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William Shakespeare: A Cultural IconA friend and fellow playwright, Ben Jonson once wrote that Shakespeare “was not of an age, but for all time.” The fact that we study his work every year in high schools today as well as the constant references to Shakespeare’s work in popular culture is a testament to that. Knowledge of Shakespeare is seen as a sign of intelligence today and in the past was even required to pass civil service exams all over the English Empire.
Not a Lot of Historical Evidence: Playwrights, even hugely successful playwrights, were not ordinarily the objects of popular curiosity in early modern England, and few personal documents survive from Shakespeare’s life of the kind that usually give the biographies of artists their appeal: no diary, no letters, private or public, no accounts of his childhood, and almost no gossip from his contemporaries. Yet Elizabethan England was a record keeping society, and centuries of intensive searching through historical archives have turned up a number of traces of its greatest playwright and his family. By themselves, these traces would raise very little or no interest, but in light of Shakespeare’s plays and poems, they have come to seem like precious relics.
Shakespeare and National Pride: Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564 and died on the same day in 1616. The only reason we know this is because the church document that places his baptism on April 26, 1564 – people would be baptized only a few days after they were born in those days. Therefore, we celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday on April 23rd, a perfect day to celebrate the birthday of one of England’s national heroes since it coincides with the feast of St. George, the patron saint of England.
The Shakespeare Family – Social Climbing: Shakespeare’s grandfather farmed land he did not own in a small village near Stratford-Upon-Avon, a small, pleasant market town. It is approximately 95 miles northwest of London. Shakespeare’s father, John, moved to Stratford in the mid 16th century, where he became a successful glover, landowner, moneylender, and dealer in wool and other agricultural goods. In 1557 he married Mary Arden, the daughter of a prosperous and well-connected farmer.
Shakespeare’s Education: John and Mary Arden built a large, respectable family. William was one of eight children, all of whom were educated in the local public school. Even the girls would have gone to “petty school,” where they would learn to read and write. It was only boys, however, who would be able to attend grammar school, where they would learn Latin and prepare to go to university (if they could afford it).
The Ultimate Status Symbol: John Shakespeare was apparently well respected by his local townspeople, because he held several important posts in the local government. He earned the all important job of ale taster, a constable (police officer), and even became the town bailiff (mayor). He became so successful in his town, Stratford-Upon-Avon, that he was able to start the application process for a coat of arms. A coat of arms a symbol only given to aristocratic families (the nobility).
The Downfall of the Shakespeares: The application for the Coat of Arms ended up going nowhere, because Shakespeare’s father fell on hard times. After paying a very large application fee, John Shakespeare ended up losing all of his money and was unable to pay any more money to receive his long sought after inclusion into the aristocracy. Town records from 1576 onward indicate that John Shakespeare stopped attending town council meetings, had become involved in costly lawsuits, started mortgaging land, and had incurred substantial debts.
Victims of Religious Persecution: It is believed that John Shakespeare lost his social position and all of his money because he was a Catholic. In fact, historians found an official church document listing him as a Catholic recusant, someone who refused to attend services at the Church of England in 1592. Furthermore, if he had been seen in public he would have been arrested for debt. The social humiliation for the family must have been devastating. Still, historians believe that the Catholic faith remained strong in the Shakespeare household and was continuously a secret identity that William Shakespeare held onto. A document recently uncovered may prove that he spent some time in Rome on a Catholic pilgrimage.
Humiliation in Church: William Shakespeare married at the age of 18 in November of 1582 to Anne Hathaway, who was 26, and their daughter, Suzanna, was born 6 months later. There is no documentation of any gossip or social repercussions that actually took place. If a couple was discovered to have had pre-marital sex in those days, however, they could be made to publicly apologize in church for their behavior, even after they were married. Anne gave birth to twins on February 2, 1585, Hamnet and Judith.
A Successful Life of Drama: Although 1586 to approximately 1590 are often referred to by historians as “the lost years,” it is clear that Shakespeare spent most of his time in London building his career as a playwright and poet. His early plays are hard to date, but his first play was probably Henry VI, Part I in 1590. Other early plays include Richard III, Titus Andronicus,which became wildly popular, and The Taming of the Shrew (which was probably first performed in 1594). These early plays were produced by a company of actors known as The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the most prominent acting troupe during that time period. An outbreak of the Plague closed theaters from 1592 through 1594. During that time, Shakespeare wrote his two long poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, both of which were dedicated to his young patron, the Earl of Southampton. It is believed that the young Earl was the subject of several of Shakespeare’ssonnets, published in 1609.In the sonnets, there are two prominent figures that emerge –one known as the beautiful young man and the other as the dark lady. Shakespeare had a whole other life outside ofhis family obligations.
Public Theaters: Public theaters began opening during the reign of Elizabeth I; she like plays and her counselors helped to support acting troupes. When the mayor of London decreed that all public performances of plays banned, permanent theater houses began to open just outside of London, on the other side of the Thames River. This was considered to be the less fashionable or lower class side of the river. Theatre folks were considered to be of the lowest level of society. Theater houses, however, became successful places of business. They were the first public places where people of every social class were welcome as long as they could pay the price of admission.
Do Now: Write a paragraph explaining at least three things you learned about theatre in the Elizabethan time period.
Success and Respectability, at last: His son, Hamnet died at the age of 11, when William was already living for much of the year in London. His father died in 1601 and his mother died seven years later. By this time William was successful financially, he was an owner of the Globe Theatre, and he bought his parents New Place, the second largest house in Stratford-Upon-Avon. In 1596, twenty years after his father’s application was sent for a coat of arms, it finally went through. It is believed that William paid for it. http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/events/event125.html
The Final Years: In 1607, his daughter Susanna married a successful physician, John Hall, and had a daughter, Elizabeth. In February of 1616, the year of his death, his daughter Judith married a vintner, Thomas Quincy, with whom she had three children. It is said that Shakespeare may have had too much to drink at the festivities involved with the wedding and caught a fever which led to his death. On March 25 of that year he revised his will and on April 23rd he died and was buried at Holy Trinity Church.
The Shakespeare Monument:There is a monument above his grave, and beneath a stone bearing an epitaph he is said to have written: 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.
Informal Essay (This should be at least one complete page handwritten – it may also be typed, but that is not mandatory) – due Friday: How did the world Shakespeare lived in affect his life, and how did Shakespeare affect the world? • Decide how to organize your essay. • The second part of question may be answered in the introduction and the conclusion, as there was not much information on this.
