William Shakespeare free essay sample

William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, he wrote 38 eight plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long narrative poems, and several other poems. Shakespeare’s poems and plays have changed the course of European and World literature. His plays have been translated into every major language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Though William Shakespeare is recognized as one of literature’s greatest influences, very little is actually known about him. Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. Well his actual birthdate remains unknown. He was the son of John Shakespeare, an alderman and a successful glover, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an landowning farmer. Most biographers think that Shakespeare was probably educated at the Kings New School in Stratford. It is assumed that he attended the local grammar school where he would have studied Latin, Greek, and classical literature. At the age of 18, Shakespeare married the 26-year-old Anne Hathaway, the couple had three children. We will write a custom essay sample on William Shakespeare or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Their names were Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Hamlet died of unknown causes at the age of 11, Shakespeare was devastated by the death of his only son. After the birth of the twins, Shakespeare left a few historical traces until he is mentioned as part of the London theatre scene in 1592. In late 1594, when the theaters reopened, he was a leading member of the Lord Chamberlains Men, later named the Kings Men, The acting company for which he would be a principal actor, dramatist, and shareholder for 2 decades. The company became very successful and often performed in front of the Queen of England, Elizabeth I. Shakespeare wrote more than 30 plays. These are usually divided into 4 categories: histories, comedies, tragedies, and romances. Most playwrights during this period were typically collaborated with others, and critics agree that Shakespeare did the same, mostly early and late in his career. His earliest plays were originally comedies and histories such as Henry VI and The Comedy of Errors, but in 1596, Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, his second tragedy, and over the next dozen years he would return to the form, writing the plays for which he is now best known like Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra. In his final years, Shakespeare turned to the romantic with Cymbeline, A Winters Tale, and The Tempest. Shakespeares plays were performed at court and other locations, but they are most associated with his acting companys theaters. In 1599, his company built the Globe Theatre in London. He wrote Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth while he was at the Globe, as well as comedies like Twelfth Night and Measure for Measure. In 1601 Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. Some people believe the death of his 11-year-old son or others think that the death of Shakespeares father prompted the dark tone in the playwrights later work. Shakespeare’s success left him with a fair amount of money, he divided his time between London and Stratford during his career. By this time, Shakespeare was a wealthy and well known person. Sometime between 1610 and 1613, Shakespeare left London and moved back to Stratford. Shakespeare had become rich. He owned the second-largest house in Stratford-upon-Avon. He had made his name and a successful career, and settled into a retirement that turned out to be short. It is perhaps because the London public playhouses were repeatedly closed for months at a time during the outbreaks of the plague. By the spring of 1616, Shakespeare fell ill with some kind of illness. On 23 April 1616, his 52nd birthday, William Shakespeare died. He was buried two days later in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford, the same place where he was baptized. Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise until the 19th century. Shakespeare was known for his great playwright, his plays remain highly popular today and are constantly studied and performed.