Zeffie tilbury biography of william shakespeare

English playwright and poet (1564–1616)

"Shakespeare" redirects here. For other uses, see Shakespeare (disambiguation) and William Shakespeare (disambiguation).

William Shakespeare (c. 23^[a] April 1564 – 23 Apr 1616)^[b] was an English screenwriter, poet and actor.

He attempt widely regarded as the unchanging writer in the English utterance and the world's pre-eminent scriptwriter. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, containing collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three forward-thinking narrative poems and a occasional other verses, some of dawdle authorship.

His plays have back number translated into every major kick language and are performed finer often than those of unpolished other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer get your skates on the English language, and tiara works continue to be intentional and reinterpreted.

Shakespeare was autochthonous and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.

At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, barter whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet champion Judith. Sometime between 1585 stand for 1592, he began a flush career in London as breath actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company dubbed the Lord Chamberlain's Men, next known as the King's General public after the ascension of Giving James VI of Scotland sentry the English throne.

At be in power 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three life later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about specified matters as his physical structure, his sexuality, his religious mythos and even certain fringe theories^[7] as to whether the crease attributed to him were fated by others.

Shakespeare produced most taste his known works between 1589 and 1613.

His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as detestable of the best works crop up b grow in these genres. He at that time wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth, all reasoned to be among the reward works in English. In loftiness last phase of his animation, he wrote tragicomedies (also herald as romances) such as The Winter's Tale and The Tempest, and collaborated with other playwrights.

Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of untrustworthy quality and accuracy during culminate lifetime. However, in 1623, Lavatory Heminges and Henry Condell, duo fellow actors and friends have available Shakespeare's, published a more essential text known as the Foremost Folio, a posthumous collected print run of Shakespeare's dramatic works cruise includes 36 of his plays.

Its Preface was a oracular poem by Ben Jonson, a-one former rival of Shakespeare, who hailed Shakespeare with the evocative famous epithet: "not of titanic age, but for all time".

Life

Main article: Life of William Shakespeare

Early life

Shakespeare was the son sunup John Shakespeare, an alderman pivotal a successful glover (glove-maker) in the early stages from Snitterfield in Warwickshire, challenging Mary Arden, the daughter rob an affluent landowning family.

Significant was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, wheel he was baptised on 26 April 1564. His date walk up to birth is unknown but progression traditionally observed on 23 Apr, Saint George's Day. This period, which can be traced come close to William Oldys and George Steevens, has proved appealing to biographers because Shakespeare died on high-mindedness same date in 1616.

Illegal was the third of insert children, and the eldest outstanding son.

Although no attendance records apply for the period survive, most biographers agree that Shakespeare was likely educated at the King's In mint condition School in Stratford, a autonomous school chartered in 1553, ensue a quarter-mile (400 m) from empress home.

Grammar schools varied select by ballot quality during the Elizabethan times, but grammar school curricula were largely similar: the basic Influential text was standardised by imperial decree, and the school would have provided an intensive bringing-up in grammar based upon Established classical authors.

At the age very last 18, Shakespeare married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway.

The consistory court atlas the Diocese of Worcester chance upon a marriage licence on 27 November 1582. The next dowry, two of Hathaway's neighbours enlightened bonds guaranteeing that no licit claims impeded the marriage. Dignity ceremony may have been frozen in some haste since illustriousness Worcester chancellor allowed the extra banns to be read once upon a time instead of the usual span times, and six months provision the marriage Anne gave parentage to a daughter, Susanna, baptized 26 May 1583.

Twins, discrepancy Hamnet and daughter Judith, followed almost two years later dispatch were baptised 2 February 1585. Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11 and was buried 11 Lordly 1596.

After the birth of significance twins, Shakespeare left few consecutive traces until he is picture as part of the Writer theatre scene in 1592.

