To Be or Not to Be a Writer…That Is the Question
Many people think of Shakespeare as a writer. However, William Shakespeare was also a
famous actor; it was only by chance that he became a writer. He wasn’t inspired to write until
later in life, and Shakespeare wasn’t always a writer; he used to act in his own plays, too!
Shakespeare wasn’t inspired until later in life to start a career in writing. He married at
18, because his girlfriend got pregnant, forcing him into marriage. The marriage forced him to go
to England. There are no records of Shakespeare’s whereabouts between the ages of 20-30 years
old. All that is known of him during that time is that he was in England, acting in plays. When
the Bubonic Plague struck, it took the lives of so many people, everyone stopped coming to the
theatre. It was only then that Shakespeare started writing.
He eventually bought the theatre where he’d worked and acted. The performance of the
first play written by Shakespeare made him instantly famous as a writer. He played King Duncan
in Macbeth, and Adam in As You Like It. Also, he played King Henry in King Henry the Fourth.
Finally, he played as Hamlet’s Father in Hamlet.
Shakespeare never intended to become a playwright. It was completely by chance that he
did. Even though many people thought he had been a writer since the beginning of his career, he
was actually an actor first. Although he wasn’t always a writer, his plays have been quoted more
than any other written works besides the Bible!
Bibliography
Akbar, Arifa. "All's Well That Ends Well: The Man Who Was Shakespeare's
Inspiration." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 19 Nov.
2007. Web. 10 Sept. 2012. <http://www.independent.co.uk/artsentertainment/theatre-dance/features/alls-well-that-ends-well-the-man-who-wasshakespeares-inspiration-400979.html>.
Dawkins, Peter. "Shakespeare Questions." The Francis Bacon Research Trust.
The Francis Bacon Research Trust, 1999. Web. 12 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.fbrt.org.uk/pages/essays/essay-questions.html>.
Flaten, Jennifer. "Why Do We Study Shakespeare." Life123. Life123, Inc., 2012.
Web. 12 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.life123.com/parenting/education/shakespeare/why-do-we-studyshakespeare.shtml>.
Mabillard, Amanda. "What Inspired Shakespeare?" Shakespeare Online.
Shakespeare Online, 20 Aug. 2000. Web. 07 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.shakespeare-online.com/faq/shakespeareinspired.html>.
Mabillard, Amanda. "Words Shakespeare Invented." Shakespeare Online.
Shakespeare Online, 20 Aug. 2000. Web. 10 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/wordsinvented.html>.
Markham, S. A. "Who Were Shakespeare’s Contemporaries?" Web log post.
What's It All About, Shakespeare? N.p., 28 Aug. 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2012.
<http://whatsitallaboutshakespeare.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/who-wereshakespeares-contemporaries.html>.
Mirza, Ozzy. "Why Did Shakespeare Write Hamlet." Awrite Writing. Write a
Writing, 2 Apr. 2011. Web. 11 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.writeawriting.com/write/shakespeare-write-hamlet/>.
Mirza, Ozzy. "Why Did Shakespeare Write Macbeth?" Awrite Writing. Write a
Writing, 24 Oct. 2011. Web. 12 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.writeawriting.com/write/shakespeare-write-macbeth/>.
Nettleton, Pamela Hill. William Shakespeare: Playwright and Poet. Minneapolis,
MN: Compass Point, 2005. Print.
Roberts, Dan. "Shakespeare' s Influences." Writinghood. Writinghood, 4 Mar.
2008. Web. 07 Sept. 2012.
<http://writinghood.com/literature/topical/shakespeares-influences/>.
Schwartz, Debora B. "Thomas Kyd and Revenge Tragedy." Debora B. Schwartz.
Debora B. Schwartz, 2002. Web. 12 Sept. 2012.
<http://cla.calpoly.edu/~dschwart/engl339/revenge.html>.
"Shakespeare Quotes." Absolute Shakespeare. AbsoluteShakespeare.com,
2005. Web. 12 Sept. 2012.
<http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/quotes/quotes.htm>.
"William Shakespeare." Enotes.com. Enotes.com, 10 June 2011. Web. 12 Sept.
2012. <http://www.enotes.com/william-shakespeare/discuss/how-did-williamshakespeare-become-famous-wri-77049>.