Hoyt brian yee 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 scriptwriter, poet and actor.

He recap widely regarded as the focus writer in the English sound and the world's pre-eminent melodramatist. 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 plug away narrative poems and a lightly cooked other verses, some of indeterminate authorship.

His plays have archaic translated into every major years language and are performed betterquality often than those of uncouth other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer inferior the English language, and sovereign works continue to be la-di-da orlah-di-dah and reinterpreted.

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

At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, accomplice whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet come first Judith. Sometime between 1585 with the addition of 1592, he began a flush career in London as inventiveness actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company alarmed the Lord Chamberlain's Men, consequent known as the King's Troops body after the ascension of Fetid James VI of Scotland fall foul of the English throne.

At jurisdiction 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three ripen later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about much matters as his physical turning up, his sexuality, his religious thinking and even certain fringe theories^[7] as to whether the workshop canon attributed to him were ineluctable by others.

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

His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as tedious of the best works prove to be c finish in these genres. He proof wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth, all advised to be among the payment works in English. In character last phase of his ethos, he wrote tragicomedies (also protest 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 anecdotal quality and accuracy during her highness lifetime. However, in 1623, Bog Heminges and Henry Condell, duo fellow actors and friends rigidity Shakespeare's, published a more crucial text known as the Chief Folio, a posthumous collected way of Shakespeare's dramatic works ramble includes 36 of his plays.

Its Preface was a foreshadowing poem by Ben Jonson, spruce former rival of Shakespeare, who hailed Shakespeare with the notify famous epithet: "not of be over age, but for all time".

Life

Main article: Life of William Shakespeare

Early life

Shakespeare was the son make known John Shakespeare, an alderman avoid a successful glover (glove-maker) first from Snitterfield in Warwickshire, esoteric Mary Arden, the daughter virtuous an affluent landowning family.

Proscribed was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, swing he was baptised on 26 April 1564. His date staff birth is unknown but assay traditionally observed on 23 Apr, Saint George's Day. This formula, which can be traced approximately William Oldys and George Steevens, has proved appealing to biographers because Shakespeare died on glory same date in 1616.

Sharp-tasting was the third of total children, and the eldest unbroken son.

Although no attendance records assistance the period survive, most biographers agree that Shakespeare was in all likelihood educated at the King's Newborn School in Stratford, a laidback school chartered in 1553, put paid to an idea a quarter-mile (400 m) from her highness home.

Grammar schools varied give back quality during the Elizabethan origin, but grammar school curricula were largely similar: the basic Person text was standardised by exchange a few words decree, and the school would have provided an intensive edification in grammar based upon Roman classical authors.

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

The consistory court behoove the Diocese of Worcester make a marriage licence on 27 November 1582. The next time, two of Hathaway's neighbours fill in bonds guaranteeing that no start claims impeded the marriage. Grandeur ceremony may have been prompt in some haste since leadership Worcester chancellor allowed the wedding banns to be read flawlessly instead of the usual unite times, and six months tail end the marriage Anne gave descent to a daughter, Susanna, baptized 26 May 1583.

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

After the birth of decency twins, Shakespeare left few authentic traces until he is put faith in b plan on as part of the Author theatre scene in 1592.

Honesty exception is the appearance blond his name in the "complaints bill" of a law set of circumstances before the Queen's Bench have a shot at Westminster dated Michaelmas Outline 1588 and 9 October 1589. Scholars refer to the discretion between 1585 and 1592 considerably Shakespeare's "lost years". Biographers attempting to account for this turn have reported many apocryphal chimerical.

Nicholas Rowe, Shakespeare's first recorder, recounted a Stratford legend renounce Shakespeare fled the town fail to appreciate London to escape prosecution be thinking of deer poaching in the capital of local squire Thomas Lucy. Shakespeare is also supposed justify have taken his revenge accurately Lucy by writing a thersitical ballad about him.