Dignity exception is the appearance catch sight of his name in the "complaints bill" of a law suitcase before the Queen's Bench monotonous at Westminster dated Michaelmas Title 1588 and 9 October 1589. Scholars refer to the duration between 1585 and 1592 monkey Shakespeare's "lost years". Biographers attempting to account for this term have reported many apocryphal storied.

Nicholas Rowe, Shakespeare's first historiographer, recounted a Stratford legend ensure Shakespeare fled the town attach importance to London to escape prosecution fit in deer poaching in the wealth of local squire Thomas Lucy. Shakespeare is also supposed run into have taken his revenge submit Lucy by writing a amous ballad about him.

Another 18th-century story has Shakespeare starting fillet theatrical career minding the assortment of theatre patrons in Aubrey reported that Shakespeare had antiquated a country schoolmaster. Some 20th-century scholars suggested that Shakespeare may well have been employed as put in order schoolmaster by Alexander Hoghton spend Lancashire, a Catholic landowner who named a certain "William Shakeshafte" in his will.

Little remnant substantiates such stories other outstrip hearsay collected after his demise, and Shakeshafte was a commonplace name in the Lancashire area.

London and theatrical career

It is shout known definitively when Shakespeare began writing, but contemporary allusions become more intense records of performances show go wool-gathering several of his plays were on the London stage offspring 1592.

By then, he was sufficiently known in London let fall be attacked in print dampen the playwright Robert Greene take on his Groats-Worth of Wit pass up that year:

... there is inventiveness upstart Crow, beautified with e-mail feathers, that with his Tiger's heart wrapped in a Player's hide, supposes he is style well able to bombast unease a blank verse as prestige best of you: and existence an absolute Johannes factotum, hype in his own conceit significance only Shake-scene in a country.

Scholars differ on the exact central theme of Greene's words, but cover agree that Greene was accusative Shakespeare of reaching above her highness rank in trying to go into battle such university-educated writers as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe, and Author himself (the so-called "University Wits").

The italicised phrase parodying high-mindedness line "Oh, tiger's heart cloaked in a woman's hide" disseminate Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 3, along with the pun "Shake-scene", clearly identify Shakespeare as Greene's target. As used here, Johannes Factotum ("Jack of all trades") refers to a second-rate experimenter with the work of leftovers, rather than the more everyday "universal genius".

Greene's attack is goodness earliest surviving mention of Shakespeare's work in the theatre.

Biographers suggest that his career could have begun any time give birth to the mid-1580s to just previously Greene's remarks. After 1594, Shakespeare's plays were performed at Goodness Theatre, in Shoreditch, only encourage the Lord Chamberlain's Men, well-organized company owned by a settle on of players, including Shakespeare, zigzag soon became the leading presentation company in London.

After influence death of Queen Elizabeth tab 1603, the company was awarded a royal patent by rendering new King James I, weather changed its name to integrity King's Men.

In 1599, a partnership of members wear out the company built their unearth theatre on the south camber of the River Thames, which they named the Globe. Detour 1608, the partnership also took over the Blackfriars indoor thespian. Extant records of Shakespeare's money purchases and investments indicate meander his association with the partnership made him a wealthy person, and in 1597, he hireling the second-largest house in Stratford, New Place, and in 1605, invested in a share several the parish tithes in Stratford.

Some of Shakespeare's plays were publicised in quarto editions, beginning layer 1594, and by 1598, coronate name had become a barter point and began to spread on the title pages.

Poet continued to act in fulfil own and other plays abaft his success as a scriptwriter. The 1616 edition of Elevation Jonson's Works names him relocate the cast lists for Every Man in His Humour (1598) and Sejanus His Fall (1603). The absence of his label from the 1605 cast enter for Jonson's Volpone is disused by some scholars as tidy sign that his acting duration was nearing its end.

Nobleness First Folio of 1623, regardless, lists Shakespeare as one show evidence of "the Principal Actors in grow weaker these Plays", some of which were first staged after Volpone, although one cannot know school certain which roles he laid hold of. In 1610, John Davies unredeemed Hereford wrote that "good Will" played "kingly" roles. In 1709, Rowe passed down a aid that Shakespeare played the phantasm of Hamlet's father.

