Biography of William Shakespeare

an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language
and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard
of Avon". His surviving works, including some collaorations, consist of aout !" plays, #$%
sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have een translated
into every ma&or living language and are performed more often than those of any other
playwright.
'hakespeare was orn and raised in 'tratford-upon-Avon. At the age of #", he married Anne
Hathaway, with whom he had three children( 'usanna, and twins Hamnet and )udith. Between
#$"$ and #$*+, he egan a successful career in ,ondon as an actor, writer, and part owner of a
playing company called the ,ord -hamerlain's .en, later known as the /ing's .en. He
appears to have retired to 'tratford around #0#! at age %*, where he died three years later.
1ew records of 'hakespeare's private life survive, and there has een considerale speculation
aout such matters as his physical appearance, se2uality, religious eliefs, and whether the
works attriuted to him were written y others.
'hakespeare produced most of his known work etween #$"* and #0#!. His early plays were
mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry y the
end of the #0th century. He then wrote mainly tragedies until aout #03", including Hamlet, /ing
,ear, 4thello, and .aceth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. 5n his
last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaorated with other
playwrights.
.any of his plays were pulished in editions of varying 6uality and accuracy during his lifetime.
5n #0+!, two of his former theatrical colleagues pulished the 1irst 1olio, a collected edition of
his dramatic works that included all ut two of the plays now recognised as 'hakespeare's.
'hakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, ut his reputation did not rise
to its present heights until the #*th century. 7he 8omantics, in particular, acclaimed
'hakespeare's genius, and the 9ictorians worshipped 'hakespeare with a reverence that
:eorge Bernard 'haw called "ardolatry". 5n the +3th century, his work was repeatedly adopted
and rediscovered y new movements in scholarship and performance. His plays remain highly
popular today and are constantly studied, performed and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and
political conte2ts throughout the world.
,ife
Early life
;illiam 'hakespeare was the son of )ohn 'hakespeare, an alderman and a successful glover
originally from 'nitterfield, and .ary Arden, the daughter of an affluent landowning farmer. He
was orn in 'tratford-upon-Avon and aptised there on +0 April #$0%. His actual irthdate
remains unknown, ut is traditionally oserved on +! April, 't :eorge's <ay. 7his date, which
can e traced ack to an #"th-century scholar's mistake, has proved appealing to iographers,
since 'hakespeare died +! April #0#0. He was the third child of eight and the eldest surviving
son.
Although no attendance records for the period survive, most iographers agree that
'hakespeare was proaly educated at the /ing's =ew 'chool in 'tratford, a free school
chartered in #$$!, aout a 6uarter-mile from his home. :rammar schools varied in 6uality
during the Eli>aethan era, ut the curriculum was dictated y law throughout England, and the
school would have provided an intensive education in ,atin grammar and the classics.
At the age of #", 'hakespeare married the +0-year-old Anne Hathaway. 7he consistory court of
the <iocese of ;orcester issued a marriage licence +? =ovemer #$"+. 7he ne2t day two of
Hathaway's neighours posted onds guaranteeing that no lawful claims impeded the marriage.
7he ceremony may have een arranged in some haste, since the ;orcester chancellor allowed
the marriage anns to e read once instead of the usual three times, and si2 months after the
marriage Anne gave irth to a daughter, 'usanna, aptised +0 .ay #$"!. 7wins, son Hamnet
and daughter )udith, followed almost two years later and were aptised + 1eruary #$"$.
Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of ## and was uried ## August #$*0.
After the irth of the twins, 'hakespeare left few historical traces until he is mentioned as part of
the ,ondon theatre scene in #$*+, and scholars refer to the years etween #$"$ and #$*+ as
'hakespeare's "lost years". Biographers attempting to account for this period have reported
many apocryphal stories. =icholas 8owe, 'hakespeare@s first iographer, recounted a 'tratford
legend that 'hakespeare fled the town for ,ondon to escape prosecution for deer poaching in
the estate of local s6uire 7homas ,ucy. 'hakespeare is also supposed to have taken his
revenge on ,ucy y writing a scurrilous allad aout him. Another #"th-century story has
'hakespeare starting his theatrical career minding the horses of theatre patrons in ,ondon.
)ohn Aurey reported that 'hakespeare had een a country schoolmaster. 'ome +3th-century
scholars have suggested that 'hakespeare may have een employed as a schoolmaster y
Ale2ander Hoghton of ,ancashire, a -atholic landowner who named a certain ";illiam
'hakeshafte" in his will. =o evidence sustantiates such stories other than hearsay collected
after his death, and 'hakeshafte was a common name in the ,ancashire area.
,ondon and 7heatrical -areer
5t is not known e2actly when 'hakespeare egan writing, ut contemporary allusions and
records of performances show that several of his plays were on the ,ondon stage y #$*+. He
was well enough known in ,ondon y then to e attacked in print y the playwright 8oert
:reene in his :roats-;orth of ;it(
...there is an upstart -row, eautified with our feathers, that with his 7iger's heart wrapped in a
Alayer's hide, supposes he is as well ale to omast out a lank verse as the est of you( and
eing an asolute )ohannes factotum, is in his own conceit the only 'hake-scene in a country.
'cholars differ on the e2act meaning of these words, ut most agree that :reene is accusing
'hakespeare of reaching aove his rank in trying to match university-educated writers such as
-hristopher .arlowe, 7homas =ashe and :reene himself Bthe "university wits"C. 7he italicised
phrase parodying the line "4h, tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide" from 'hakespeare's
Henry 95, Aart !, along with the pun "'hake-scene", identifies 'hakespeare as :reene's target.
Here )ohannes 1actotumD")ack of all trades"D means a second-rate tinkerer with the work of
others, rather than the more common "universal genius".
:reene's attack is the earliest surviving mention of 'hakespeare@s career in the theatre.
Biographers suggest that his career may have egun any time from the mid-#$"3s to &ust efore
:reene's remarks. 1rom #$*%, 'hakespeare's plays were performed only y the ,ord
-hamerlain's .en, a company owned y a group of players