William Shakespeare

(1564-1616)

Life

The beginnings ◊ Little is known about the events of William Shakespeare's life. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, probably on April 23rd. His father, a glover by trade, was a prominent local figure who held important positions in the government of the town. His mother came from a prosperous local family.

W illiam Shakespeare probably attended Stratford grammar school, but he did not go on to study at university. When he was eighteen he married Anne Hathaway, who was eight years his senior, and six months later his first child Susanna was born, followed three years later by twins Hamnet and Judith.

It is commonly believed that Shakespeare left Stratford to avoid being arrested for poaching.

Career ◊ He went to London where he did a series of jobs, including holding theatre-goers' horses outside playhouses. He eventually became an actor, and by 1592 he was sufficiently well-known as a dramatist to be the subject of an attack by the playwright Robert Greene (1558 – 1592). Greene wrote a pamphlet in which he complained that uneducated dramatists were becoming more popular than university men like himself. In it he called Shakespeare 'an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers’.

Success and prosperity ◊ In 1595 Shakespeare joined an important company of actors called The Lord Chamberlain's Men (later changed to The King's Men) and performed at court. His success as a dramatist grew. He mixed in high social circles and the Earl of Southampton, to whom he dedicated his sonnets, became his patron and friend. His improved financial standing allowed him to invest in the building of the Globe Theatre and in 1597 he bought New Place, the finest house in Stratford.

Retirement and death ◊ He retired to his hometown in 1611, where he died on April 23rd 1616.

TASK

Answer these questions.

a. When and where was Shakespeare born?

b. Who did he marry and at what age?

c. Why did Robert Greene call him 'an upstart crow'?

d. What was The Lord Chamberlain's Men?

e. What was The Globe

f. How did he spend the last years of his life?

Works

His sources ◊ Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven plays in a period of about twenty years, from 1591 to 1611. He used many sources for his plays including the classical Greek and Latin writings of Plutarch and Plautus, the Italian works of Matteo Bandello, Giraldo Cinzio and Ser Giovanni Fiorentino, and the English historian Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (1577), a source of material for many Elizabethan playwrights. Shakespeare did not publish his plays. Some of his works were put together from notes taken in the theatres or reconstructed from memory by actors. They are referred to as Bad Quartos. Quartos are large-sized books made of sheets of folded paper. They are called 'Bad' because they are full of gaps and mistakes.

In 1623, seven years after Shakespeare's death, two former actors and friends of Shakespeare's, Heminge and Condell, decided to publish the first collection of his plays. The so called First Folio included thirty-five plays that were divided into 'Comedies, Histories and Tragedies'.

The Four Periods ◊ The plays were not dated. However, approximate dates have subsequently been given to them based on:

• references to contemporary events in the play;

• a references to the works of other writers which are dated;

• style, plot, characterisation and metre used in the play.

Shakespeare's plays are usually divided into four periods:

First Period ◊ The first period covers the years from 1590 to 1595 and was a period of learning and experimentation. In these years Shakespeare wrote very different types of plays:

• chronicle plays dealing with the history of England, such as Henry VI and Richard III;

• comedies which include A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Taming of the Shrew;

• the tragedies Titus Andronicus and Romeo and Juliet.

Second Period ◊ During the second period, from 1596 to the turn of the century, Shakespeare focused on chronicle plays and comedies and it is generally agreed that it was during these years that he wrote his best comedies, including The Merchant of Venice, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It and Twelfth Night, which base their comedy on a wide range of themes such as the pain and pleasure of love, mistaken identity and the degrading of materialistic and humourless people.

Third Period ◊ During the third period, from 1600 to 1608, Shakespeare wrote his great tragedies. These plays have given world theatre unforgettable characters such as Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth. The comedies that were written in this period no longer have the bright, optimistic appeal of earlier works. The darker elements that are found in works such as Measure for Measure seem to suggest that Shakespeare was experiencing difficulties in his personal life which made his outlook rather pessimistic.

Fourth Period ◊ A return to a happier state of mind is reflected in the plays of the final period from 1609 to 1612. The Tempest, for example, is set in the ideal world of an enchanted island where an atmosphere of magic, music, romance and harmony prevails. Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of the greatest dramatists in world literature. The universal appeal of his work is based on its timeless themes, unforgettable characters and powerful language. His ability to engage the audience's attention has remained unsurpassed to the present day.

A scene from Prospero's Books, o Peter Creenaway film (1991) based on The Tempest by William Shakespeare.

TASK

Take notes under the following headings and prepare a short talk on Shakespeare's plays.

Sources:...................................................................................................................

Bad quartos:.............................................................................................................

First folio:................................................................................................................

Main characteristics and major plays of:

- First period: ..........................................................................................................

- Second period:.......................................................................................................

- Third period: .........................................................................................................

- Fourth period: .......................................................................................................

Shakespeare's reputation is based on: .....................................................................