Essay/Term paper: William shakespeare

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was a great English

playwright, dramatist and poet who lived during the late

sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Shakespeare is

considered to be the greatest playwright of all time. No

other writer's plays have been produced so many times or

read so widely in so many countries as his. Shakespeare

was born to middle class parents. His father, John, was a

Stratford businessman. He was a glove maker who owned a

leather shop. John Shakespeare was a well known and

respected man in the town. He held several important local

governmental positions. William Shakespeare's mother was

Mary Arden. Though she was the daughter of a local farmer,

she was related to a family of considerable wealth and social

standing. Mary Arden and John Shakespeare were married

in 1557. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford in

1564. He was one of eight children. The Shakespeare's

were well respected prominent people. When William

Shakespeare was about seven years old, he probably began

attending the Stratford Grammar School with other boys of

his social class. Students went to school year round

attending school for nine hours a day. The teachers were

strict disciplinarians. Though Shakespeare spent long hours

at school, his boyhood was probably fascinating. Stratford

was a lively town and during holidays, it was known to put

on pageants and many popular shows. It also held several

large fairs during the year. Stratford was a exciting place to

live. Stratford also had fields and woods surrounding it

giving William the opportunity to hunt and trap small game.

The River Avon which ran through the town allowed him to

fish also. Shakespeare's' poems and plays show his love of

nature and rural life which reflects his childhood. On

November 28, 1582, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway

of the neighboring village of Shottery. She was twenty-six,

and he was only eighteen at the time. They had three

children. Susana was their first and then they had twins,

Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet, Shakespeare's son, died in

1596. In 1607, his daughter Susana got married.

Shakespeare's other daughter, Judith, got married in 1616.

In London, Shakespeare's career took off. It is believed that

he may have become well known in London theatrical life by

1592. By that time, he had joined one of the city's repertory

theater companies. These companies were made up of a

permanent cast of actors who presented different plays

week after week. The companies were commercial

organizations that depended on admission from their

audience. Scholars know that Shakespeare belonged to one

of the most popular acting companies in London called The

Lord Chamberlain's Men. Shakespeare was a leading

member of the group from 1594 for the rest of his career.

By 1594, at least six of Shakespeare's plays had been

produced. During Shakespeare's life, there were two

monarchs who ruled England. They were Henry the eighth

and Elizabeth the first. Both were impressed with

Shakespeare which made his name known. There is

evidence that he was a member of a traveling theater group,

and a schoolmaster. In 1594, he became an actor and

playwright for Lord Chamberlain's Men. In 1599, he

became a part owner of the prosperous Globe Theater. He

also was a part owner of the Blackfriars Theater as of 1609.

Shakespeare retired to Stratford in 1613 where he wrote

many of his excellent plays. There are many reasons as to

why William Shakespeare is so famous. He is generally

considered to be both the greatest dramatist the world has

ever known as well as the finest poet who has written in the

English language. Many reasons can be given for

Shakespeare's enormous appeal. His fame basically is from

his great understanding of human nature. He was able to find

universal human qualities and put them in a dramatic situation

creating characters that are timeless. Yet he had the ability to

create characters that are highly individual human beings.

Their struggles in life are universal. Sometimes they are

successful and sometimes their lives are full of pain, suffering,

and failure. In addition to his understanding and realistic view

of human nature, Shakespeare had a vast knowledge of a

variety of subjects. These subjects include music, law, Bible,

stage, art, politics, history, hunting, and sports. Shakespeare

had a tremendous influence on culture and literature

throughout the world. He contributed greatly to the

development of the English language. Many words and

phrases from Shakespeare's plays and poems have become

part of our speech. Shakespeare's plays and poems have

become a required part of education in the United States.

Therefore, his ideas on subjects such as romantic love,

heroism, comedy, and tragedy have helped shape the

attitudes of millions of people. His portrayal of historical

figures and events have influenced our thinking more than

what has been written in history books. The world has

admired and respected many great writers, but only

Shakespeare has generated such enormous continuing

interest. My source states explanations rather than opinions

on why Shakespeare's contributions to literature are so vast.

My source devoted thirty pages to William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare's plays are usually divided into three major

categories. These are comedy, tragedy, and history. Three

plays which are in the category of comedy are "The Comedy

of Errors", "The Taming of the Shrew", and "The Two

Gentlemen of Verone". Three plays which are in the

category of tragedy are "Romeo and Juliet", "Titus

Andronicus", and "Julius Caesar". In the category of history,

three plays are "Henry V", "Richard II", and "Richard III".