William Shakespeare: years of life, short biography

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Shakespeare… William Shakespeare! Who doesn't know this name? The greatest playwright and poet, the pride of the English nation, the heritage of the whole world. That's who it is. His brilliant works have been translated into most languages of the world, they are included in the mandatory program for the literature of many countries. Is this not a confession?

Childhood

It is generally accepted that Shakespeare, whose years of life differ in some sources, was born in April 1564. The exact date is still not known to anyone, since no documentary evidence has been found. But in the church book is the date of his baptism - April 26.

He was born in the center of England, in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. It is known that his father was John Shakespeare, who was originally a craftsman (engaged in the manufacture of gloves). A little later, he took the position of alderman, that is, in fact, the head of the municipal assembly, then became the head of the city council.

John was quite a we althy man, as evidenced by the fact that he constantly paid huge fines for not attending churchministries. Shakespeare senior was rumored to be a secret Catholic.

The mother of the future playwright was Mary Arden from an ancient and respectable Saxon family.

William Shakespeare (years of life - 1564-1616) had seven brothers and sisters. He himself was the third child in the family.

Youth

Since no school documents of Shakespeare have been preserved, researchers of his biography were guided by some scraps of information from various sources. According to them, Shakespeare studied at the Stratford Grammar School, and later at the school of King Edward the Sixth, where he studied the poetic works of ancient authors.

Shakespeare (see years of life above) got married at the age of eighteen. His chosen one was the daughter of a landowner named Ann, and besides, she was pregnant. A few months after the marriage, the newlyweds had a girl named Susan. Two years later, twins were born - son Hemnet and daughter Judith.

Theatrical career. Life in London

Since 1585 (after the birth of children), there is no information about Shakespeare. Only in 1592 his trace was discovered in London, where he was engaged in theatrical activities with might and main. Thus, the seven-year period simply disappeared from the biography of the great playwright. None of the researchers can say with accuracy what Shakespeare did during these years.

Since everyone knows what century Shakespeare lived in, such gaps should not be surprising.

From various documents it became known that the plays of William Shakespeare are successfully staged in London. Butagain, it is not entirely clear since when he started writing them, how he ended up in the capital and why he is close to the theater.

The Lord Chamberlain's Servants had the primary rights to stage Shakespeare's dramatic works, since he himself was there as an actor, and later became its co-owner. Soon this theater organization became one of the most popular in London.

The years of Shakespeare's life went on as usual. In 1603, his troupe became known as the "Servants of the King", which meant recognition of the merits and creativity of all the nobility.

Theatrical performances were a huge success, which allowed the troupe to acquire their own building. The new theater was named "Globe". A few years later, they also bought the Blackfriar Theater. Shakespeare quickly grew rich and did not hide his we alth. So, he got the second largest house in Stratford.

Literary activity

Shakespeare, whose years of life flowed inexorably, began to think about the publication of his manuscripts. The first was published in 1594. But even after he became famous in literary circles, the playwright did not stop playing in the theater. It was his brainchild, which he could not abandon.

The entire period of Shakespeare's work is divided into four stages:

1. First early. Renaissance comedies, chronicles, two poems, "the tragedy of horror" were written.
2. Second. A mature dramaturgy appeared, an ancient play, sonnets, chronicles with a dramaticstorytelling.
3. Third. Antique tragedies, great tragedies, gloomy tragedies have been written.
4. Fourth. Shakespeare created fairy tale dramas.

Dramaturgy

Shakespeare (life: 1564-1616) is undeniably considered the greatest playwright of all time. And there is no such name in the world that could stand on equal terms with his name.

In the early 1590s, historical drama was in the literary vogue. The plays "Richard the Third" and "Henry the Sixth" belong to this period.

It is rather difficult to determine the periodization of the creation of specific works, since they are not dated by the author himself. But researchers believe that the early period of creativity includes:

• "Two Verona".
• "The Taming of the Shrew".
• "Titus Andronicus".
• "Comedy of Errors".

Also, the early period is characterized mainly by farcical and ironic works. Unlike the second stage, where romantic works come to the fore. For example, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "The Merchant of Venice".

With each new work, Shakespeare's characters become more complex and interesting.

At the peak of a playwright's work is writing tragedies. Among them are "Hamlet", "Othello", "King Lear".

Shakespeare lived in a century full of opportunities to create, implement his ideas, write something new, innovative. In the plays of the last period, the poetic mastery of the author reached its apogee. That's whythe style of such dramas as "Antony and Cleopatra", "Coriolanus" is considered ideal.

Some researchers believe that several plays were written by Shakespeare in collaboration with another writer. For that period, this was a normal and frequent practice.

Romeo and Juliet

Perhaps the most famous love story in the world. There were countless theatrical productions, and the number of adaptations is also amazing (more than fifty). But it is also surprising that, despite the past centuries, this story still touches the soul and makes you think about the essence of being.

The plot of the drama is probably known to all reading people. The action begins in the Italian city of Verona. In what century did Shakespeare live, in this century the described events take place.

