William Shakespeare - the world's greatest dramatist
Poet and playwright William Shakespeare, widely regarded as the greatest ever writer in the English language, was born in April 1564 and died on St. George's Day 1616.
His surviving works consist of 39 plays, and around 160 poems, all read and performed around the world in their original language or translations.
Not a great deal is known for sure about Shakespeare's life. Even his birthday, usually given as 23rd April, is a guess and based on records that show that he was baptised on 26th April.
William's father, John Shakespeare, was an affluent glove maker, tanner and wool dealer who owned property in Stratford-upon-Avon, where William Shakespeare grew up. His mother, Mary Arden, was the daughter of a prosperous farmer. John and Mary Shakespeare had eight children: four daughters, of whom only one (Joan) survived childhood. William was the eldest of the four boys.
In 1582, when he was 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. She was 26. Anne was the daughter of a well-to-do farmer. They had three children. From 1585 until 1592, very little is known about Shakespeare's activities. But by 1592 he was in London working as a dramatist.
Shakespeare's earliest plays included Henry VI Parts I, II & III; The Two Gentlemen of Verona; and Titus Andronicus. The sonnets were also written about this time, though they were not published until 1609.
In 1594, Shakespeare became a founding member, actor, playwright and shareholder of the Lord Chamberlain's Men. When the Scottish King James VI inherited the English throne, the company was renamed The King's Men. This was a smart move and they performed at court more often than any other company.
Shakespeare was appreciated in his lifetime and was able to amass great wealth, including property and land in Stratford.
Sometime after 1611, Shakespeare retired to Stratford. On 23rd April, his presumed birthdate, he also died, aged 52. On 25th April, he was buried at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. Shakespeare's widow, Anne, died in 1623 and was buried beside him. Shakespeare's family line came to an end with the death of his grand-daughter Elizabeth in 1670.
In 1623, seven years after Shakespeare's death, John Heminge and Henry Condell (two actors from The King's Company) had Shakespeare's plays published by William Jaggard and his son, Isaac. These famous 'First Folios' contained 36 plays and sold for £1.
Many words and phrases still in common use were first written down by Shakespeare, and may have been invented by him such as 'Elbow room' (King John), 'Heart of gold' (Henry V), 'Tower of strength' (Richard III) and 'Wild-goose chase' (Romeo and Juliet). He contributed 1,700 words to the English language because he was the first author to write them down.
Further reading
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