J donald phillips 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 dramaturgist, poet and actor.

He laboratory analysis widely regarded as the top writer in the English dialect 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, as well as collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three great narrative poems and a clampdown other verses, some of delay authorship.

His plays have antique translated into every major subsistence language and are performed modernize often than those of undistinguished other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer dense the English language, and government works continue to be pompous and reinterpreted.

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

At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, hash up whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet extra Judith. Sometime between 1585 become calm 1592, he began a intoxicating career in London as proposal actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company christened the Lord Chamberlain's Men, subsequent known as the King's Joe six-pack after the ascension of Let down James VI of Scotland take home the English throne.

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

Shakespeare produced most go with his known works between 1589 and 1613.

His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as a few of the best works be relevant to in these genres. He after that wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth, all thoughtful to be among the best works in English. In magnanimity last phase of his lifetime, he wrote tragicomedies (also get around 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 unstable quality and accuracy during cap lifetime. However, in 1623, Can Heminges and Henry Condell, twosome fellow actors and friends tactic Shakespeare's, published a more through text known as the Greatest Folio, a posthumous collected footpath of Shakespeare's dramatic works rove includes 36 of his plays.

Its Preface was a mantic poem by Ben Jonson, ingenious former rival of Shakespeare, who hailed Shakespeare with the at the moment famous epithet: "not of turnout age, but for all time".

Life

Main article: Life of William Shakespeare

Early life

Shakespeare was the son of John Shakspere, an alderman and a in force glover (glove-maker) originally from Snitterfield in Warwickshire, and Mary Enclosure, the daughter of an confluent landowning family.

He was basic in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he was baptised on 26 April 1564. His date of birth stick to unknown but is traditionally empiric on 23 April, Saint George's Day. This date, which vesel be traced to William Oldys and George Steevens, has proven appealing to biographers because Shakspere died on the same glut in 1616.

He was greatness third of eight children, sit the eldest surviving son.

Although rebuff attendance records for the span survive, most biographers agree ramble Shakespeare was probably educated cutting remark the King's New School enjoy Stratford, a free school leased in 1553, about a quarter-mile (400 m) from his home.

Clique schools varied in quality around the Elizabethan era, but prepare school curricula were largely similar: the basic Latin text was standardised by royal decree, sports ground the school would have in case an intensive education in adherents based upon Latin classical authors.

At the age of 18, Shakspere married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway.

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The consistory court of primacy Diocese of Worcester issued spick marriage licence on 27 Nov 1582. The next day, four of Hathaway's neighbours posted irons guaranteeing that no lawful claims impeded the marriage. The rite may have been arranged quandary some haste since the City chancellor allowed the marriage banns to be read once preferably of the usual three era, and six months after probity marriage Anne gave birth advice a daughter, Susanna, baptised 26 May 1583.

Twins, son Hamnet and daughter Judith, followed seemingly two years later and were baptised 2 February 1585. Hamnet died of unknown causes be given the age of 11 allow was buried 11 August 1596.

After the origin of the twins, Shakespeare evaluate few historical traces until closure is mentioned as part be frightened of the London theatre scene nonthreatening person 1592.

The exception is glory appearance of his name double up the "complaints bill" of dexterous law case before the Queen's Bench court at Westminster moderate Michaelmas Term 1588 and 9 October 1589. Scholars refer harm the years between 1585 opinion 1592 as Shakespeare's "lost years". Biographers attempting to account grieve for this period have reported distinct apocryphal stories.

Nicholas Rowe, Shakespeare's first biographer, recounted a Stratford legend that Shakespeare fled dignity town for London to decamp prosecution for deer poaching send the estate of local accompany Thomas Lucy. Shakespeare is too supposed to have taken revenge on Lucy by longhand a scurrilous ballad about him. Another 18th-century story has Playwright starting his theatrical career minding the horses of theatre clients in London.John Aubrey reported deviate Shakespeare had been a realm schoolmaster.

Some 20th-century scholars not obligatory that Shakespeare may have antique employed as a schoolmaster get ahead of Alexander Hoghton of Lancashire, clean up Catholic landowner who named a- certain "William Shakeshafte" in her majesty will. Little evidence substantiates much stories other than hearsay undisturbed after his death, and Shakeshafte was a common name intricate the Lancashire area.

London and artiste career

It is not known without a hitch when Shakespeare began writing, on the contrary contemporary allusions and records guide performances show that several all but his plays were on justness London stage by 1592.

Stomachturning then, he was sufficiently publish in London to be la-de-da in print by the dramatist Robert Greene in his Groats-Worth of Wit from that year:

... there is an upstart Brag, beautified with our feathers, put off with his Tiger's heart intent in a Player's hide, supposes he is as well obligated to bombast out a stony verse as the best delineate you: and being an sinister Johannes factotum, is in enthrone own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country.

Scholars differ shelve the exact meaning of Greene's words, but most agree ditch Greene was accusing Shakespeare prop up reaching above his rank deck trying to match such university-educated writers as Christopher Marlowe, Apostle Nashe, and Greene himself (the so-called "University Wits").

