The Life of William Shakespeare

1. The Life of William Shakespeare DRA 111 Steve Wood TCCC

2. A Life of Mystery • Despite being the most famous and influential writer in the English language and despite the critical attention of thousands of historians and scholars, many aspects of Shakespeare’s life remain a mystery.

3. Early Life • William Shakespeare was born in 1564, to John and Mary Shakespeare. His birthday is celebrated on April 23 because records indicate his christening on April 26. • At the time of Shakespeare’s birth, his father was a successful glover in Stratford-upon-Avon. Over the next few years, his father would be successful in local politics, becoming bailiff (1568) and alderman (1571). • Shakespeare was the oldest son of 8 children, the oldest to survive infancy.

4. Education • Due to his father’s position, Shakespeare probably attended grammar school for free. • His education, or a perceived lack of education, is the reason that a number of elitist critics (called the Anti-Stratfordians) have tried to claim that someone other that Shakespeare was the author of his plays. The list of other claimants includes: Christopher Marlowe, Edward de Vere, Francis Bacon, and even Queen Elizabeth.

5. Marriage • In November 1582, a marriage license was obtained by Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway (who was 26 at the time). • In May 1583, six months after their marriage, Shakespeare and Anne had a daughter Susanna. • In February 1585, Shakespeare and Anne had twins: Judith and Hamnet.

6. Lost Years 1585-1592 • The birth of his twins in 1585 is the last public record of Shakespeare until 1592. • In 1592 the deathbed pamphlet of Robert Greene (a rival dramatist) mentions Shakespeare as an “upstart crow.” Thus, most critics assume that Shakespeare had moved to London and entered the theater business at some point before 1592 (The usual guesses are 1589 or 1590).

7. His Dramatic Career • Although the exact date of his arrival in London is unknown, Shakespeare’s career in the London theater lasted for 20 years, from 1590-1610. • Most of his most famous plays were written in the decade from 1600 to 1610.

8. The Dating Game • Most of the dates assigned to his plays are educated guesswork, based upon entries in the Stationer’s Register, the publication of the quatro editions of some plays, and other miscellaneous records. • One of the most universally accepted set of dates is the one found in the Riverside edition of his plays.

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11. The Beginning of His Success • In 1594, after a bout of plague closed the theaters, many of the companies are reorganized. Shakespeare’s career took an important step forward as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men was formed, with Shakespeare as a full member.

12. Official Recognition • In 1596, Shakespeare was granted a coat of arms; the motto translates as “Not Without Right.” • Unfortunately, this success comes at the same time as a tragedy: Shakespeare’s son Hamnet, to whom he would have passed along his coat of arms, dies.

13. Meanwhile, Back in Stratford … • In 1597, Shakespeare bought the second largest house in Stratford, New Place.

14. The Globe • In 1599 Shakespeare was made a principal shareholder in the newly built Globe Theater. Legend has it that the Globe was built from the timbers of the first permanent theater in London, built by James Burbage in 1576.

15. The Great Decade • With the succession of James I to the throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth, Shakespeare’s company became The King’s Men. This assured them of a certain number of royal performances each year.

16. Family • Shakespeare father died in 1601. • Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna was married in 1607. • In 1608, Susanna had a daughter, thus making Shakespeare a grandfather. • In 1609, Shakespeare’s mother died.

17. 1610 • Shakespeare retired from the theater business in London and returned to Stratford. Except for a few collaborations with John Fletcher, his dramatic career is done. • Many regard the farewell speech by Prospero in The Tempest to be Shakespeare’s farewell to his life as a playwright.

18. Prospero’s Farewell • “Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits, and Are melted into air, into thin air; And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a tack behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep.”

19. Last Days • In 1613, the Globe Theater burned down during a performance. It was rebuilt, but then was closed by the Puritans in 1642 and razed in 1644. Its foundations are unearthed in the 1980s, and a new Globe replica theater is built in 1997. • In February of 1616, Shakespeare’s remaining daughter Judith is married. • On April 23, Shakespeare died.

20. Epitaph • “Good friend for Jesus sake forbear/ To dig the dust enclosed here:/ Blest be the man that spares these stones, / And curst be he that moves my bones.”

21. The First Folio • In 1623, seven years after his death, some of Shakespeare’s friends published what came to be called The First Folio. This authorized edition features the texts of most of his plays.