William Shakespeare
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William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (1564 ～ 1616), a
great poet and dramatist of the English
Renaissance period, is surely one of the
greatest writers the western world has
ever produced.
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William Shakespeare
The facts concerning Shakespeare's life
are scarce; nevertheless there are many
records left in the works of his
contemporaries and later biographers
that help us to restore his image.
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William Shakespeare’s life
William Shakespeare was born probably on April 23,
1564 , in Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire.
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William Shakespeare’s life
As a child William was sent to the local grammar
school that he had attended for six years. He
studied Latin and Greek and read widely the
books current in his day. When Shakespeare was
fourteen, his father fell into debt, and the boy
probably left school and became a country
schoolmaster to help support his family. In 1582,
William Shakespeare, then eighteen, was married
to Anne Hathaway, eight years of his elder. Six
months later, Susanna was born; in 1585, their
twins, Hamnet and Judith, were baptized.
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William Shakespeare’s house
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William Shakespeare’s wife
Anne Hathaway
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William Shakespeare’s family
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William Shakespeare’s career
Shakespeare
arrived in London in
the year 1586 or
1587. At that time
drama was rapidly
gaining popularity
among the people.
Shakespeare worked
both as actor and
playwright.
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William Shakespeare
He established himself so well as a playwright
that Robert Greene, one of the “ University
Wits ” resentfully declared him to be “ an
upstart crow. ” However, during the period in
London, he became an acclaimed actor and
established playwright.
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William Shakespeare
Shakespeare
retired from the
stage and
returned to
Stratford in 1612.
He died on April
23,1616 , the
52nd anniversary
of his birthday.
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William Shakespeare’s works
Shakespeare produced 37 plays, 2 narrative
poems and 154 sonnets.
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William Shakespeare’s
works
His plays can be divided into four
types: historical plays, comedies,
tragedies and romantic tragicomedies. His major dramas may fall
into three periods:
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William Shakespeare’s works
The first period (1590 ～ 1600)

Henry VI (1590 ～ 91)

Richard III (1592 ～ 93)

The Comedy of Errors (1592)

Titus Andronicus (1593)

The Taming of the Shrew (1593 ～ 94)
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William Shakespeare’s works
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William Shakespeare’s works

The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594)

Love's Labour's Lost (1594)

Romeo and Juliet (1594)

Richard II (1594)

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595 ～ 96)

King John (1596 ～ 97)
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William Shakespeare’s works
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William Shakespeare’s works

The Merchant of Venice (1596 ～ 97)

Henry IV , Part I (1597)

Henry IV , Part II (1597)

Much Ado about Nothing (1598 ～ 99)

Henry V (1598 ～ 99)

The Merry Wives of Windsor (1598 ～ 1601)
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William Shakespeare’s works
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William Shakespeare’s
works
•
Julius Caesar (1599)
•
As You Like It (1599 ～ 1600)
•
Twelfth Night (1599 ～ 1600)
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William Shakespeare’s works
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William Shakespeare’s works
The second period (1601 ～ 1608)

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1600 ～ 01)

Troilus and Cressida (1602)

All's Well That Ends Well (1604)

Measure for Measure (1604 ～ 05)

Othello, the Moore of Venice (1604 ～ 05)
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William Shakespeare’s works
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William Shakespeare’s works

King Lear (1605 ～ 06)

Macbeth (1606)

Antony and Cleopatra (1607)

Coriolanus (1607)

Timon of Athens (1605 ～ 08)

Pericles (1608)
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William Shakespeare’s works
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William Shakespeare’s works
The third period (1609 ～ 1612)

Cymbeline (1609 ～ 10)

The Winter's Tale (1610 ～ 11)

The Tempest (1611 ～ 12)

Henry VIII (1613)
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William Shakespeare’s works
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William Shakespeare’s
works
Shakespeare's two long narrative
poems are:
Venus and Adonis (1593)
The Rape of Lucrece (1594).
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