The story of William Shakespeare
Full name: William Shakespeare.
Birth: Exact date unknown, but baptized on April 26, 1564.
Hometown: Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
Occupation: playwright, actor and poet.
Died: April 23, 1616.
Best known for: writing very successful plays!
Also known as: Avon's Bard.
1) William Shakespeare wrote about 37 plays and more than 150 poems for the theater during his lifetime! No one can say the exact number, as some of his works may have been lost over time – some may have been done with the help of others.
2) William was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon during the Tudor dynasty in England. He was one of eight children born to wealthy glove maker and leather worker John Shakespeare and his wife, Mary Arden, the heir of wealthy families.
3) Little is known about William Shakespeare's early years. In fact, his actual date of birth remains a mystery to this day! But people believed he was well-educated, went to a good school, and enjoyed playing outdoors.
4) In 1582, William married a peasant daughter named Anne Hathaway. They had three children—a daughter named Suzanne— and twins, Judith and Hamnet.
5) By 1585, the mysterious William Shakespeare disappeared from the records for about seven years! Historians often refer to this part of a writer's life as the "lost years"...
6) Then, in 1592, he suddenly appeared in London as an actor and playwright. But poor William wasn't easy—his jealous rival, known as the "University Wise Man," criticized and made fun of his work. A writer named Robert Green called him an "upstart"!
7) William is a member of a troupe called Lord Chamberlain's Men, who often perform in places called "The Theatre." But after a dispute with the landlord, they dismantled the building, crossed the river to rebuild and named it Earth.
8) A large amphitheater, globe accommodates people from all walks of life, which means anyone can watch the show there. If you're poor, you can only afford a ticket on the first floor, where there are no seats and you're exposed to the cold and wind and rain coming in from the open top. If you're rich, you can sit in a comfortable seat in a higher, covered gallery – away from the stinky poor below!
9) Shakespeare's plays were immediately popular! He wrote a wide variety of scripts, which can be roughly divided into three categories:
Tragedies – including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Romeo and Juliet
Comedy – including Twelfth Night and The Taming
History – including Henry IV, Henry V and Richard III
His plays made him very rich and famous. So much so that by 1598 William owned houses in London and Stratford-upon-Avon.
10) Shakespeare's plays received royal recognition. Elizabeth I, James VI of Scotland, and I of England often hired Shakespeare's company to perform at the court.
11) The plays of Shakespeare's day are different from those of us today. There are no actresses (the women's part is played by men!). ), the audience can be noisy. They would yell and even throw food at actors they didn't like!
12) Plays at the Globe has many exciting special effects, including trapdoors, actors being hoisted by wires, smoke, flames and even cannons! The disaster occurred in 1613, when a cannon set fire to the roof of the earth and burned it down! Soon after, Shakespeare retired from the theater.
13) At the end of his life, William lived peacefully in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. He died on 23 April 1616 at the age of 52. It is believed that he may have died on his birthday, but there is no official birth record and no one can be sure!
14) The curse written on Shakespeare's tombstone in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon was written by the famous master of writing himself. It reads:
'Good friend of Jesus' forbearance,
Go dig up the dust that is enclosed here.
Blessed are those who forgive these stones,
And curse the man who moved my bones.
15) Today, schools and universities around the world study Shakespeare's work, and his stories are depicted in both television and film. In 1997, the Modern Globe Theatre opened in London. The reconstruction of the original site is only a few hundred meters from the original site. One can go to the theater – just like in Shakespeare's day!
Do you know...?
Many scholars doubt that Shakespeare actually wrote his plays! He made no mention of his career in his will – although he never left England, he showed in his plays a wealth of knowledge of other countries. Most likely, however, Shakespeare, like everyone else, extracted his references from classic old plays!