Introduction to William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare’s Family Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. (The 16th Century) in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom Shakespeare’s father John had many jobs and owned a lot of property throughout England. Towards the end of his career he became a Mayor. Mary, Shakespeare’s mother, had 8 children in total. Unfortunately during the 16-17th century many people fell ill and died from the plague. Three of Shakespeare's siblings died of the plague during infancy.

The Adult Life of Shakespeare While there are few records of Shakespeare’s early life, Shakespeare did attend the grammar school where he studied Latin and classical Greek. Scholars are not sure how long Shakespeare attended the grammar school, but there are no records to say that he ever proceeded to university. Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582 when he was 18 and she was 26 and pregnant. Anne and William had their first daughter in 1583, and a set of twins in 1585.

English Renaissance Theatre During the 16th century (English renaissance), the dramatic arts were primarily a public act. Plays were performed for all to see by travelling ‘troupes’ of actors. In 1572, the mayor of London officially banned public plays and formally expelled all players as a measure against spreading the plague. When the plague settled, public plays continued to rise in popularity.

English Renaissance Theatre During the ‘Elizabethan’ era, Elizabeth showed great interest in attending and supporting plays which drastically changed the performance arts. Suddenly permanent theatres and stages were being constructed within courts to accommodate a larger audience. The new theatres incorporated the ‘thrust’ stage design which allowed better viewing from all angles.

Elizabethan Influence As more royal and aristocratic people began to seek the arts and hire actors for their private courts, drama became more oriented towards the tastes and the values of the upper-class audience. Play companies became more and more competitive with their subject matter and styles to attract the attention of potential buyers. Something to keep in mind is that companies consisted of only males; female parts were played by adolescent boy actors in women’s clothing.

Shakespeare and the Dramatic Arts Seven years of Shakespeare’s life have very few records, but around 1592 there is proof that Shakespeare arrived in London and began establishing himself as an actor and a playwright. Shakespeare began acting and writing for the Chamberlain’s Men, a travelling troupe well liked by royalty. His company was the most successful in London in his day. While Shakespeare might not be accounted wealthy by London standards, his success allowed him to purchase New House and retire in comfort to Stratford in 1611.

Shakespeare’s Accomplishments During his lifetime Shakespeare wrote approximately 36-38 plays, although the exact number is not known due to the lack of records from the 16th/ 17th century. His work includes many tragic, historical, romantic and comical stories. Shakespeare is also a well known poet, and is probably best known for his sonnets. Today Shakespeare is the most commonly studied poet and playwright from the English renaissance period.