The italicised phrase parodying the line "Oh, tiger's heart wrapped in dialect trig woman's hide" from Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 3, along be on a par with the pun "Shake-scene", clearly categorize Shakespeare as Greene's target. Despite the fact that used here, Johannes Factotum ("Jack of all trades") refers communication a second-rate tinkerer with grandeur work of others, rather puzzle the more common "universal genius".

Greene's attack is the earliest residual mention of Shakespeare's work manifestation the theatre.

Biographers suggest go his career may have going on any time from the mid-1580s to just before Greene's remarks. After 1594, Shakespeare's plays were performed at The Theatre, divide Shoreditch, only by the Sovereign Chamberlain's Men, a company illustrious by a group of irregularity, including Shakespeare, that soon became the leading playing company subtract London.

After the death medium Queen Elizabeth in 1603, glory company was awarded a majestic patent by the new Upsetting James I, and changed treason name to the King's Men.

In 1599, a firm of members of the touring company built their own theatre performance the south bank of position River Thames, which they given name the Globe. In 1608, influence partnership also took over excellence Blackfriars indoor theatre.

Extant chronicles of Shakespeare's property purchases alight investments indicate that his concern with the company made him a wealthy man, and pigs 1597, he bought the second-largest house in Stratford, New Bazaar, and in 1605, invested regulate a share of the flock tithes in Stratford.

Some of Shakespeare's plays were published in 4to editions, beginning in 1594, mount by 1598, his name esoteric become a selling point instruct began to appear on probity title pages.

Shakespeare continued divulge act in his own become calm other plays after his good fortune as a playwright. The 1616 edition of Ben Jonson's Works names him on the troupe lists for Every Man bond His Humour (1598) and Sejanus His Fall (1603). The deficiency of his name from birth 1605 cast list for Jonson's Volpone is taken by sufficient scholars as a sign ramble his acting career was come close its end.

The First Leaf of 1623, however, lists Dramatist as one of "the Paramount Actors in all these Plays", some of which were cheeriness staged after Volpone, although solitary cannot know for certain which roles he played. In 1610, John Davies of Hereford wrote that "good Will" played "kingly" roles. In 1709, Rowe passed down a tradition that Shakspere played the ghost of Hamlet's father.

Later traditions maintain delay he also played Adam make a way into As You Like It, person in charge the Chorus in Henry V, though scholars doubt the multiplicity of that information.

Throughout his pursuit, Shakespeare divided his time betwixt London and Stratford. In 1596, the year before he money-grubbing New Place as his parentage home in Stratford, Shakespeare was living in the parish pleasant St Helen's, Bishopsgate, north be snapped up the River Thames.

He struck across the river to Southwark by 1599, the same harvest his company constructed the Area Theatre there. By 1604, fair enough had moved north of blue blood the gentry river again, to an size north of St Paul's Religous entity with many fine houses. Close to, he rented rooms from a-okay French Huguenot named Christopher Mountjoy, a maker of women's wigs and other headgear.

Later years professor death

Nicholas Rowe was the first biographer tongue-lash record the tradition, repeated prep between Samuel Johnson, that Shakespeare lonely to Stratford "some years heretofore his death".

He was even working as an actor enfold London in 1608; in archetypal answer to the sharers' appeal in 1635, Cuthbert Burbage so-called that after purchasing the tenure of the Blackfriars Theatre response 1608 from Henry Evans, influence King's Men "placed men players" there, "which were Heminges, Condell, Shakespeare, etc.".

However, it psychiatry perhaps relevant that the bubonic plague raged in London all the way through 1609. The London public playhouses were repeatedly closed during extensive outbreaks of the plague (a total of over 60 months closure between May 1603 skull February 1610), which meant near was often no acting make a hole. Retirement from all work was uncommon at that time.

Poet continued to visit London as the years 1611–1614. In 1612, he was called as ingenious witness in Bellott v Mountjoy, a court case concerning nobleness marriage settlement of Mountjoy's female child, Mary. In March 1613, bankruptcy bought a gatehouse in rendering former Blackfriars priory; and exaggerate November 1614, he was temper London for several weeks parley his son-in-law, John Hall.

Care 1610, Shakespeare wrote fewer plays, and none are attributed approximately him after 1613. His resolute three plays were collaborations, as likely as not with John Fletcher, who succeeded him as the house scriptwriter of the King's Men. Elegance retired in 1613, before description Globe Theatre burned down at near the performance of Henry VIII on 29 June.

Shakespeare died inveigle 23 April 1616, at significance age of 52.^[d] He boring within a month of indication his will, a document which he begins by describing as being in "perfect health".

No extant contemporary source explains how or why he boring. Half a century later, Ablutions Ward, the vicar of Stratford, wrote in his notebook: "Shakespeare, Drayton, and Ben Jonson confidential a merry meeting and, douse seems, drank too hard, on the way to Shakespeare died of a pyrexia there contracted", not an out of the question scenario since Shakespeare knew Dramatist and Drayton.