Montagues and Capulets are two families that have been at enmity for many years and have probably already forgotten the reason for their hatred. Fate disposes so that the children of the leaders fall in love with each other. Romeo and Juliet decide to get married in secret. But a young man in the heat of a fight kills his beloved brother and is expelled from the city.

Out of desperation, the girl is about to drink poison, but the monk gives her a potion that just puts her to sleep. The family decides that Juliet has left this world and put her in a tomb.

Romeo, unable to survive the loss of his beloved, drinks poison, waking up, the girl sees a lifeless body at her feet. She decides to follow her lover and stabs herself to death.

The death of children has brought to an endirreconcilable strife between two families.

Hamlet

William Shakespeare experienced a great tragedy in his life - the death of his son. Hemnet died at the age of eleven, presumably from bubonic plague.

Since the playwright worked in London, he did not often visit his hometown, and at the time of his son's death, he was not around either. Shakespeare was very tormented by this circumstance.

It is with this event that researchers of creativity associate the creation of the tragedy about Hamlet, linking them with the similarity of names.

In the plot, of course, no connection can be traced. The action takes place in the Kingdom of Denmark. A prince named Hamlet encounters the ghost of his dead father, the king. He tells the young man that he was killed by the current king, Hamlet's uncle, Claudius. The ghost asks for revenge for what was done to him.

Hamlet is confused, he cannot make a decision. To protect himself, he pretends to be crazy. But his uncle is not so simple, he does not believe in the farce of his nephew. A plan to kill Hamlet is born in Claudius' head.

As a result, Hamlet drinks poison without knowing it. But before his death, he manages to avenge his father.

Frontinbras, the Norwegian ruler, enters the throne.

Poems and sonnets

What century did Shakespeare live in? In the century of development of economic relations and accelerated development of the country. It so happened that the main trade sea routes ran through England. As a result, in 1593, the country was seized by a plague epidemic that lasted almost two years.

Of course, inno public institutions, including Shakespeare's theater, worked in such conditions. The playwright was forced to sit without work. He read a lot, and inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses, he wrote two erotic poems.

The third was "Love's Complaint", which was reprinted several times during the life of the author.

But William Shakespeare is best known for his sonnets. There are 154 of them in the poet's work. A sonnet is a verse of fourteen lines, in which the following rhyme is adopted: abab cdcd efef gg.

The cycle of sonnets is conditionally divided into twelve thematic groups, among which:

• chanting a friend;
• longing and fear;
• joy and beauty of love.

Shakespeare style

William Shakespeare, whose years of life are indicated in the review, has been greatly transformed in terms of literature. His first works were written in ordinary language, which did not distinguish the playwright from the crowd of the same hacks. To avoid the routine in his works, Shakespeare loaded them with metaphors, literally planting them on top of each other. This prevented him from revealing the characters.

However, soon the poet comes to his traditional style, adapts to it. The use of white verse (written in iambic pentameter) becomes standard. But it also differs in its quality, if we compare the initial works and subsequent ones.

A feature of Shakespeare's style is that he wrote with a focus on theatrical performances. Enjambements are widely used in his works,unusual designs and length of sentences. Sometimes the playwright invites the viewer to think of the end of a phrase by inserting a long pause there.

Criticism

Shakespeare, years of life, whose brief biography is known to all literary figures, had a huge impact on his followers in writing.

Despite this, during his lifetime he was not considered a great playwright. And at the end of the seventeenth century, he was even criticized for mixing the tragic and the comic in his works.

However, already in the eighteenth century, these opinions were forgotten, literary critics began to thoroughly study his work. And soon the now well-known fact that Shakespeare is the national poet of England was voiced. After that, close attention was paid to the years of Shakespeare's life.

The nineteenth century was marked by mass translations of Shakespeare's plays into other languages. In particular, August Schlegel did this.

However, there were critics. So, Bernard Shaw stated that Shakespeare was outdated compared to Ibsen, and he did not understand this idolatry.

Leo Tolstoy also doubted the existence of Shakespeare's dramatic abilities.

But the beginning of the twentieth century brought him back to the pinnacle of fame, when the expressionists and futurists began to stage his plays, and the poet T. S. Eliot stated that Shakespeare's plays will always be modern.

Recent years

The last years of Shakespeare's life were spent in his hometown. Although he often traveled to London on business. As chiefthe playwright of the troupe was replaced by J. Fletcher. According to some researchers, he also became a co-author of the last plays.

Shakespeare lived in an age when it was impossible to know exactly what was happening to a person. But according to the remaining documents, it was clear that his handwriting had changed, became uncertain and sweeping. On the basis of which historians have concluded that William Shakespeare was seriously ill.

Death

Shakespeare died April 23, 1616. It is believed that it was his birthday. According to the will, all the property of the playwright passed to the daughters and their direct descendants.

The last direct descendant of the poet was his granddaughter Elizabeth, who died in 1670.

Where Shakespeare spent the last years of his life, there is a bust of the poet.