2. Shakespeare - Life and Biography

Shakespeare - Biography
"[Shakespeare is the] soul of the age! The applause! The delight! The wonder of our stage."
- Writer Ben Johnson, 1623

Shakespeare was supposedly born on the 23rd April, 1564. He was born into a fairly privileged family and his father underwent various promotions in his time, finally becoming the town Bailiff which was the equivalent of the town mayor. Shakespeare's privileged background would have meant that he was enrolled into a Boy's Grammar School where there would be thorough lessons in Latin Classics, writing and Religious Studies - all of which may have influenced his plays and poetry. Shakespeare was married to Anne Hathaway in 1582 and they had three children. Shakespeare spent most of his time acting in plays and writing in London as it had the most opportunities for theatre in England at the time. Anne Hathaway and the children lived in Stratford so the family spent most of their time apart, however is it thought that the couple remained close until their death's as Shakespeare leaves Anne 'the second best bed' they had shared in his will. It was expected of any privileged home owner at the time that the 'first bed' be kept for guests or if a noble man might be passing and in need of a place to stay and so the act of giving Anne Hathaway the 'Second best bed' which they would have shared together was very romantic and telling of their relationship and how much Shakespeare may have admired her. This is a contemporary poem written by Carol Ann-Duffy, referencing Hathaway and Shakespeare's relationship;

Anne Hathaway's Bed

Shakespeare was a playwright and actor, belonging to the 'Lord Chamberlain's men' collective. As his theatrical career progressed his plays were sought after by Queen Elizabeth I. It has been argued that much of Shakespeare's histories were written in order to please or glorify the English monarchy, or others in power within England. Richard III is suggestive of this as it follows the crowning of Richard III who has the 'blackened blood' of House of York. The restoration of the crown to 'good' Tudor blood by the end of the play could be an indicator that Shakespeare wrote the play to tarnish Richard III as a leader and glorify Queen Elizabeth I. All of the histories are based around real conflicts within Europe and England and always include a powerful figure from the past rising into and falling out of power.
By 1599 Shakespeare was still very much a member of 'The Lord Chamberlain's Men' and the group decided to build The Globe Theatre. A place in which the group could now perform theatre on a stage which they had owned and set up themselves, from then on Theatre had become one of the most important aspects to London culture.

The Taming of the Shew

Shakespeare's works reflect the beliefs of society at the time, often covering issues such as racism, antisemitism, sexism and sexuality. It is often conflicted as to whether the issues that are referenced are in favour of the prejudice or whether Shakespeare is commenting on and revealing, what he believed to be the discriminate tendencies of society. Plays such as The Taming of the Shrew, Othello, The Merchant of Venice, very heavily focus on all of these issues, but is Shakespeare's contradiction which confuses audiences. This contradiction comes from the fact that Shakespeare will often decide that the isolated, targeted character - whether this be a black man with high status in a white dominated society, a woman who challenges feminine stereotype, or a Jew who is criminalised and demonised - all will falter in the end or become weak, usually giving in to their own flaws and undoing all they have ever stood or lived for.

Othello

The Merchant of Venice

It has been controversially suggested that William Shakespeare was not the legitimate author to all of the works known by his hand, and that he possibly stole the work of other writers, claiming them it as his own. Other speculations suggest that the name 'William Shakespeare' is simply a pen name for another writer by the name of Edward de Vere due to the strong correlations between de Vere's life and the lives of the characters present in the writing. Much of the reason for the argument against William Shakespeare's legitimacy of authorship is because of the lack of evidence and record there is of his own voice away from the writing supposed to be his. There is little evidence to prove that the William Shakespeare titled as author on the work held so high in regard now, is indeed a man of that name. It is clear that (the supposed) Shakespeare was heavily influenced and inspired by other texts to create the plots for his plays. Amongst these are, Metamorphoses by Ovid, the tragedies of the Italian novelist Giovanni Battista Giraldi and other mythology which is referenced throughout. The 'Last Will and Testament' written by Shakespeare himself perhaps suggests and reveals more about the elusive man, which seems such a mystery to us. The will is written messily and it has a detached nature to it, fuelling much of the argument against the Shakespeare's authenticity as it was so out of line of the rest of the work which is so renowned and respected.

