Shakespeare’s Life and Times

Born 1564 in Stratford-upon- Avon

Shakespeare’s School

He wrote 37 Plays 10 tragedies—including Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, and Othello 13 comedies—including Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice 10 histories—including Henry V, Richard II, Henry VIII 4 romances—Winter’s Tale, The Tempest, Cymbeline, Pericles

He wrote a group of 154 sonnets As well as several narrative poems: –The Rape of Lucrece—1594 –Venus and Adonis—1593 –The Phoenix and the Turtle –A Lover’s Complaint

Married Anne Hathaway in 1582 Their marriage was hurried and a bit “irregular”—Anne may have been pregnant. (Their daughter, Susanna, was born only 6 months after the wedding.) They also had twins, Hamlet and Judith, in 1585.

Lost years? Between 1585 and 1592, we know little of Shakespeare’s life. In 1592, he surfaces in London as an actor and playwright. He is 28 years old.

Early Work as a Poet Shakespeare probably began his work as a poet, not as a dramatist, writing some sonnets and the two earlier narrative poems in the late 1580s and early 90s. Probably began as a “go-fer” in the theatre, perhaps polishing others’ scripts or collaborating with more experienced playwrights.

Between 1592 and 1594, the theatres in London were closed because of an outbreak of the plague.

When they reopened, we find Shakespeare a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, but we do not know how he got there. Queen Elizabeth I

Early Start vs. Late Start? Conventional dating of Shakespeare’s plays has him beginning his composition in the early 1590s. More recent scholarship has questioned this dating, suggesting that at least some of his plays may have been written (possibly in collaboration) in the late 1580s.

For example, There are several plays produced in the 1580s by the Queen’s Men that bear striking similarities to later plays by Shakespeare: –The Troublesome Raigne of King John –King Lier –The Famous Victories of Henry V

Each of these plays has a Shakespearean counterpart: –King John –King Lear –Henry V

Shakespeare may possibly have had a hand in the earlier Queen’s Men’s plays, and later revised or simply stole the plots and reworked them as his own works. Important to remember—there is no copyright law in the 16 th Century!!

The Body of Shakespeare’s Works He began writing his comedies and history plays ( ) He tragedies come from the period after 1599: –Julius Caesar 1599 –Hamlet 1600 –Othello 1604 –King Lear 1605 –Macbeth 1606 –Antony and Cleopatra 1606 –Coriolanus 1608

Shakespeare’s Company Shakespeare wrote his plays for a specific company of actors—the Lord Chamberlain’s Men He had specific actors in mind as he wrote his parts: –Richard Burbage was the most famous tragic actor of his time—Hamlet was written for him. –Will Kemp was the greatest comic actor— Bottom was written for him

Shakespeare was also an actor. Tradition holds that he performed the Ghost in Hamlet and the French King in Henry V

By the mid 1590s, Shakespeare’s plays begin to appear in print in unauthorized “bad” quartos. This is probably testimony to his contemporary popularity.