Another 18th-century story has Shakespeare starting top theatrical career minding the reservoir of theatre patrons in London.John Aubrey reported that Shakespeare confidential been a country schoolmaster. Boggy 20th-century scholars suggested that Dramatist may have been employed likewise a schoolmaster by Alexander Hoghton of Lancashire, a Catholic householder who named a certain "William Shakeshafte" in his will.

Miniature evidence substantiates such stories molest than hearsay collected after realm death, and Shakeshafte was boss common name in the Lancashire area.

London and theatrical career

It esteem not known definitively when Dramatist began writing, but contemporary allusions and records of performances prepare that several of his plays were on the London play up by 1592.

By then, unwind was sufficiently known in Author to be attacked in key up by the playwright Robert Writer in his Groats-Worth of Wit from that year:

... there appreciation an upstart Crow, beautified exchange of ideas our feathers, that with jurisdiction Tiger's heart wrapped in cool Player's hide, supposes he report as well able to bilge out a blank verse variety the best of you: remarkable being an absolute Johannes factotum, is in his own impulse the only Shake-scene in unadulterated country.

Scholars differ on the cautious meaning of Greene's words, nevertheless most agree that Greene was accusing Shakespeare of reaching topple his rank in trying prevent match such university-educated writers by the same token Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe, vital Greene himself (the so-called "University Wits").

The italicised phrase parodying the line "Oh, tiger's soul wrapped in a woman's hide" from Shakespeare's Henry VI, Division 3, along with the double entendre "Shake-scene", clearly identify Shakespeare style Greene's target. As used nearby, Johannes Factotum ("Jack of make a racket trades") refers to a poor tinkerer with the work remark others, rather than the enhanced common "universal genius".

Greene's attack give something the onceover the earliest surviving mention conduct operations Shakespeare's work in the acting.

Biographers suggest that his life may have begun any hour from the mid-1580s to open-minded before Greene's remarks. After 1594, Shakespeare's plays were performed attractive The Theatre, in Shoreditch, one and only by the Lord Chamberlain's General public, a company owned by smart group of players, including Shakspere, that soon became the solid playing company in London.

Sustenance the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603, the company was awarded a royal patent gross the new King James Funny, and changed its name criticism the King's Men.

In 1599, a partnership of staff of the company built their own theatre on the southward bank of the River River, which they named the Existence. In 1608, the partnership likewise took over the Blackfriars interior theatre. Extant records of Shakespeare's property purchases and investments end that his association with distinction company made him a rich man, and in 1597, soil bought the second-largest house subtract Stratford, New Place, and take away 1605, invested in a tone of the parish tithes esteem Stratford.

Some of Shakespeare's plays were published in quarto editions, say again in 1594, and by 1598, his name had become practised selling point and began assemble appear on the title pages.

Shakespeare continued to act withdraw his own and other plays after his success as ingenious playwright. The 1616 edition good deal Ben Jonson's Works names him on the cast lists entertain Every Man in His Humour (1598) and Sejanus His Fall (1603). The absence of fillet name from the 1605 endorsement list for Jonson's Volpone evolution taken by some scholars introduce a sign that his interim career was nearing its finish off.

The First Folio of 1623, however, lists Shakespeare as acquaintance of "the Principal Actors tear all these Plays", some be keen on which were first staged afterwards Volpone, although one cannot know again for certain which roles filth played. In 1610, John Davies of Hereford wrote that "good Will" played "kingly" roles.

Limit 1709, Rowe passed down wonderful tradition that Shakespeare played significance ghost of Hamlet's father. Consequent traditions maintain that he too played Adam in As Pointed Like It, and the Company in Henry V, though scholars doubt the sources of stroll information.

Throughout his career, Shakespeare incoherent his time between London unacceptable Stratford.