To the Memory of My Beloved the Author, Mr. William Shakespeare

Related Poem Content Details

BY BEN JONSON - An Epitaph

To draw no envy, Shakespeare, on thy name, 

Am I thus ample to thy book and fame; 

While I confess thy writings to be such 

As neither man nor muse can praise too much; 

'Tis true, and all men's suffrage. But these ways 

Were not the paths I meant unto thy praise; 

For seeliest ignorance on these may light, 

Which, when it sounds at best, but echoes right; 

Or blind affection, which doth ne'er advance 

The truth, but gropes, and urgeth all by chance; 

Or crafty malice might pretend this praise, 

And think to ruin, where it seem'd to raise. 

These are, as some infamous bawd or whore 

Should praise a matron; what could hurt her more? 

But thou art proof against them, and indeed, 

Above th' ill fortune of them, or the need. 

I therefore will begin. Soul of the age! 

The applause, delight, the wonder of our stage! 

My Shakespeare, rise! I will not lodge thee by 

Chaucer, or Spenser, or bid Beaumont lie 

A little further, to make thee a room: 

Thou art a monument without a tomb, 

And art alive still while thy book doth live 

And we have wits to read and praise to give. 

That I not mix thee so, my brain excuses, 

I mean with great, but disproportion'd Muses, 

For if I thought my judgment were of years, 

I should commit thee surely with thy peers, 

And tell how far thou didst our Lyly outshine, 

Or sporting Kyd, or Marlowe's mighty line. 

And though thou hadst small Latin and less Greek, 

From thence to honour thee, I would not seek 

For names; but call forth thund'ring Aeschylus, 

Euripides and Sophocles to us; 

Pacuvius, Accius, him of Cordova dead, 

To life again, to hear thy buskin tread, 

And shake a stage; or, when thy socks were on, 

Leave thee alone for the comparison 

Of all that insolent Greece or haughty Rome 

Sent forth, or since did from their ashes come. 

Tri'umph, my Britain, thou hast one to show 

To whom all scenes of Europe homage owe. 

He was not of an age but for all time! 

And all the Muses still were in their prime, 

When, like Apollo, he came forth to warm 

Our ears, or like a Mercury to charm! 

Nature herself was proud of his designs 

And joy'd to wear the dressing of his lines, 

Which were so richly spun, and woven so fit, 

As, since, she will vouchsafe no other wit. 

The merry Greek, tart Aristophanes, 

Neat Terence, witty Plautus, now not please, 

But antiquated and deserted lie, 

As they were not of Nature's family. 

Yet must I not give Nature all: thy art, 

My gentle Shakespeare, must enjoy a part. 

For though the poet's matter nature be, 

His art doth give the fashion; and, that he 

Who casts to write a living line, must sweat, 

(Such as thine are) and strike the second heat 

Upon the Muses' anvil; turn the same 

(And himself with it) that he thinks to frame, 

Or, for the laurel, he may gain a scorn; 

For a good poet's made, as well as born; 

And such wert thou. Look how the father's face 

Lives in his issue, even so the race 

Of Shakespeare's mind and manners brightly shines 

In his well-turned, and true-filed lines; 

In each of which he seems to shake a lance, 

As brandish'd at the eyes of ignorance. 

Sweet Swan of Avon! what a sight it were 

To see thee in our waters yet appear, 

And make those flights upon the banks of Thames, 

That so did take Eliza and our James! 

But stay, I see thee in the hemisphere 

Advanc'd, and made a constellation there! 

Shine forth, thou star of poets, and with rage 

Or influence, chide or cheer the drooping stage; 

Which, since thy flight from hence, hath mourn'd like night, 

And despairs day, but for thy volume's light. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxCu55Qwlcw