theaters were reopened in 1594, he began again to write plays. Indeed, Shakespeare was one of the few Elizabethan writers who concentrated almost solely on the theater as a career. The years of fame From 1594 to 1608, Shakespeare was fully involved in the London theater world. In addition to his duties as a stockholder and actor in the Lord Chamberlain's Men, he wrote an average of almost two plays a year for his company. During much of this period, Shakespeare ranked as London's most popular playwright, based on the number of times his plays were performed and published. But his reputation was largely that of a popular playwright, not of a writer of unequaled genius. Few people gave him the praise that later generations heaped on him. An exception was the English clergyman and schoolmaster Francis Meres. In 1598, Meres wrote Palladis Tamia: Wit's Treasury, a book that has become an important source of information about Shakespeare's career. In this book, Meres said of Shakespeare: "As Plautus and Seneca are accounted the best for Comedy and Tragedy among the Latins: so Shakespeare among the English is the most excellent in both kinds for the stage." Although Meres' praise did not represent everyone's opinion, it indicates that Shakespeare had become an established writer by at least the late 1590's. And he had not yet written most of his great tragedies, such as Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. By the late 1590's, Shakespeare had not only become an established writer, but he had also become prosperous. In 1597, he purchased New Place, one of the two largest houses in Stratford. Shakespeare obviously remained a Stratford man at heart in spite of his busy, successful life in London. Records of business dealings and of minor lawsuits reveal that he preferred to invest most of his money in Stratford rather than in London. The Globe Theatre. In 1599, Shakespeare and six associates became owners of the Globe, a new outdoor theater in the London suburb of Southwark. The Globe was one of the largest theaters in the London area. It may have held as many as 3,000 spectators. Also in 1599, a printer named William Jaggard published The Passionate Pilgrim, a book of 20 poems supposedly written by Shakespeare. However, the book contained only two of Shakespeare's sonnets and three poems from his comedy Love's Labour's Lost. The printer used Shakespeare's name on the title page to promote the book's sale, which illustrates the playwright's popularity at that time. The King's Men. In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I died and was succeeded by her cousin James VI of Scotland. As king of England, he became James I. James enjoyed and actively supported the theater. He issued a royal license to Shakespeare and his fellow players, which allowed the company to call itself the King's Men. In return for the license, the actors entertained the king at court on a more or less regular basis. James's support came at a convenient time. An outbreak of plague in 1603 had closed the theaters for long periods, making theatrical life uncertain. In fact, James's entry into London as king had to be postponed until 1604 because of the plague. When James finally made his royal entry into London, the King's Men accompanied him. The members of the company were officially known as grooms of the chamber. In spite of this title and the name King's Men, the actors were not actually friends of the king. Their relationship to the royal court was simply that of professional entertainers. The King's Men achieved unequaled success and became London's leading theatrical group. In 1608, the company leased the Blackfriars Theatre for 21 years. The theater stood in a heavily populated London district called Blackfriars. The Blackfriars Theatre had artificial lighting, was probably heated, and served as the company's winter playhouse. The King's Men performed at the Globe during the summer. From 1599 to 1608 was a period of extraordinary literary activity for Shakespeare. During these years, he wrote several comedies and almost all the tragedies that have made him famous. Shakespeare's masterpieces during this period include the comedies Much Ado About Nothing and Twelfth Night; the history Henry V; and the tragedies Antony and Cleopatra, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth, and Othello. The sonnets. In 1609, a London publisher named Thomas Thorpe published a book called Shakespeare's Sonnets. The volume contained more than 150 sonnets that Shakespeare had written over the years. Scholars have long been especially curious about the dedication Thorpe wrote to the book. The dedication reads, in modernized spelling: "To the only begetter of these ensuing sonnets Mr. W. H." Generations of researchers have failed to identify Mr. W. H. Scholars have also analyzed the sonnets to determine to what extent they are autobiographical. But their analyses have proved contradictory and generally unsatisfactory. Many critics suggest that readers simply enjoy the sonnets as some of the finest verse in English literature instead of examining the poems as autobiographical statements. For additional information on the sonnets, see the section Shakespeare's poems. His last years During his last eight years of life, Shakespeare wrote only four plays-Cymbeline, Henry VIII, The Tempest, and The Winter's Tale. In the past, some scholars argued that The Tempest, written about 1610, was Shakespeare's last play. They stated that he then retired almost completely to Stratford. However, Henry VIII can be dated about 1613. In addition, Shakespeare purchased a house in the Blackfriars district of London in 1613. The evidence thus suggests that Shakespeare gradually reduced his activity in London rather than ending it abruptly. Shakespeare must have divided his time between his private life in Stratford and his public life in London. He had lodgings in London at least until 1604 and probably until 1611. Yet such family events as his daughter Susanna's marriage in 1607 and his mother's death in 1608 would certainly have called him back to Stratford. By 1612, he may have been spending much of his time in the comforts of New Place in Stratford. On Feb. 10, 1616, Shakespeare's younger daughter, Judith, married Thomas Quiney, the son of his Stratford neighbor Richard Quiney. Six weeks later, Shakespeare revised his will. Within a month, he died. He was buried inside the Stratford parish church. His monument records the day of death as April 23, the generally accepted date of his birth. Shakespeare's son, Hamnet, died in 1596 at the age of 11. The playwright's daughter Susanna had one child, Elizabeth, who bore no children. Judith gave birth to three boys, but they died before she did. Shakespeare's last direct descendant, his granddaughter, Elizabeth, died in 1670. World Book 2005 (Deluxe).
William B.