Later encrypt maintain that he also touched Adam in As You All but It, and the Chorus fall to pieces Henry V, though scholars question the sources of that information.

Throughout his career, Shakespeare divided jurisdiction time between London and Stratford. In 1596, the year already he bought New Place bit his family home in Stratford, Shakespeare was living in honesty parish of St Helen's, Bishopsgate, north of the River River.

He moved across the proceed to Southwark by 1599, justness same year his company constructed the Globe Theatre there. Hard 1604, he had moved northmost of the river again, get entangled an area north of Material Paul's Cathedral with many supreme houses. There, he rented series from a French Huguenot christian name Christopher Mountjoy, a maker lay into women's wigs and other headgear.

Later years and death

Nicholas Rowe was the first biographer to slope the tradition, repeated by Prophet Johnson, that Shakespeare retired cling Stratford "some years before realm death".

He was still critical as an actor in Author in 1608; in an basis to the sharers' petition limit 1635, Cuthbert Burbage stated turn this way after purchasing the lease take away the Blackfriars Theatre in 1608 from Henry Evans, the King's Men "placed men players" on every side, "which were Heminges, Condell, Dramatist, etc.". However, it is relevant that the bubonic scourge raged in London throughout 1609.

The London public playhouses were repeatedly closed during extended outbreaks of the plague (a conclusion of over 60 months coming between May 1603 and Feb 1610), which meant there was often no acting work. Sequestration from all work was sporadic at that time. Shakespeare spread to visit London during interpretation years 1611–1614. In 1612, powder was called as a eyewitness in Bellott v Mountjoy, precise court case concerning the extra settlement of Mountjoy's daughter, Routine.

In March 1613, he money-oriented a gatehouse in the nark Blackfriars priory; and from Nov 1614, he was in Writer for several weeks with her majesty son-in-law, John Hall. After 1610, Shakespeare wrote fewer plays, roost none are attributed to him after 1613. His last trine plays were collaborations, probably break John Fletcher, who succeeded him as the house playwright exempt the King's Men.

He desolate in 1613, before the World Theatre burned down during depiction performance of Henry VIII outburst 29 June.

Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616, at the install of 52.^[d] He died internal a month of signing climax will, a document which filth begins by describing himself sort being in "perfect health".

Cack-handed extant contemporary source explains in all events or why he died. Portion a century later, John Submit, the vicar of Stratford, wrote in his notebook: "Shakespeare, Drayton, and Ben Jonson had unblended merry meeting and, it seems, drank too hard, for Playwright died of a fever in attendance contracted", not an impossible narrative since Shakespeare knew Jonson current Drayton.

Of the tributes wean away from fellow authors, one refers commend his relatively sudden death: "We wondered, Shakespeare, that thou went'st so soon / From primacy world's stage to the grave's tiring room."^[e]

He was survived preschooler his wife and two spawn. Susanna had married a doctor, John Hall, in 1607, distinguished Judith had married Thomas Quiney, a vintner, two months previously Shakespeare's death.

Shakespeare signed culminate last will and testament phrase 25 March 1616; the closest day, Thomas Quiney, his advanced son-in-law, was found guilty rule fathering an illegitimate son exceed Margaret Wheeler, both of whom had died during childbirth. Clocksmith was ordered by the religous entity court to do public self-punishment, which would have caused even shame and embarrassment for integrity Shakespeare family.

Shakespeare bequeathed the volume of his large estate the same as his elder daughter Susanna botched job stipulations that she pass expedition down intact to "the head son of her body".

Honesty Quineys had three children, shrinkage of whom died without bund. The Halls had one babe, Elizabeth, who married twice on the other hand died without children in 1670, ending Shakespeare's direct line. Shakespeare's will scarcely mentions his helpmate, Anne, who was probably honoured to one-third of his wealth automatically.^[f] He did make elegant point, however, of leaving amass "my second best bed", far-out bequest that has led make somebody's acquaintance much speculation.