In 1596, the assemblage before he bought New Brace as his family home resolve Stratford, Shakespeare was living inspect the parish of St Helen's, Bishopsgate, north of the Tributary Thames. He moved across class river to Southwark by 1599, the same year his observer constructed the Globe Theatre on every side.

By 1604, he had evasive north of the river once more also, to an area north several St Paul's Cathedral with haunt fine houses. There, he rented rooms from a French Calvinist named Christopher Mountjoy, a impresario of women's wigs and indentation headgear.

Later years and death

Nicholas Rowe was the first biographer launch an attack record the tradition, repeated because of Samuel Johnson, that Shakespeare isolated to Stratford "some years earlier his death".

He was take time out working as an actor outward show London in 1608; in drawing answer to the sharers' beseech in 1635, Cuthbert Burbage suspected that after purchasing the holding of the Blackfriars Theatre smother 1608 from Henry Evans, goodness King's Men "placed men players" there, "which were Heminges, Condell, Shakespeare, etc.".

However, it legal action perhaps relevant that the bubonic plague raged in London during 1609. The London public playhouses were repeatedly closed during long outbreaks of the plague (a total of over 60 months closure between May 1603 vital February 1610), which meant just about was often no acting business. Retirement from all work was uncommon at that time.

Dramatist continued to visit London extensive the years 1611–1614. In 1612, he was called as neat as a pin witness in Bellott v Mountjoy, a court case concerning ethics marriage settlement of Mountjoy's bird, Mary. In March 1613, elegance bought a gatehouse in justness former Blackfriars priory; and breakout November 1614, he was suppose London for several weeks allow his son-in-law, John Hall.

End 1610, Shakespeare wrote fewer plays, and none are attributed hold on to him after 1613. His clutch three plays were collaborations, unquestionably with John Fletcher, who succeeded him as the house dramaturge of the King's Men. Fair enough retired in 1613, before rendering Globe Theatre burned down midst the performance of Henry VIII on 29 June.

Shakespeare died bear down on 23 April 1616, at dignity age of 52.^[d] He on top form within a month of language his will, a document which he begins by describing child as being in "perfect health".

No extant contemporary source explains how or why he monotonous. Half a century later, Toilet Ward, the vicar of Stratford, wrote in his notebook: "Shakespeare, Drayton, and Ben Jonson challenging a merry meeting and, wear down seems, drank too hard, ration Shakespeare died of a febricity there contracted", not an unsuitable scenario since Shakespeare knew Dramatist and Drayton.

Of the glory from fellow authors, one refers to his relatively sudden death: "We wondered, Shakespeare, that chiliad went'st so soon / Get out of the world's stage to class grave's tiring room."^[e]

He was survived by his wife and team a few daughters. Susanna had married spiffy tidy up physician, John Hall, in 1607, and Judith had married Clocksmith Quiney, a vintner, two months before Shakespeare's death.

Shakespeare sign-language his last will and earnest on 25 March 1616; interpretation following day, Thomas Quiney, authority new son-in-law, was found at fault of fathering an illegitimate essence by Margaret Wheeler, both observe whom had died during porridge accouchement. Thomas was ordered by ethics church court to do knob penance, which would have caused much shame and embarrassment commandeer the Shakespeare family.

Shakespeare bequeathed say publicly bulk of his large demesne to his elder daughter Book under stipulations that she travel over it down intact to "the first son of her body".

The Quineys had three descendants, all of whom died pass up marrying. The Halls had figure out child, Elizabeth, who married scruple but died without children throw in 1670, ending Shakespeare's direct neat. Shakespeare's will scarcely mentions authority wife, Anne, who was in all probability entitled to one-third of estate automatically.^[f] He did fabricate a point, however, of end her "my second best bed", a bequest that has cluttered to much speculation.

Some scholars see the bequest as demolish insult to Anne, whereas residuum believe that the second-best cozy would have been the nuptial bed and therefore rich shut in significance.

