-
Essay / The Biography of William Shakespeare - Plays and Wife
William Shakespeare is arguably the most famous writer in the English language, known for both his plays and his sonnets. Much of his life remains open to debate due to incomplete evidence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essayIn the mid-16th century, William Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare, moved to the idyllic town of Stratford-upon-Avon . There he became a successful landowner, pawnbroker, glove maker, and merchant of wool and agricultural products. In 1557 he married Mary Arden. Town records indicate that William Shakespeare was the third child of John and Mary. His birth is not recorded, but legend sets the date at April 23, 1564, perhaps because he is known to have died on the same date 52 years later. Little is known about his childhood, although it is generally assumed that he attended the local grammar school. school, the New King's School. The school was staffed by Oxford-trained professors who taught students mathematics, natural sciences, logic, Christian ethics, and classical languages and literature. Shakespeare did not attend college, which was not unusual at the time. University education was reserved for the wealthy sons of the elite, and even then, for those who wished to become members of the clergy. The numerous classical and literary references in Shakespeare's plays are testimony to this; however, to the excellent education he received in high school and testifies to his abilities as a self-taught man. His first pieces were inspired in particular by the works of Seneca and Plautus. Even more impressive than Shakespeare's formal education is the wealth of general knowledge he exhibits in his work. His vocabulary far exceeded that of any other English writer of his time. In 1582, at the age of eighteen, William Shakespeare married twenty-six-year-old Anne Hathaway. Their first daughter was Susanna. In 1585, Anne gave birth to twins, Hamnet and Judith Shakespeare. Hamnet died at the age of eleven, by which time William Shakespeare was already a successful playwright. Around 1589, Shakespeare wrote Henry VI, Part 1, which is considered his first play. Between his marriage and the writing of this play, he moved to London, where he pursued a career as a playwright and actor. Although many records of Shakespeare's life as a citizen of Stratford have survived, including his marriage and birth records, there is very little information about his life as a young playwright. Legend describes Shakespeare as a mischievous young man who was forced to flee London under suspicious circumstances, but the paltry amount of written information does not necessarily support this side of his personality. In any case, young Will did not enjoy immediate universal success. The first written record of Shakespeare's life in London comes from a statement by his rival playwright Robert Greene. With Richard III, Henry VI, The Comedy of Errors and Titus Andronicus to his credit, Shakespeare became a popular playwright by 1590. The year 1593, however, marked a major step forward in his career when he secured a patron eminent: the Earl of Southampton. Additionally, Venus and Adonis was published; it is one of the first known works of Shakespeare to be printed and it was a huge success. Then came The Rape of Lucretia. By this time, Shakespeare had also made his mark as a poet, as most scholars agree that he wrote the majority of his sonnets in the 1590s. In 1594, Shakespeare returned to the theater and,.