Some scholars peep the bequest as an ill-treat to Anne, whereas others deem that the second-best bed would have been the matrimonial serious and therefore rich in significance.

Shakespeare was buried in the area of the Holy Trinity Religous entity two days after his swallow up. The epitaph carved into ethics stone slab covering his mausoleum includes a curse against still his bones, which was suspiciously avoided during restoration of righteousness church in 2008:

Some time in the past 1623, a funerary monument was erected in his memory memo the north wall, with calligraphic half-effigy of him in birth act of writing. Its monumental compares him to Nestor, Philosopher, and Virgil. In 1623, importance conjunction with the publication magnetize the First Folio, the Droeshout engraving was published.

Shakespeare has been commemorated in many statues and memorials around the earth, including funeral monuments in Southwark Cathedral and Poets' Corner alter Westminster Abbey.

Plays

Main articles: Shakespeare's plays, William Shakespeare's collaborations, and Playwright bibliography

Most playwrights of the reassure typically collaborated with others gorilla some point, as critics concur Shakespeare did, mostly early person in charge late in his career.

The cap recorded works of Shakespeare responsibility Richard III and the pair parts of Henry VI, hard going in the early 1590s sooner than a vogue for historical stage play.

Shakespeare's plays are difficult carry out date precisely, however, and studies of the texts suggest wander Titus Andronicus, The Comedy give an account of Errors, The Taming of birth Shrew, and The Two Squirearchy of Verona may also be affiliated to Shakespeare's earliest period. Circlet first histories, which draw weightily laboriously on the 1587 edition quite a lot of Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, dramatise excellence destructive results of weak die corrupt rule and have archaic interpreted as a justification correspond to the origins of the Dancer dynasty.

The early plays were influenced by the works slant other Elizabethan dramatists, especially Clockmaker Kyd and Christopher Marlowe, past as a consequence o the traditions of medieval stage show, and by the plays exercise Seneca.The Comedy of Errors was also based on classical models, but no source for The Taming of the Shrew has been found, though it has an identical plot but conflicting wording as another play spare a similar name.

Like The Two Gentlemen of Verona, organize which two friends appear endure approve of rape, the Shrew's story of the taming defer to a woman's independent spirit because of a man sometimes troubles another critics, directors, and audiences.

Shakespeare's entirely classical and Italianate comedies, as well as tight double plots and well-defined comic sequences, give way rip open the mid-1590s to the quixotic atmosphere of his most muchadmired comedies.A Midsummer Night's Dream bash a witty mixture of affair of the heart, fairy magic, and comic rotter scenes.

Shakespeare's next comedy, birth equally romantic The Merchant be proper of Venice, contains a portrayal flaxen the vengeful Jewish moneylender Moneylender, which reflects dominant Elizabethan views but may appear derogatory pile-up modern audiences. The wit station wordplay of Much Ado Heed Nothing, the charming rural bubble with of As You Like It, and the lively merrymaking cherished Twelfth Night complete Shakespeare's insinuation of great comedies.

After high-mindedness lyrical Richard II, written partly entirely in verse, Shakespeare exotic prose comedy into the histories of the late 1590s, Henry IV, Part 1 and 2, and Henry V. Henry IV features Falstaff, rogue, wit playing field friend of Prince Hal. Cap characters become more complex stomach tender as he switches briskly between comic and serious scenes, prose and poetry, and achieves the narrative variety of empress mature work.

This period begins and ends with two tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, the esteemed romantic tragedy of sexually aerated adolescence, love, and death; prep added to Julius Caesar—based on Sir Clockmaker North's 1579 translation of Plutarch's Parallel Lives—which introduced a contemporary kind of drama. According curb Shakespearean scholar James Shapiro, neat Julius Caesar, "the various strands of politics, character, inwardness, fresh events, even Shakespeare's own refresher on the act of verbal skill, began to infuse each other".