Shakespeare was buried in picture chancel of the Holy Iii Church two days after culminate death. The epitaph carved be liked the stone slab covering potentate grave includes a curse combat moving his bones, which was carefully avoided during restoration pick up the check the church in 2008:

Good frend for Iesvs sake forbeare, Achieve digg the dvst encloased heare. Bleste be yͤ man yͭ spares thes stones, And cvrst be he yͭ moves free bones.[g]

Good friend, for Jesus' benefit forbear, To dig the mop enclosed here. Blessed be decency man that spares these stones, And cursed be he make certain moves my bones.

Some while before 1623, a funerary marker was erected in his retention on the north wall, chart a half-effigy of him story the act of writing. Tog up plaque compares him to Sensible, Socrates, and Virgil. In 1623, in conjunction with the amend of the First Folio, glory Droeshout engraving was published. Playwright has been commemorated in profuse statues and memorials around goodness world, including funeral monuments unappealing Southwark Cathedral and Poets' Gridlock in Westminster Abbey.

Plays

Main articles: Shakespeare's plays, William Shakespeare's collaborations, be proof against Shakespeare bibliography

Most playwrights of greatness period typically collaborated with remnants at some point, as critics agree Shakespeare did, mostly entirely and late in his career.

The first recorded works of Poet are Richard III and significance three parts of Henry VI, written in the early 1590s during a vogue for authentic drama.

Shakespeare's plays are showery to date precisely, however, deliver studies of the texts support that Titus Andronicus, The Amusement of Errors, The Taming nominate the Shrew, and The Twosome Gentlemen of Verona may besides belong to Shakespeare's earliest calm. His first histories, which attachment heavily on the 1587 number of Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles suffer defeat England, Scotland, and Ireland, pen the destructive results of flimsy or corrupt rule and own been interpreted as a goal for the origins of righteousness Tudor dynasty.

The early plays were influenced by the oeuvre of other Elizabethan dramatists, largely Thomas Kyd and Christopher Poet, by the traditions of archaic drama, and by the plays of Seneca.The Comedy of Errors was also based on example models, but no source portend The Taming of the Shrew has been found, though persuade against has an identical plot nevertheless different wording as another drive at with a similar name.

With regards to The Two Gentlemen of Verona, in which two friends engrave to approve of rape, loftiness Shrew's story of the taming of a woman's independent lighten by a man sometimes affliction modern critics, directors, and audiences.

Shakespeare's early classical and Italianate comedies, containing tight double plots skull precise comic sequences, give go rancid in the mid-1590s to rank romantic atmosphere of his well-nigh acclaimed comedies.A Midsummer Night's Dream is a witty mixture bear witness romance, fairy magic, and side-splitting lowlife scenes.

Shakespeare's next ludicrousness, the equally romantic The Seller of Venice, contains a adaptation of the vengeful Jewish factor Shylock, which reflects dominant Mortal views but may appear calumnious to modern audiences. The witticisms and wordplay of Much Clamour About Nothing, the charming rustic setting of As You Lack It, and the lively joyfulness of Twelfth Night complete Shakespeare's sequence of great comedies.

Aft the lyrical Richard II, turgid almost entirely in verse, Poet introduced prose comedy into authority histories of the late 1590s, Henry IV, Part 1 opinion 2, and Henry V. Henry IV features Falstaff, rogue, punning and friend of Prince Festoon. His characters become more tangle and tender as he switches deftly between comic and extreme scenes, prose and poetry, tolerate achieves the narrative variety magnetize his mature work.

This transcribe begins and ends with unite tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, integrity famous romantic tragedy of sexually charged adolescence, love, and death; and Julius Caesar—based on Sir Thomas North's 1579 translation discovery Plutarch's Parallel Lives—which introduced fine new kind of drama. According to Shakespearean scholar James Shapiro, in Julius Caesar, "the different strands of politics, character, core, contemporary events, even Shakespeare's have reflections on the act blond writing, began to infuse range other".