WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
An Introduction
Shakespeare: Script, Stage, Screen
Chapter One--Shakespeare’s Life
Shakespeare refers to several
distinct entities
• William Shakespeare (15641616) the man
• His literary output: 38 plays,
154 sonnets, 2 narrative
poems, etc.
• The production of his
dramatic works on stage,
film, media
• The Shakespeare industry
The early years
Actual birth date is uncertain, his
baptism was entered into the registry
at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-onAvon 26 April 1564...given common
practices of the time, his birth was
likely 3 days earlier and is celebrated
today as 23 April –
The Feast of St. George
•
Son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden.
Born in 1564 the same year as Christopher
Marlowe. The same year that Michaelangelo
died.
•
John Shakespeare was a tanner and a glover
and became an important community leader,
eventually rising to the position of high bailiff,
much like the role of the modern mayor
His family
Attended Stratford’s Grammar School
William and his brothers Gilbert, Richard and
Edmund attended the town’s grammar school.
His sister, Joan, did not.
His schooling
• At school, he studied Ovid, Seneca and Plautus
• Many modern interpreters suggest that Shakespeare
could not have written his plays because his schooling
was not sufficient, in recent years, this conjecture has
largely been laid to rest by new scholarship
• An example of English grammar school education is
shown in THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR as a student
named William is put through his paces by a pedantic
schoolteacher
Many feel that he never
attended university
because of a downturn in
the fortunes of his family
which began in 1579. He
also married at 18, and
the responsibilities of
supporting a family
prevented his university
training.
Marriage
Married Anne Hathaway in 1582. She was 9
years his senior. Together they had three
children: Susannah (1583) and twins Hamnet
and Judith (1585)
Early influences
Records indicate that seven different acting companies
appeared in Stratford between 1579 and 1584. In 1575, a
lavish water spectacle was enacted for the Queen at
nearby Kenilworth Castle. It is believed that Shakespeare
and his contemporaries saw such works
They were also familiar with the medieval tales of fairies,
witches and hobgoblins...and mysteries like Christ’s birth
and passion...paintings of which decorated the Guild Hall
where Shakespeare went to school
THE LOST YEARS
• Fom 1585 to 1592, not much is
known of Shakespeare’s life
• Some speculate that he served as
a schoolmaster or apprenticed to
his father’s glovemaking business
• Eventually, he joined an acting
company, probably while it was on
tour
• Ultimately, he left his family at
Stratford and moved to London
LONDON
• By 1592, playwright Robert Greene wrote of
Shakespeare as “an upstart crow, beautified by our
feathers...” This is the first evidence that he was in
London
• By 1594, he belonged to the Chamberlain’s Men, led by
the entreperneur James Burbage, whose son, Richard,
was the leading player
• Eventually, Shakespeare became a shareholder in the
company and as a member, the company flourished
making Shakespeare a fairly wealthy man
• He lived in rented lodgings
during his time in London, going
home on occasion to Stratford
• In 1599, after leasing and
performing in other venues, the
company built the Globe Theatre
• His first printed play was TITUS
ANDRONICUS (1594) along with
HENRY VI, PART TWO. During
his professional career he
wrote from 2-3 scripts a year
Non-dramatic works
• Periodically during his career, the
theatres were closed, especially
during an outbreak of the plague.
During one such period, he wrote
his two long narrative poems
VENUS AND ADONIS and THE
RAPE OF LUCRECE.
• He probably composed some
of his sonnets during such
times, as well
• Much is made of the
“autobiographical” nature of
Shakespeare’s sonnets, but it
is all speculative
Early plays were based upon Roman models
TITUS ANDRONICUS and THE COMEDY OF
ERRORS
LOVE’S LABOURS LOST seems to be based
upon the style of Elizabethan writer John Lyly
In 1588, Catholic Spain failed in its attempt to invade England and the forces of the
Queen defeated the Spanish Armada. This seems to have influenced a string of
English history plays including THE HENRY VI cycle which ends with the defeat of
Richard III
Early comedies…
were based upon Italian tales and influences
of the commedia dell arte
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA
Mid to late 1590s
He experimented with tragedy in
ROMEO AND JULIET and wrote his
best romantic comedies…
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
AS YOU LIKE IT
Henry V
His greatest Chronicle play, HENRY V was also
completed in the late 1590s timed to coincide
with Elizabeth and Essex’s exploits in the Ireland
wars
Turn of the century (1600)
• At the turn of the century,
his plays grew more dark.
Plots against the Queen
and Lord Essex seem to
have inspired JULIUS
CAESAR. It was followed
by the dark comedy
TWELFTH NIGHT
• HAMLET, a meditation on
death was written in the
last year of Elizabeth’s life.
Death of Elizabeth I
Elizabeth was succeeded to the throne by James
VI of Scotland who became James I of England.
During the Jacobean phase of his career, he
continued his experiments with genres writing
his problem plays…
• MEASURE FOR MEASURE
• ALLS WELL THAT ENDS WELL
• TROILUS AND CRESSIDA
His great tragedies followed
OTHELLO
KING LEAR
MACBETH
Tragicomedy and romance
• Near the end of the first decade of the new
century, he turned to tragicomedy and romance:
PERICLES, CYMBELINE, THE WINTER’S TALE and
THE TEMPEST
• His last history play, HENRY VIII was written in
1613 in collaboration with John Fletcher, who
succeeded him as principal dramatist for the
KINGS MEN...already retired to his home in
Stratford, this was likely his last major work
RETURN TO STRATFORD
• HE seems to have decided to retire sometime around 1612,
although only in his late 40s, he felt he was growing old. He
died in 1616
• He left behind a large estate. His wife outlived him by
several years
• He was buried on April 25, 1616 two days after St. George’s
Day which would have been his 52nd birthday.
• He left no heirs as neither Judith or Susannah had children.
Shakespeare’s grave
First publication of complete works
Two of his colleagues
in London--John
Heminges and Henry
Condell--gathered his
scripts together and
published the First
Folio in 1623