#williamshakespeare

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English poet, playwright, and actor who flourished during the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean eras. Known as the 'Bard of Avon,' he wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and three longer narrative poems. His plays, often written in blank verse and composed in iambic pentameter, were incredibly popular in their day and continue to be performed around the world; they include comedies such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night, tragedies like Hamlet and Macbeth, histories such as Henry V, and tragicomedies like The Tempest. Arguably the most influential dramatist of all time, Shakespeare's legacy has only grown throughout the centuries. In the words of fellow playwright Ben Jonson, Shakespeare was "not of an age, but for all time."

Early Life & Marriage

Little is known for certain about the life of William Shakespeare. As a commoner, his life did not merit the same attention as that of a nobleman or other public figure. Even after his rise to prominence, contemporary audiences were much more interested in his work than his personal life, and no attempt to write his biography was made until decades after his death. As a result, most of his biographical details have been lost to history, leaving behind only a rough outline of the man he might have been. This outline, however, can be colored in with public documents from the era; indeed, the Bard of Avon lives on in the yellowed, bureaucratic pages of tax records, payment transactions, lawsuits, and wills. From these records, scholars have been able to track Shakespeare's activities, allowing them to piece together the story of his life. This information is supplemented by comments made by other playwrights, like Robert Greene (1558-1592) and Ben Jonson (1572-1637), who occasionally alluded to Shakespeare in their works, conversations, and literary critiques. Only with these tiny fragments, as well as a careful scholarly analysis of Shakespeare's works and the time in which he lived, can we hope to get a fuller picture of one of the most influential writers to ever live.

What is beyond dispute is that Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, a "handsome small market town" of about 1,400 residents in Warwickshire, England (quoted in Bevington, xlviii). His father, John Shakespeare (circa 1531-1601), was a successful glover and leatherworker who had moved to Stratford sometime before 1552. His mother, Mary Arden (circa 1537-1608), was the daughter of a wealthy gentleman who had leased land to the Shakespeare family in nearby Snitterfield; having grown up on the Arden property, it is likely that John Shakespeare had known Mary Arden all his life. The match greatly improved John's social status, helping him pursue various public offices in Stratford, including alderman and even bailiff (a position roughly corresponding to mayor). As his prosperity grew, John acquired several houses, including the one on Henley Street that has been traditionally regarded as William's birthplace. The third of eight children born to John and Mary Shakespeare (and the eldest to survive childhood), William Shakespeare was baptized in Stratford on 26 April 1564; though his exact birthdate was unrecorded, it has been traditionally celebrated on 23 April.

Most scholars agree that Shakespeare received a grammar school education, likely at King's New School at Stratford, in which he would have enrolled around 1571 at the age of 7. In this one-room schoolhouse, Shakespeare would have undergone a rigorous curriculum centering around Latin studies; the standard text was Grammatica Latina by William Lyly (grandfather of the poet John Lyly), but Shakespeare would have also read from Aesop's Fables and studied the works of ancient Roman literature, such as poems by Plautus and Ovid, each of whom would greatly influence his own plays. In 1577, Shakespeare's family fell on hard times for reasons that are still unknown – John Shakespeare stopped showing up to town council meetings, mortgaged his wife's property, and became involved in a lawsuit over his unlicensed dealings in wool. Amidst these financial difficulties (though not necessarily because of them), Shakespeare stayed in Stratford and never went to university. Instead, he got married. A bishop's license issued on 27 November 1582 records a marriage between William Shakespeare and Anne 'Whately'. This was a misprint, however, as the bond of sureties issued the next day corrected her name to Anne Hathaway.

Throughout the centuries, Shakespeare's marriage has been the topic of much speculation. There was a significant age difference between the couple – Anne was 26 and William only 18 – leading some scholars to believe that Shakespeare was forced into marriage by the Hathaway family after accidentally getting her pregnant. While this seems to be supported by the fact that Anne gave birth only six months after their marriage, there is no evidence that Shakespeare was strong-armed into what would today be called a 'shotgun wedding'. On the contrary, some scholars argue Shakespeare had pursued her; at a time when his family was still suffering financially, a match with the well-off Hathaway family would have improved his standing. In any case, the couple welcomed their first child, Susanna, on 26 May 1583. Two more Shakespeare children, twins Hamnet and Judith, were baptized in Stratford on 2 February 1585.

Read More

Romeo Montague A quiet moment before the tragedy. Soft curls, ink-stained paper, a sword at his side and Juliet’s words in his hands. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Original artwork.

Whence the witches- did the ever-pragmatic Shakespeare add witches to the Scottish play to please his new patron? "King James I and the Macbeth Witches" @jstordaily.bsky.social

(Plus- John Shakespeare)

“With love’s light wings did I climb these walls, For stony limits cannot hold love out, And what love can do, that dares love attempt.”

“Romeo & Juliet” by William Shakespeare

Stage Manager

Directed by Megan Guerra and Assistant Directed by Natalie Shaw at Upright Theatre Co.

📸: @delaney.rain.photo on Instagram