William Shakespeare (798 words)

William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was a great English playwright, dramatist and poet who
lived during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Shakespeare
is considered to be the greatest playwright of all time. No other writer’s
plays have been produced or read as much as his.

Shakespeare was born to a middle class family. His father, John, was
a Stratford businessman. He was a glove maker who owned a leather shop. John
Shakespeare was a well known and respected man in the town. He held several
important local governmental positions. William Shakespeare’s mother was Mary
Arden. Though she was the daughter of a local farmer, she was related to a
family of considerable wealth and social standing. Mary Arden and John
Shakespeare were married in 1557.
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford in 1564. He was one of
eight children. The Shakespeare’s were well respected prominent people. When
William Shakespeare was about seven years old, he probably began attending
the Stratford Grammar School with other boys of is social class. Student went
to school year round attending school for nine hours a day. The teachers were
strict disciplinarians.

Though Shakespeare spent long hours at school, his boyhood was
probably fascinating. Stratford was a nice town and during holidays, it was
known to put on pageants and many popular shows. It also held several large
fairs during the year. Stratford was an exciting place to live. Stratford
also had fields and woods surrounding it giving William the opportunity to
hunt and trap small game. The River Avon, which ran through the town, allowed
him to fish also. Shakespeare’s poems and plays show his love of nature and
rural life, which reflects his childhood.

On November 28, 1582, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway of the neighboring
village of Shottery. She was twenty-six, and he was only eighteen at the
time. They had three children. Susana was their first and then they had
twins, Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet, Shakespeare’s son, died in 1595. In 1607,
his daughter Susana got married. Shakespeare’s other daughter, Judith, got
married in 1616.

In London, Shakespeare’s career took off. It is believed that he may
have become well known in London theatrical life by 1592. By that time, he
had joined one of the city’s repertory theater companies. These companies
were made up of a permanent cast of actors who presented different plays week
after week. The companies were commercial organizations that depended on
admission from their audience. Scholars know that Shakespeare belonged to one
of the most popular acting companies in London called The Lord Chamberlain’s
Men. Shakespeare was a leading member of the group from 1594 for the rest of
his career. By 1594, at least six of Shakespeare’s plays had been produced.

During Shakespeare’s life, there were two monarchs who who ruled
England. They were Henry the eighth and Elizabeth the first. Both were
impressed with Shakespeare which made his name known. There is evidence that
he was a member of a traveling theater group, and a schoolmaster. In 1594, he
became an actor and playwright for Lord Chamberlain’s Men. In 1599, he became
a part owner of the Blackfriars Theater as of 1609. Shakespeare retired to
Stratford in 1613 where he wrote many of his excellent plays.

There are many reasons as to why William Shakespeare is famous. He is
generally considered to be both the greatest dramatist the world has ever
known as well as the finest poet who has written in the English language.
Many reasons can be giving for Shakespeare’s enormous appeal. His fame
basically is from his great understanding of human nature. He was able to
find universal human qualities and put them in a dramatic situation creating
characters that
are timeless. Yet he had the ability to create characters that are highly
individual human beings. Their struggles in life are universal. Sometimes
they are successful and sometimes their lives are full of pain, suffering,
and, failure.

In addition to his understanding and realistic view of human nature,
Shakespeare had a vast knowledge of a variety of subjects. These subjects
include music, law, Bible, stage, art, politics, history, hunting, and
sports. Shakespeare had a tremendous influence on culture and literature
throughout the world. He contributed greatly to the development of the
English language. Many words and phrases from Shakespeare’s plays and poems
have become part or our speech. Shakespeare’s plays and poems have become a
required part or education In the United States. Therefore, his ideas on
subjects such as romantic love, heroism, comedy, and tragedy have helped
shape the attitudes of millions of people. His portrayals of historical
figures and events have influenced many great writers, but only Shakespeare
has generated such enormous continuing interest.
Shakespeare has three major categories of plays. That is comedy,
tragedy, and history.