Shakespeare

1564 – 1616

Born and died in Stratford- upon – Avon, Warwickshire, England.

Shakespeare was an actor, a poet and a dramatist. He wrote 154 sonnets and 37 outstanding comedies, tragedies and historical plays. He is also the author of the romance The Two Noble Kinsmen but much of it was probably written by his collaborator, John Fletcher (1579 – 1625).

Shakespeare is one of the greatest dramatists the world has ever had. His works reflect an image of human unity and a love of people and nature. He lived in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. His birthday is traditionally celebrated on 23. April. His father, John Shakespeare, was a Glover and wool dealer. In 1565 he was elected one of twelve aldermen of Stratford, and three years later he became its bailiff (mayor). William had three brothers and four sisters.

Practically nothing is known about Shakespeare’s childhood. But he almost certainly attended Stratford Crammer School. When little more than eighteen, he married Ann Hathaway of Shottery, eight years his senior; they had three children. In his twenties, he left Stratford for London where he began his career, first as an actor and then as an editor and writer of plays. Most of his masterpieces were performed at his own wooden theatre, the Globe.

Shakespeare’s success as a playwright and a partner in theatrical ventures brought him wealth, some of which he invested in property in London and Stratford. He bought New Place, one of the largest houses in Stratford where he retired in 1610 to live with his family and friends. The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest were probably written there. He died on 23 April 1616 and was buried in the local Holy Trinity Church.

A great part of Shakespeare’s work remained in manuscript form until his colleagues brought out the collection we now call the First Folio in 1623. This large book contains all the plays except Pericles.

The best-known of Shakespeare’s plays are probably some of his comedies (The taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, and As You like it) and the tragedies (Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth). The Taming of the Shrew shows how Katherine of Padua was tamed by Petrucio, a gentleman from Verona. The Merchant of Venice is about a generous merchant Antonio who borrows money from the Jewish usurer, Shylock, in order to help his friend. When misfortune makes Antonio unable to repay the debt, Shylock insists on following the terms of their agreement and claims a pound of Antonio’s flesh. The play does, however, end happily!

On the other hand, Othello and Macbeth end in bloodshed. Othello, a Moor in the service of the state of Venice (Verdi’s opera Otello), has married Desdemona, the daughter of a Venetian senator. When he leads the Venetian forces against the Turks, he lands in Cyprus with his wife, his friend Cassio, and Iago, his lieutenant. Iago, who has been passed over for promotion by Othello, decides to revenge himself. His intrigues are directed at arousing Othello’s jealousy over his wife, and this eventually results in the death of all the main characters, including Othello himself.

Macbeth (Verdi’s opera of the same title), a brave and victorious general, meets three witches who prophesy that he will become king. Stimulated by this prophecy and by the taunts of his ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth, he murders Duncan, the King of Scotland, who is a guest in his castle. A feeling of insecurity grows in Macbeth when he becomes king, and he secretly arranges a series of terrible murders. Later his wife goes mad and dies. Macbeth is finally killed by Macduff, a Scottish lord, who has come back to his country with Duncan’s son, Malcolm, and the English army in order to put an end to Macbeth’s tyrannic rule. Malcolm then becomes King of Scotland.
Historical plays (1589 – 1613):

Henry VI – part 1, 2, 3

Richard III

Richard II

King John

Henry IV – part 1, 2

Henry V

Julius Caesar

Antony and Cleopatra

Coriolanus

Henry VIII

Comedies (1592 – 1605)

The Comedy of Errors

The Taming of the Shrew

Love’s Labour’s Lost

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Much Ado about Nothing

As You Like It

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Twelfth Night

Troilus and Cressida

All’s Well That Ends Well

Measure for Measure

Tragedies (1593 – 1608)

Titus Andronicus

Romeo and Juliet

Hamlet

Othello

King Lear

Macbeth

Timon of Athens

Romances (tragicomedies) (1608-1612)

Pericles

Cymbeline

The winter’s Tale

The Tempest