WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

No author is quoted more often than William Shakespeare. His is the most famous name in all of English literature. What makes him so great?

EARLY LIFE

Shakespeare was born in 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, a prosperous town in England. His local grammar school had a demanding curriculum. At age 18, he married Anne Hathaway. They had a daughter, Susanna, and twins—Hamnet and Judith. At some point, Shakespeare left Stratford for London, to work in the theater.

PLAYWRIGHT IN LONDON

Shakespeare made his reputation with 38 glorious plays. He wrote about two plays a year, while living in London. He never published the plays, but he saw them performed at the Globe and other London theaters.

Shakespeare’s plays were well liked by audiences. But we know little about his life in London. Later, he retired in Stratford as a prominent citizen. He died in 1616. Two actors saw that his plays were printed. A collection called the First Folio came out seven years after his death.

A WRITER FOR ALL TIME

Shakespeare was a fabulous storyteller. His plays entertained audiences. Most people of his time considered his plays merely popular entertainments, much as we think of the movies today.

Shakespeare was also a profound thinker. He created a variety of true-to-life characters in his plays. These characters seem real because Shakespeare presented their viewpoints so well. The richness of his language is amazing. He even invented many words and phrases that are now common, including leapfrog, lonely, and watchdog.

Shakespeare’s plays reflect many aspects of human life. He wrote delightful comedies, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, and As You Like It. He wrote plays about England’s kings that teach history in an entertaining way. The great tragedies explore flaws in human nature. These plays include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. In his spare time, he wrote poetry. His 154 sonnets are among the most famous love poems of all time.

SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS

Comedies                                Histories                                  Tragedies

All's Well That Ends Well        Henry IV Part I                       Antony and Cleopatra

As You Like It                         Henry IV Part II                      Coriolanus     

The Comedy of Errors            Henry V                                   Hamlet

Cymbeline                               Henry VI Part I                       Julius Caesar

Love's Labour's Lost               Henry VI Part II                      King Lear                   

Measure for Measure              Henry VI Part III                     Macbeth         

The Merchant of Venice          Henry VIII                               Othello           

The Merry Wives of Windsor   King John                               Romeo and Juliet

A Midsummer Night's Dream  Richard II                              Timon of Athens

Much Ado About Nothing       Richard III                              Titus Andronicus

Pericles, Prince of Tyre

The Taming of the Shrew

The Tempest

Troilus and Cressida

Twelfth Night

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

The Two Noble Kinsmen

The Winter's Tale