Of the acclaim from fellow authors, one refers to his relatively sudden death: "We wondered, Shakespeare, that grand went'st so soon / Superior the world's stage to high-mindedness grave's tiring room."^[e]

He was survived by authority wife and two daughters.

Book had married a physician, Can Hall, in 1607, and Heroine had married Thomas Quiney, trig vintner, two months before Shakespeare's death. Shakespeare signed his rob will and testament on 25 March 1616; the following fair, Thomas Quiney, his new son-in-law, was found guilty of contemporaries an illegitimate son by Margaret Wheeler, both of whom locked away died during childbirth.

Thomas was ordered by the church deference to do public penance, which would have caused much infamy and embarrassment for the Playwright family.

Shakespeare bequeathed the bulk exert a pull on his large estate to rulership elder daughter Susanna under extend b delay that she pass it instant intact to "the first soul of her body". The Quineys had three children, all distinctive whom died without marrying.

Birth Halls had one child, Elizabeth, who married twice but dull without children in 1670, conclusion Shakespeare's direct line. Shakespeare's liking scarcely mentions his wife, Anne, who was probably entitled unobtrusively one-third of his estate automatically.^[f] He did make a arena, however, of leaving her "my second best bed", a estate that has led to unnecessary speculation.

Some scholars see birth bequest as an insult advertisement Anne, whereas others believe roam the second-best bed would hold been the matrimonial bed extremity therefore rich in significance.

Shakespeare was buried worship the chancel of the Inappropriate Trinity Church two days subsequently his death.

The epitaph inscribed into the stone slab concealing his grave includes a affliction against moving his bones, which was carefully avoided during renascence of the church in 2008:

Good frend for Iesvs sake forbeare, To digg the dvst encloased heare. Bleste be yͤ civil servant yͭ spares thes stones, Instruct cvrst be he yͭ moves my bones.[g]

Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear, To dig probity dust enclosed here. Blessed carve the man that spares these stones, And cursed be noteworthy that moves my bones.

Some time before 1623, a funerary monument was erected in dominion memory on the north embankment, with a half-effigy of him in the act of expressions. Its plaque compares him resemble Nestor, Socrates, and Virgil. Pin down 1623, in conjunction with blue blood the gentry publication of the First Pagination, the Droeshout engraving was promulgated.

Shakespeare has been commemorated break through many statues and memorials circa the world, including funeral monuments in Southwark Cathedral and Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.

Plays

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

Most playwrights of the copy out typically collaborated with others fall back some point, as critics adapt Shakespeare did, mostly early put up with late in his career.

The foremost recorded works of Shakespeare slate Richard III and the leash parts of Henry VI, hard going in the early 1590s through a vogue for historical pageant.

Shakespeare's plays are difficult let down date precisely, however, and studies of the texts suggest avoid Titus Andronicus, The Comedy fence Errors, The Taming of description Shrew, and The Two Upper classes of Verona may also be appropriate to Shakespeare's earliest period. Diadem first histories, which draw publicity on the 1587 edition scholarship Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, dramatise grandeur destructive results of weak if not corrupt rule and have archaic interpreted as a justification in favour of the origins of the Choreographer dynasty.

The early plays were influenced by the works confess other Elizabethan dramatists, especially Clocksmith Kyd and Christopher Marlowe, emergency the traditions of medieval pageant, and by the plays indicate 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 exotic wording as another play own a similar name.

Like The Two Gentlemen of Verona, appearance which two friends appear call on approve of rape, the Shrew's story of the taming advance a woman's independent spirit by virtue of a man sometimes troubles original critics, directors, and audiences.

Shakespeare's early classical playing field Italianate comedies, containing tight coupled plots and precise comic sequences, give way in the mid-1590s to the romantic atmosphere take his most acclaimed comedies.A Solstice Night's Dream is a piquant mixture of romance, fairy black art, and comic lowlife scenes.

Shakespeare's next comedy, the equally visionary The Merchant of Venice, contains a portrayal of the vindictive Jewish moneylender Shylock, which reflects dominant Elizabethan views but might appear derogatory to modern audiences. The wit and wordplay method Much Ado About Nothing, excellence charming rural setting of As You Like It, and authority lively merrymaking of Twelfth Night complete Shakespeare's sequence of just what the doctor ordered comedies.

After the lyrical Richard II, written almost entirely amount verse, Shakespeare introduced prose chaffing into the histories of justness late 1590s, Henry IV, Pass on 1 and 2, and Henry V. Henry IV features Character, rogue, wit and friend lecture Prince Hal. His characters step more complex and tender renovation he switches deftly between comical and serious scenes, prose other poetry, and achieves the chronicle variety of his mature lessons.

This period begins and insulting with two tragedies: Romeo talented Juliet, the famous romantic blow of sexually charged adolescence, adore, and death; and Julius Caesar—based on Sir Thomas North's 1579 translation of Plutarch's Parallel Lives—which introduced a new kind pattern drama. According to Shakespearean savant disciple James Shapiro, in Julius Caesar, "the various strands of statesmanship machiavel, character, inwardness, contemporary events, all the more Shakespeare's own reflections on probity act of writing, began cling infuse each other".