William ShakespearBorn on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England. His father John Shakespeare and his mother Mary Arden.
W. S. was able to attend grammer school and learned Greek and Latin classics (this is comparable to collegeeducation today). At age 14 his father lost the family fortune and remainedpoor until his deathAt 18 he married Anne Hathaway in 1582. She was 26 years old.
They had three children Suzanne(1583) and the twins Hamnet and Judith(1585). In his mid-twenties he left Stratford(supposedly because of poaching on the Queen’s land) for London. His first job with Richard Burbage’s men was as an osler; next an actor. No one knows what he was doing during 1585-1592. By 1592 he had become known in London as an actor and playwright; his risewas rapid. Queen Elizabeth 1 supported the arts and the theater.
In 1592 a plague closed the theaters(Shakespeare wrote poetry during this time to support himself). In 1593 a brief reopening of the theater happened. In 1594 theaters reopened. The troupe became the Lord Chamberlain’s Men set up on a servant co-opstructure. Requirements for actors:1. loud voice2.
sing and play instruments3. good swordsman4. good memoriesDuring this time he wrote many comedies: Comedy of Errors first of any status. Histories were written in support of the gov’t. This is where they werereceiving much of the financial support so they wanted to keep the gov’t(Queen) happy. W.
S. was a major stockholder in the theater. 1597-bought New Place in Stratford(2nd largest house)1599-Lord Chamberlain’s Men bought land and built the Globe Theater in Southwark(South Bank of the Thames River). W. S.
owned 1/10th1603-Queen Elizabeth died. King James took reign of England. He loved the arts more than the queen. The name was changed from Lord Chamberlain’s Men to the King’s Men. 1608-Added to the Globe Theater by buying the Black Friars Theater and givingperformances there also.
W. S. owned 1/7th1613-Fire at the Globe during a performance of Henry 8th; rebuilt within a year. Left comedies and histories to write tragedies soon after the Globe reopened.Sonnets-published in 1610 but circulated earlier.First Tragedy: The Tragedy of HamletLate plays: Cymbeleneand and Winter’s Tale became bitter, ironic, and sad(much as his mood was changing toward the latter parts of his life.)The Tempest: last play written as a posible farewell to the theaterHe wrote 37 plays throughout his life.1612-retired as a country gentlemen to New Place in Stratford1616-wrote his will(by himself)1616-April 23,1616 – died on the day and the month he was born1623 – first folio was done by two of the men who admired him from hiscompany at the Globe.Category: Biographies
