William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Figure of English Literature

A. Photos
B. Biography

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 23, 1564. He is a patrician people. His father, John Shakespeare, is an alderman from Snitterfield and his mother, Mary Arden, is gentry by birth. His father worked as local businessman in his town.
Young Shakespeare attended King Edward VI Grammar School, a place where he learned about Latin grammar and literature. At the age of eighteen he married Anna Hathaway, who was older than him about eighteen years, in November 28, 1582. At that time, Anna had been three months pregnant. A few years after his marriage, Shakespeare went to London and worked at The Globe Theatre. He started to write his poems and play, but he was underestimated by other playwright. They said that Shakespeare is an “upstart crow”.
His first printed works is a poem “Venus and Adonis” (1593) and then followed by The Rape of Lucrece (1594), and The Passionate Pilgrim (1599). He began his relationship with Lord Chamberlain, an aristocratic sponsor, in 1594. He formed a playing company which known as The Lord Chamberlain’s Men and became popular as an actor and writer.
In 1596, he appeared at the top list of actors in Every Man in His Humor, written by Ben Jonson. And in 1598, he began to write his name on the title of his play to increase the selling point. By the time, Shakespeare grew rich and he bought the second-large-house in Stratford which called New Place.
Shakespeare retired in 1613 in Stratford. He died at the same date with his birthday, April 23, 1616. He passed away at the age of 52. He buried in the chancel, the east side of the church of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.

C. Shakespeare’s Works
Shakespeare had written many works along his life. The works are in form of play (tragedies, comedies, and histories), and sonnet.
1. Tragedies play
a. Romeo and Juliet g. Julius Caesar
b. Macbeth h. Antony and Cleopatra
c. King Lear i. Coriolanus
d. Hamlet j. Troilus and Cressida
e. Othello k. Timon of Athens
f. Titus Andronicus
2. Comedies play
a. A Midsummer Night’s Dream j. Pericles, Prince of Tyre
b. All’s Well That Ends Well k. Taming of the Shrew
c. As You Like It l. The Comedy of Errors
d. Cymbeline m. The Tempest
e. Love’s Labour’s Lost n. Twelfth Night, or What You Will
f. Measure for Measure o. The Two Gentlemen of Verona
g. The Merchant of Venice p. The Two Noble Kinsmen
h. The Merry Wives of Windsor q. The Winter’s Tale
i. Much Ado About Nothing
3. Histories play
a. King John f. Henry VI, part 1
b. Richard II g. Henry VI, part 2
c. Henry IV, Part 1 h. Henry VI, part 3
d. Henry IV, Part 2 i. Richard III
e. Henry V j. Henry VIII
4. Poems and Sonnets
a. Sonnets d. The Passionate Pilgrim
b. Venus and Adonis e. The Phoenix and The Turtle
c. The Rape of Lucrece f. A lover’s Complaint.
Apocryphal and Lost Plays
a. Edward III j. Richard II, Part I: Thomas of Woodstock
b. Sir Thomas More k. Sir John Oldcastle
c. Cardenio (lost) l. Thomas Lord Cromwell
d. Love’s Labour’s Won (lost) m. A Yorkshire Tragedy
e. The Birth of Merlin n. Fair Em
f. Locrine o. Mucedorus
g. The London Prodigal p. The Merry Devil of Edmonton
h. The Puritan q. Arden of Faversham
i. The Second Maiden's Tragedy r. Edmund Ironside
D. Shakespeare’s Role to English Civilization
During his lifetime and shortly after his death, Shakespeare was well-regarded. In the late 17th century, he became “The Supreme English-language Playwright”. Many modern English words and phrases were introduced by him. He had made many plays that are translated to many languages such as Germany, French, Italian, and Spanish. His play also studied in many countries.
Before his appearance in theatrical, many people of English regarded play as a boring thing. But, after his appearance, play become more popular and praised as a literature work. He made English literature well-known in Europe.