The Life of William Shakespeare

1
The Life of William Shakespeare

• DRA 111
• Steve Wood
• TCCC

2
A Life of Mystery

• Despite being the most famous and influential
  writer in the English language and despite the
  critical attention of thousands of historians and
  scholars, many aspects of Shakespeares life
  remain a mystery.

3
Early Life

• William Shakespeare was born in 1564, to John and
  Mary Shakespeare. His birthday is celebrated on
  April 23 because records indicate his christening
  on April 26.
• At the time of Shakespeares birth, his father
  was a successful glover in Stratford-upon-Avon.
  Over the next few years, his father would be
  successful in local politics, becoming bailiff
  (1568) and alderman (1571).
• Shakespeare was the oldest son of 8 children, the
  oldest to survive infancy.

4
Education

• Due to his fathers position, Shakespeare
  probably attended grammar school for free.
• His education, or a perceived lack of education,
  is the reason that a number of elitist critics
  (called the Anti-Stratfordians) have tried to
  claim that someone other that Shakespeare was the
  author of his plays. The list of other claimants
  includes Christopher Marlowe, Edward de Vere,
  Francis Bacon, and even Queen Elizabeth.

5
Marriage

• In November 1582, a marriage license was obtained
  by Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway (who was 26 at
  the time).
• In May 1583, six months after their marriage,
  Shakespeare and Anne had a daughter Susanna.
• In February 1585, Shakespeare and Anne had twins
  Judith and Hamnet.

6
Lost Years 1585-1592

• The birth of his twins in 1585 is the last public
  record of Shakespeare until 1592.
• In 1592 the deathbed pamphlet of Robert Greene (a
  rival dramatist) mentions Shakespeare as an
  upstart crow. Thus, most critics assume that
  Shakespeare had moved to London and entered the
  theater business at some point before 1592 (The
  usual guesses are 1589 or 1590).

7
His Dramatic Career

• Although the exact date of his arrival in London
  is unknown, Shakespeares career in the London
  theater lasted for 20 years, from 1590-1610.
• Most of his most famous plays were written in the
  decade from 1600 to 1610.

8
The Dating Game

• Most of the dates assigned to his plays are
  educated guesswork, based upon entries in the
  Stationers Register, the publication of the
  quatro editions of some plays, and other
  miscellaneous records.
• One of the most universally accepted set of dates
  is the one found in the Riverside edition of his
  plays.

9
Dates
1590 Henry VI, Part 1 1590 Henry VI, Part 2 1590 Henry VI, Part 3 1592 Richard III
1592 The Comedy of Errors 1593 Titus Andronicus 1593 The Taming of the Shrew 1594 The Two Gentlemen of Verona
1594 Loves Labors Lost 1594 King John 1595 Richard II 1595 Romeo and Juliet
1595 A Midsummer Nights Dream 1596 The Merchant of Venice 1596 Henry IV, Part 1 1597 Merry Wives of Windsor
1598 Henry IV, Part 2 1598 Much Ado About Nothing 1599 Henry V 1599 Julius Caesar
10
Dates
1599 As You Like It 1600 Hamlet 1601 Twelfth Night 1601 Troilus and Cressida
1602 Alls Well That Ends Well 1604 Measure for Measure 1604 Othello 1605 King Lear
1606 Macbeth 1606 Antony and Cleopatra 1607 Coriolanus 1607 Timon of Athens
1607 Pericles 1609 Cymbeline 1610 The WInters Tale 1610 The Tempest
1612 Henry VIII (Collaboration with John Fletcher) 1612 Cardenio (Collaboration with John Fletcher) 1613 The Two Noble Kinsmen (Collaboration with John Fletcher)
11
The Beginning of His Success

• In 1594, after a bout of plague closed the
  theaters, many of the companies are reorganized.
  Shakespeares career took an important step
  forward as the Lord Chamberlains Men was formed,
  with Shakespeare as a full member.

12
Official Recognition

• In 1596, Shakespeare was granted a coat of arms
  the motto translates as Not Without Right.
• Unfortunately, this success comes at the same
  time as a tragedy Shakespeares son Hamnet, to
  whom he would have passed along his coat of arms,
  dies.

13
Meanwhile, Back in Stratford

• In 1597, Shakespeare bought the second largest
  house in Stratford, New Place.

14
The Globe

• In 1599 Shakespeare was made a principal
  shareholder in the newly built Globe Theater.
  Legend has it that the Globe was built from the
  timbers of the first permanent theater in London,
  built by James Burbage in 1576.

15
The Great Decade

• With the succession of James I to the throne
  after the death of Queen Elizabeth, Shakespeares
  company became The Kings Men. This assured them
  of a certain number of royal performances each
  year.

16
Family

• Shakespeare father died in 1601.
• Shakespeares daughter Susanna was married in
  1607.
• In 1608, Susanna had a daughter, thus making
  Shakespeare a grandfather.
• In 1609, Shakespeares mother died.

17
1610

• Shakespeare retired from the theater business in
  London and returned to Stratford. Except for a
  few collaborations with John Fletcher, his
  dramatic career is done.
• Many regard the farewell speech by Prospero in
  The Tempest to be Shakespeares farewell to his
  life as a playwright.

18
Prosperos Farewell

• Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I
  foretold you, were all spirits, and Are melted
  into air, into thin air And, like the baseless
  fabric of this vision, The cloud-capped towers,
  the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the
  great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit,
  shall dissolve, And, like this insubstantial
  pageant faded, Leave not a tack behind. We are
  such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little
  life Is rounded with a sleep.

19
Last Days

• In 1613, the Globe Theater burned down during a
  performance. It was rebuilt, but then was closed
  by the Puritans in 1642 and razed in 1644. Its
  foundations are unearthed in the 1980s, and a new
  Globe replica theater is built in 1997.
• In February of 1616, Shakespeares remaining
  daughter Judith is married.
• On April 23, Shakespeare died.

20
Epitaph

• Good friend for Jesus sake forbear/ To dig the
  dust enclosed here/ Blest be the man that spares
  these stones, / And curst be he that moves my
  bones.

21
The First Folio

• In 1623, seven years after his death, some of
  Shakespeares friends published what came to be
  called The First Folio. This authorized edition
  features the texts of most of his plays.