William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

a)LIFE
Hi is considered to be the greatest of all dramatists all over the world. He was born in Stratford – upon – Avon. He was the son of a gove maker John Shakespeare and his wife Mary Arden. He was thein youngest son ( he had one sister and one brother). William attended the local grammar school. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway from a nearby village Shottery. She was 8 years older than William and they had two daugters – Susan and Judith. Judith had a twin Hamlet but he died at the age of 11. Little of Shakespeare’s life is known until 1592 when he came to London and joined a group of actors known as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which became the King’s Men under the patronage of James I. In 1599 he bought the Globe Theatre. First he helped adapt or re-write older plays but later he started to write his own plays and he was very successful. Both the Queen Elizabeth I and James I liked him very much. His plays were first Publisher in 1623. After acting and writing and after his son’s death he went back to Stratford and lived a quiet life with his family. He made a fortune so he could buy a new fine house in Stratford. He died on the same day as he qas born ( on 23rd Apríl). The legend says that he died after a louder and noisier birthday celebration with his friends. He is buried at local Trinity Church. There are only two portraits of Shakespeare which are authentic and one of them is the bust in Stratford at Trinity Church.

b)Work
Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and beautiful snnets. His mastery lies in his human vision which recognizes the complesity of moral questions and in the richness of his language. He wrote comedies, history plays and tragedies:

Comedies: The Comedy of Effors, The Two Gentleman of Verona, A Midsummer – Nigh’s Dream, Merry Wives of Windsdor…

History plays: Julius Caesar, Richard II, Richard III, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI

Tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear, Othello.

Romeo and Juliet is about the ungappy love and death of Romeo and Juliet.

Hamlet is about the hate, death and love.
TO BE, OR NOT TO BE – THAT IS THE QUESTION

King Lear is a tragedy of loyalty and treason.

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